Louis Persinger facts for kids
Louis Persinger was a talented American musician who played both the violin and the piano. He was born in Rochester, Illinois, USA, on 11 February 1887, and he passed away in New York on 31 December 1966. He is especially remembered for teaching some of the world's greatest violinists.
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A Musical Start
Louis Persinger began performing in public when he was just 12 years old. He loved music and studied at the Leipzig Conservatory in Germany. He also learned from famous violinists like Eugène Ysaÿe in Brussels and Jacques Thibaud in France.
Playing in Big Orchestras
Louis Persinger became the concertmaster (the main leader of the violin section) for the famous Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. He also held this important role with the Royal Opera Orchestra in Brussels. In 1912, he returned to the USA and played with the Philadelphia Orchestra, which was led by the well-known conductor Leopold Stokowski. Later, in 1915, he became the concertmaster and an assistant conductor for the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.
A Special Teacher
In 1930, Louis Persinger started teaching at the Juilliard School in New York, which is a very famous music school. He took over from another great teacher, Leopold Auer. Persinger is best known for being the teacher of several amazing violinists, including Yehudi Menuhin, Ruggiero Ricci, and Isaac Stern.
His teaching style was quite unique. He focused on making his students interested in music and used simple words to explain things. He wanted them to truly understand and love what they were playing.
Helping Other Musicians
Besides playing the violin, Louis Persinger was also a skilled piano accompanist. This means he played the piano to support other musicians, like a singer or a violinist. He often played the piano for Ruggiero Ricci during many concerts and recordings. He also played for Yehudi Menuhin when Menuhin, who was only 10 years old at the time, gave his very first concert in New York.
A Lifelong Musician
Louis Persinger loved music his whole life. On his 75th birthday, he gave a special concert at the Juilliard School of Music. During this concert, he showed off his talents by playing half of the program on the violin and the other half on the piano!
References
- The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ed Stanley Sadie vol 14 (1980) ISBN: 1-56159-174-2
- Unfinished Journey, Yehudi Menuhin (1976), Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN: 0-354-04146-0
