Peter Schidlof facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Schidlof
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Peter Schidlof with the "MacDonald" Stradivarius of 1719
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Hans Schidlof |
| Born | July 9, 1922 Göllersdorf, Austria |
| Died | August 16, 1987 (aged 65) Cumbria, England |
| Genres | Classical |
| Instruments | Viola |
| Associated acts | Amadeus Quartet |
Peter Schidlof was a talented musician who played the viola. He was born in Austria on July 9, 1922. Peter later became a British citizen. He was a very important member of a famous music group called the Amadeus Quartet.
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Who Was Peter Schidlof?
Peter Schidlof was a well-known violist. A violist is someone who plays the viola, which is a string instrument. It looks like a violin but is a bit bigger and has a deeper sound. Peter was best known for playing in the Amadeus Quartet. This was a group of four musicians who played classical music together.
Early Life and Moving to Britain
Peter Schidlof was born in Vienna, Austria. When he was young, a difficult time began in Austria. Because of this, Peter had to leave his home country. He moved to Great Britain to find safety.
Peter was very good at music. He won a special scholarship to attend Blundell's School in Devon, England. However, when World War II started, he was held in a special camp. This was a common situation for many people from other countries at that time.
How the Amadeus Quartet Began
While Peter was in the camp, he met two other musicians, Norbert Brainin and Siegmund Nissel. They often played music together. After they were free, they all became students of a music teacher named Max Rostal.
Max Rostal thought Peter would be excellent at playing the viola. Peter had been playing the violin, but he agreed to switch to the viola. Soon, these three musicians, along with Martin Lovett, decided to form a string quartet. A string quartet is a group of four musicians who play string instruments, usually two violins, one viola, and one cello.
At first, they called their group the Brainin Quartet. But they soon changed the name to the Amadeus Quartet. Their very first public concert was in 1948 at the Wigmore Hall in London. After that, they quickly became famous around the world. They performed in many concerts and music festivals in different countries.
A Special Musician and Friend
Peter Schidlof was known for being a calm person. He listened very carefully to everything during their music performances. His friends in the quartet even called him "Eagle ears" because he had such sharp hearing.
The four members of the Amadeus Quartet played music together for almost 40 years. They stayed together as a group until Peter Schidlof passed away in 1987. Their long partnership showed how much they enjoyed playing music together.
