Josef Gingold facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Josef Gingold
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
Иосиф Гингольд
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| Born | October 28, 1909 Brest-Litovsk, Grodno Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | January 11, 1995 (aged 85) Bloomington, Indiana |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Violin |
Josef Gingold (Russian: Иосиф Меерович Гингольд; October 28, 1909 – January 11, 1995) was a famous classical violinist and teacher. He was born in Russia but lived most of his life in the United States. Many people thought he was one of the most important violin teachers in the U.S. when he passed away. He taught many successful students who became great musicians.
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Josef Gingold's Life Story
Josef Gingold was born into a Jewish family in Brest-Litovsk, which was part of the Russian Empire at the time. Today, this city is called Brest, Belarus. In 1920, when he was about 11 years old, his family moved to the United States.
Learning the Violin
In New York City, Josef started learning the violin with a teacher named Vladimir Graffman. Later, he moved to Belgium for several years to study with a true master violinist, Eugène Ysaÿe. Ysaÿe was a very famous musician. Josef Gingold even performed Ysaÿe's "3rd Sonata for Solo Violin" for the very first time!
Playing in Famous Orchestras
In 1937, Josef Gingold earned a spot in the NBC Symphony Orchestra. This orchestra was led by the famous conductor Arturo Toscanini. While he was with NBC, Josef also helped start two smaller music groups: the Primrose Quartet and the NBC Trio.
Later, Josef became the concertmaster of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. A concertmaster is the leader of the first violin section in an orchestra. They often play solo parts and help the conductor. After Detroit, he became the concertmaster for the Cleveland Orchestra, working with conductor George Szell.
A Great Teacher
Josef Gingold spent more than 30 years teaching at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He taught there until he passed away in 1995. He also helped edit many books about violin playing and orchestral music.
Many of his students became very famous violinists. Some of them include Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Miriam Fried, and Jaime Laredo. He had many teaching assistants who also became great teachers themselves. One of his last assistants was Anne Shih, who is now a violin professor in Germany. Anne's sister, Patricia Shih, was chosen to perform for Josef Gingold's 75th birthday celebration on national television. Millions of people watched her play!
Josef Gingold also helped start the Indianapolis Violin Competition. This is a big event that happens every four years where talented young violinists compete.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Josef Gingold received many awards during his life. His recording of music by Fritz Kreisler was even nominated for a Grammy Award!
Some of his other honors include:
- Teacher of the Year from the American String Teachers Association.
- The Fredrick Bachman Lieber Award for Distinguished Teaching at Indiana University.
- The Chamber Music America National Service Award.
- Baylor University's Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teachers.
- The Golden Baton Award from the American Symphony Orchestra League.
Recordings
Josef Gingold didn't make a huge number of recordings, but the ones he did are very special. He recorded with the Primrose Quartet in the 1940s, playing music by composers like Haydn and Brahms. He also recorded a vinyl LP of Fritz Kreisler's music. One notable recording is his 1973 performance of Kodaly's Duo with cellist Janos Starker.
Images for kids
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Gingold (far right) with the Primrose Quartet, 1943
