Roman Totenberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roman Totenberg
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| Background information | |
| Born | 1 January 1911 Łódź, Congress Poland, Russian Empire |
| Died | 8 May 2012 (aged 101) Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | Classical music |
| Occupation(s) | Violinist, educator |
| Instruments | Violin |
| Years active | 1923–2012 |
Roman Totenberg (born January 1, 1911 – died May 8, 2012) was a famous Polish-American violin player and teacher. He was a child prodigy, meaning he was super talented from a very young age. He lived in many places like Poland, Moscow, Berlin, and Paris. In 1938, when he was 27, he officially moved to the United States. Throughout his life, he performed and taught music all over the world.
One of his favorite violins was the Ames Stradivarius. This special violin was stolen from his office in Cambridge, Massachusetts in May 1980. After many years, the violin was found and given back to his daughters on August 6, 2015.
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Roman Totenberg's Early Life and Music Journey
Roman Totenberg was born in Łódź, Poland. His family was Jewish. His father, Adam, was an architect. His mother was Stanisława Totenberg. When World War I started, his family moved to Moscow, where he spent his early childhood.
Roman was a very talented child. He played his first big concert at age eleven. He performed with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. He also won a gold medal at the Warsaw Chopin Conservatory.
In 1929, he moved to Berlin to keep studying music. Later, in 1932, he moved to Paris. There, he learned from famous musicians like George Enescu. He also won the International Mendelssohn Prize.
In 1935, he played his first concerts in London and Washington, D.C. A year later, in 1936, he played at the White House. He performed for President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt. In 1938, he moved to the U.S. permanently. Many of his family members died during the Holocaust, a terrible time when many Jewish people were killed. Roman was able to save his mother. His sister also survived, even after living in the Warsaw Ghetto.
Roman Totenberg's Amazing Career as a Violinist
Roman Totenberg traveled a lot for his music. In 1937, he toured South America with the famous pianist Arthur Rubinstein. He also played concerts with Karol Szymanowski.
He performed many complete sets of music. This included all the sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven and all the Bach Brandenburg concertos. He knew over thirty different concertos, which are long musical pieces for a solo instrument and orchestra.
Roman Totenberg also introduced many new pieces of music to the world. He played the first performances of works by composers like Darius Milhaud and Krzysztof Penderecki. He also helped start the Alma Trio in 1942. This was a music group with a pianist and a cellist.
He played with many major orchestras in America. These included the New York Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In Europe, he performed with orchestras like the Berlin Philharmonic and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
He worked with many great conductors, such as Leopold Stokowski. He performed in famous places like Carnegie Hall and the White House. He also played at important music festivals around the world. These included the Aspen Music Festival and Tanglewood Music Center. He even helped start the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California.
Roman Totenberg as a Dedicated Music Teacher
Besides his concert performances, Roman Totenberg was a dedicated teacher. He was a Professor of Music at Boston University. He led the string department there from 1961 to 1978.
He also taught at other well-known music schools. These included the Peabody Conservatory of Music and the Mannes College of Music. From 1978 to 1985, he was the director of the Longy School of Music. Many of his students became successful musicians themselves.
Awards and Honors for Roman Totenberg
Roman Totenberg received many awards for his musical talents. He was given the Wieniawski Medal from Poland. He also received the Ysaye Medal from Belgium.
In 1983, the American String Teachers Association named him Artist Teacher of the Year. In 2007, he received the Muses & Mentors Award. This award recognized his amazing artistry and his big impact on teaching string instruments.
In 1988, the Polish government gave him their highest Medal of Merit. This was for his lifelong contributions to Polish society.
Roman Totenberg's Family Life
Roman Totenberg's wife was Melanie Francis Totenberg. She managed his business for 50 years. They had three daughters: Nina, Amy, and Jill. Nina Totenberg is a well-known journalist for National Public Radio. Amy Totenberg is a judge. Jill Totenberg is a businesswoman. Nina shared the story of her father's stolen Stradivarius violin and how it was found years later.
Roman Totenberg's Recordings
Roman Totenberg recorded music for many different record labels. Some of these included Deutsche Grammophon, Philips, and Vanguard. His recordings helped share his beautiful music with many people.
The Mystery of the Ames Stradivarius Violin
One of Roman Totenberg's most cherished violins was the Ames Stradivarius. He bought it in 1943 for about $15,000. This special violin was stolen from his office in May 1980, after a concert.
Roman Totenberg had a suspicion about who took it, but the police did not have enough proof at the time. Thirty-five years later, in 2015, the violin was finally found. It was discovered after the person Totenberg suspected had passed away. His former wife found it among his belongings.
The recovered violin was given back to Roman Totenberg's daughters on August 6, 2015. They planned to have it fixed so it could be played again. The family decided to sell the violin. Nina Totenberg said they wanted to make sure another talented violinist would play it. This way, the violin's beautiful sound could be heard in concert halls around the world again. It has since been sold and is currently on loan to a young American violinist named Nathan Meltzer.
