| Today in Music History A Daily Look at Music History For Violin Students A Look at What Happened on Today's Date Long, Long Ago . . . Or Maybe Just Last Year |
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| TODAY IS June 15 |
| Did You Guess? |
| Can You Guess? |
| What Else Happened Today? |
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| German violinist Julia Fischer was born on June 15, 1983. Ms. Fischer started studying violin at the age of 3 under Helge Thelen, starting piano lessons several months later. Julia actually never wanted to be a violinist, she wanted to play the piano. |
| 1763 - Franz Danzi, German composer, was born. 1772 - Louis-Claude d'Aquin, French composer, organist died. 1810 - First performance of Beethoven's Egmont Overture. 1843 - Edvard Grieg, Norwegian composer, was born. 1900 - Otto Luening, American composer, was born. 1937 - Singer Waylon Jennings was born. 1963 - Jan and Dean's Surf City was released. 1968 - Aretha Franklins Think is #1. 1991 - Premiere of David Ward-Steinman's Cinnabar for viola and piano. 1996 - Ella Fitgerald, First Lady of Song, died. |
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| Julia Fischer 1983- Click the Picture to Go to Julia Fischer's Web Site |
| Julia's mother was a piano teacher and her older brother was already learning the piano when Julia's interest in music developed, so the piano in her home was always occupied. Her mother asked her if she would be willing to play the violin instead. Julia agreed, and we are grateful that she did. She began to play the piano after her family purchased a second piano. She enjoys both instruments. The Leopold Mozart Conservatory in Augsburg (where she studied under Lydia Dubrowskaya) was Julia's next stop, followed by the Munich Academy of Music (admitted at age 9) where she was taught by Ana Chumachenco. In 1995 Julia Fischer won the Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition. (When you click the link be sure to watch the video.) In that competition she also received the special prize for best performance of a solo work by Bach. She also won the Eighth Eurovision Competition for Young Instrumentalists in Lisbon in 1996. Here she received wide public exposure because the performance was broadcast in 22 nations. In 1997, Julia Fischer was awarded the "Prix d'Espoir" by the Foundation of European Industry. Since then Julia Fischer has played with orchestras from Germany, Britain, the US, Poland, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Japan and Slovakia. Do critics like her? The San Francisco Chronicle said, "Fischer has a knack for making a score sound direct and uncluttered, but never simplistic. She gets right to the heart of the matter and lays it out for the listener with utmost clarity, so that even a formally complex piece like the first movement of the Sibelius (Violin Concerto) enjoys a kind of interpretive serenity." Having signed a contract to record for PentaTone Classics, her recordings are becoming more widely available. Among her recordings are the Russian concertos (pictured below), the Brahms Piano Quartet and a marvelous DVD version of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. I can't often feature recordings of an artist's voice, but I was fortunate enough to find this interview on the Internet of an interview Ms. Fischer did on WHYY's Sunday Showcase. Take the time to visit Julia Fischer's web site at http://juliafischer.com and be sure to look at her videos. They are marvelous. |
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| Julia Fischer attended the Leopold Mozart Conservatory. The conservatory is named for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's father. He was a master of a particular instrument, and even wrote a book about it. Can You Guess what instrument Leopold Mozart played? |
| The bagpipes! No, just kidding. Leopold Mozart played the violin! |
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| Have You Ever Wondered How Violins Are Made? Check These Books Out! |
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| Good Read about Leopold and Wolfgang Mozart |
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