Leo Schulz (March 28, 1865 – August 12, 1944) was a Kingdom of Prussia-born American

cellist The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

Biography

Schulz was born in

Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...

, the then

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

, currently

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. His grandfather, a bandmaster in the Prussian army, was originally named Soltys but was obliged to adopt the German name Schultz. As a child he toured Germany as a pianist along with his sister, a violinist. At 13 attended the Royal Academic High School of Music in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, where he studied under Robert Hausmann,

Richard Barth Richard Barth (5 June 1850 in Grosswanzleben, Saxony – 25 December 1923 in Marburg) was a left-handed German violin virtuoso, conductor, music teacher and composer in the circle of Johannes Brahms. His ''Ciacona in B minor,'' Op. 21, compose ...

, Woldermar Bargiel,

Friedrich Kiel Friedrich Kiel (8 October 182113 September 1885) was a German composer and music educator. Writing of the chamber music of Friedrich Kiel, the scholar and critic Wilhelm Altmann notes that it was Kiel’s extreme modesty which kept him and his ...

, and

Joseph Joachim Joseph Joachim (28 June 1831 – 15 August 1907) was a Hungarian Violin, violinist, Conducting, conductor, composer and teacher who made an international career, based in Hanover and Berlin. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely ...

. He was a principal cellist in

as well as in the Gewandhaus Orchestra of

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

from 1886 to 1889. In 1889 Schulz moved to Boston to take the post of principal cellist of the

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five (orchestras), Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in ...

. He was professor of the

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...

. He became a United States citizen in 1893. In 1898 he moved to New York, taking the post of principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic Society, a position he held until his retirement in 1929. He was succeeded by

Alfred Wallenstein Alfred Wallenstein (October 7, 1898 – February 8, 1983) was an American cellist and conductor. A successful solo and orchestral cellist in his early life, Wallenstein took up conducting in the 1930s and served as music director of the Los Ang ...

. While in New York, he was also president of the New York Tonkünstler, played in the

Mannes Mannes is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname: *Aaron Mannes (born 1970), American writer * Astrid Mannes (born 1967), German politician * Charlie Mannes (1863–1937), Scottish cricketer * Clara Mannes ( ...

String Quartet and the Margulies Trio. He taught at the

National Conservatory of Music of America National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ...

in New York and at Yale University. In 1906 he started his own Leo Schulz Quartet. In the 1920s, with

Mikhail Press Mikhail (Moisej) Isaakovich Press, also known as Michael Press, (; 29 August 1871, in Vilnius, Lithuania – 22 December 1938, in Lansing, Michigan) was a Russian-American violinist, conductor and music educator. Press began studying violin wit ...

, he founded the Old Masters Trio. He was a professor at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

for a time.

Publications

Schulz was a prolific editor, arranger, and transcriber for the cello. * ''Cello Album'', Vol. 1 * ''Cello Album'', Vol. 2 * ''Cello Classics'', Vol. 1 * ''Cello Classics,'' Vol. 2 * ''Cello Compositions'', Vol. 1 * ''Cello Compositions,'' Vol. 2 He also wrote many cello compositions, songs, orchestral

overture Overture (from French ''ouverture'', "opening") is a music instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed overtures which ...

s, and

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...

s, including: * ''Souvenir de Posen'' for cello and piano.

Personal life

On April 12, 1885, he married Ida Bartsch in

Notes

References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schulz, Leo 1865 births 1944 deaths Musicians from Poznań Musicians from the Province of Posen German classical cellists American classical cellists 19th-century American classical composers 20th-century American classical composers American male classical composers 19th-century German classical composers 20th-century German classical composers German male classical composers Yale University faculty New England Conservatory faculty Emigrants from the German Empire to the United States Players of the New York Philharmonic Players of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Players of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra Conductors of the Boston Pops 19th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American conductors (music)