Luz Leskowitz (born 7 August 1943) is an Austrian violinist, founder of the Salzburg Soloists music ensemble. He is the owner of the ex-Prihoda

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th ...

violin made in 1707.Cozio.com: violin by Antonio Stradivari, 1707 (In English)
Club-Carriere Luz Leskowitz (In German)
/ref>

Early career

Leskowitz was born in Salzburg into a family of musicians. He began playing violin at the age of six. At age thirteen he moved to

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

to study at the

Vienna Academy of Music The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (, abbreviated MDW) is an Austrian university established in 1817 located in Vienna. With a student body of over three thousand, it is the largest institution of its kind in Austria, and one of t ...

. His teacher at the academy was a Czech violinist,

Váša Příhoda Váša Příhoda (22 August 1900Nicolas Slonimsky, ed. Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 8th ed.26 July 1960) was a Czechoslovakia, Czech List of classical violinists, violinist and minor composer. Considered a Niccolò Paganini, Pagan ...

, later followed by an Argentinian-Austrian-American violinist,

Ricardo Odnoposoff Ricardo Odnoposoff (February 24, 1914 – October 26, 2004) was a Jewish Argentine-Austrian-American violinist of the 20th century. He was a former concertmaster of the Vienna State Opera and Vienna Philharmonic. He was dismissed on September 1, 19 ...

. After his study in the Academy he moved back to Salzburg to study in the Mozarteum University. Parallel to his university classes he took lessons in violin and

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

from viola soloist

Ernst Wallfisch Ernst Wallfisch (27 May 1920 in Frankfurt am Main – 8 May 1979 in Northampton, Massachusetts) was a prominent viola soloist, recording artist and pedagogue, primarily remembered along with his wife, pianist Lory Wallfisch, as partners of the Wal ...

. After graduation he received an invitation from

Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin (22 April 191612 March 1999), was an American-born British violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in Britain. He is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. ...

, one of the greatest violinists of the century, to become a music teacher for his school in London. Collaboration with Yehudi Menuhin deeply influenced the young violinist.

Music

At the age of twenty, Luz Leskowitz made his debut performances in London (

Wigmore Hall The Wigmore Hall is a concert hall at 36 Wigmore Street, in west London. It was designed by Thomas Edward Collcutt and opened in 1901 as the Bechstein Hall; it is considered to have particularly good building acoustics, acoustics. It specialis ...

and

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts European classical music, classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by ...

), in New York (

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

), in Vienna (Golden Hall of the

Musikverein The ( or ; ), commonly shortened to , is a concert hall in Vienna, Austria, which is located in the Innere Stadt district. The building opened in 1870 and is the home of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. The acoustics of the building's 'Grea ...

), in Milan (Verdi Hall) and in Hamburg (Music Hall of the

Hamburg Philharmonic The Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg (Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra) is an internationally renowned symphony orchestra based in Hamburg. As of 2015, Kent Nagano has been General Music Director (''Generalmusikdirektor'') and chief ...

). His performances were received exceptionally well, which lead to more concerts around the world in Europe, USA, Russia, South America, the Middle East, and Far Eastern Asia. Every year he performs and gives

master class ''Master Class'' is a 1995 play by American playwright Terrence McNally, presented as a fictional master class by opera singer Maria Callas near the end of her life, in the 1970s. The play features incidental vocal music by Giuseppe Verdi, Giac ...

es around the world, most often in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

, and

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. Luz Leskowitz performs

solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity * Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character * Napoleon Solo, fr ...

or as a part of a string ensemble. Often he or his ensemble is joined with other musicians forming a

chamber ensemble Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

. In 1979 Luz Leskowitz organised his first ensemble "Salzburg Soloists" ()Arien Artists, Salzburger Solisten (In English)
/ref> which was followed by two other ensembles called "Salzburg Mozart Players" ()" and "Salzburg Soloists Trio" (). Luz Leskowitz often performs with "Salzburg Soloists" in Europe, Russia, and around the globe. He and his ensembles collaborated with such musicians and ensembles as

Vasily Shcherbakov Vasily Shcherbakov (; born June 19, 1969) is a Russian pianist, professor and composer. Vasily Shcherbakov is a Candidate of Sciences, Candidate of Pedagogy, Pedagogic Sciences (2010), a professor of the Moscow Conservatory, a professor of the f ...

Paul Badura-Skoda Paul Badura-Skoda (6 October 1927 – 25 September 2019) was an Austrian pianist. Career A student of Edwin Fischer, Badura-Skoda first rose to prominence by winning first prize in the Austrian Music Competition in 1947. In 1949, he performed w ...

Wilhelm Kempff Wilhelm Walter Friedrich Kempff (25 November 1895 – 23 May 1991) was a German pianist, teacher and composer. Although his repertoire included Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt and Brahms, Kempff was particularly well known for his interp ...

Ingrid Haebler Ingrid Haebler (20 June 1929– 14 May 2023) was an Austrian classical pianist. Early life Haebler was born in Vienna in 1929. Her parents moved to Poland shortly after her birth, where she remained for her early childhood. Many celebrated mu ...

Jörg Demus Jörg Wolfgang Demus (2 December 1928 – 16 April 2019) was an Austrian classical pianist who appeared internationally and made many recordings. He was also a composer and a lecturer at music academies. In composition and playing, he focused on ...

, Jeremy Menuhin, the “

Oistrakh Oistrakh may refer to either of two violinists: * David Oistrakh (1908–1974), renowned Soviet classical violinist * Igor Oistrakh Igor Davidovich Oistrakh (; April 1931 – 14 August 2021) was a Soviet and Russian violinist. He was described b ...

-Family”,

Norbert Brainin Norbert Brainin, OBE (12 March 1923 in Vienna – 10 April 2005 in London) was the first violinist of the Amadeus Quartet, one of the world's most highly regarded string quartets. Because of Brainin's Jewish origin, he was driven out of Vienna ...

David Geringas David Geringas (; born 29 July 1946 in Vilnius) is a Lithuanian cello, cellist and conducting, conductor who studied under Mstislav Rostropovich. In 1970 he won the gold medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition. He also plays the baryto ...

Heinrich Schiff Heinrich Schiff (; 18 November 1951 – 23 December 2016) was an Austrian cellist and conductor. Early life Heinrich Schiff was born on 18 November 1951 in Gmunden, Austria. His parents, Helga (née Riemann) and Helmut Schiff, were composers. H ...

Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (27 March 192727 April 2007) was a Russian Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was well known for both inspiring and commissioning new works, which enl ...

, Hermann Baumann,

Karl Leister Karl Leister (born 15 June 1937) is a classical clarinet player from Wilhelmshaven, Germany. At a very young age, he learned to play the clarinet from his father, also a clarinetist, and later studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. As a ...

Michala Petri Michala Petri (born 7 July 1958) is a Danish recorder player. She is celebrated for her technical virtuosity and versatility across various musical styles. She made her solo debut in 1969, at age eleven. Biography Petri, who began playing th ...

Sharon Bezaly Sharon Bezaly (; born 1972) is an Israeli flautist. Bezaly was born in Israel, but lives presently in Sweden. She has been an international performer since 1997, when she began her solo flute career. She made her solo debut at 13 with Zubin Meh ...

, Peter Wispelway, Hakan Hardenberger,

Elly Ameling Elisabeth Sara "Elly" Ameling (born 8 February 1933) is a Dutch soprano, who is particularly known for lieder recitals and for performing works by Johann Sebastian Bach. Performing with distinguished pianists and ensembles around the globe, she w ...

, Bartok Quartet, Lark Quartet, Voces Quartet, Kocian Quartet, and the Amati Ensemble.

ex-Prihoda

Luz Leskowitz owns and plays a

violin made by

Antonio Stradivari Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinisation of names, Latinized form of his surname, ''Stradivarius'', a ...

in the city of

Cremona Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po (river), Po river in the middle of the Po Valley. It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local city a ...

in 1707. The official ID number for the violin is 3652 and although the violin has not been given an official

sobriquet A sobriquet ( ) is a descriptive nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym in that it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name without the need for explanation; it may beco ...

, it is often called ex-Prihoda, by the name of the previous owner, teacher of Luz Leskowitz, Czech violinist

. Because of the famous nature of such an instrument, it is often mentioned in the concert announcements, especially in Russia and Eastern Europe.Yaroslavl Philharmonic (In Russian)
/ref>Zabaikalskaya Philharmonic (In Russian)
/ref>

Festivals

Under the impression by Yehudi Menuhin

Gstaad Gstaad ( , ) is a town in the German language, German-speaking section of the Canton of Bern in southwestern Switzerland. It is part of the municipality of Saanen and is known as a major ski resort and a popular destination amongst high society ...

Music Festival, Luz Leskowitz in 1970 organised his first

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

festival in Hamburg, called Harzburger Musiktage. The festival was successful and was followed by more festivals in Austria, Germany, and Romania. Currently he is the head of such festivals as "May Festival in the

Rellingen Rellingen is a municipality in the district of Pinneberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approximately 7 km east of Pinneberg, and 10 km northwest of Hamburg. Population as of December 31, 2007 is 13,746. The total land ...

Cathedral" () which first ran in 1986 and the "International Music Ferstival at the

Berleburg Bad Berleburg (, earlier also Berleburg) is a town, in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is one of Germany's largest towns by land area. It is located approximately northeast of Siegen and northwest of ...

Castle" (), run since 1972. Leskowitz is often invited to be on juries of international music competitions. Every year he takes part in organising FLAMES competition in Paris. He also founded the " Yuzhnouralsk—

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

" () music competition, one of the rare international music competitions in Russia held outside major cities.Moscow International David Oistrakh Piano Competition, Luz Leskowitz (In English and Russian)
/ref> In 1991 Luz Leskowitz took over the "Salzburg Palace Concerts" () concert series first organised in 1954, becoming the Artistic Director. Salzburger Schlosskonzerte is based in the Marble Hall of the

Mirabell Palace Mirabell Palace () is a historic building in the city of Salzburg, Austria. The palace with its gardens is a listed cultural heritage monument and part of the Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg UNESCO World Heritage Site. History The palac ...

. Every year more than 230 concerts are performed under the Salzburger Schlosskonzerte name.

Discography

Luz Leskowitz appeared solo or as part of an ensemble on a number of albums under several music labels, including

Cetra Records Cetra (Compagnia per edizioni, teatro, registrazioni ed affini) was an Italian record company, active between 1933 and 1957, the year in which, by merging with (Fonodisco Italiano Trevisan), it gave birth to Fonit Cetra. Its roster of artists ...

Syrinx In classical Greek mythology, Syrinx () was an Arcadian nymph and a follower of Artemis, known for her chastity. Being pursued by Pan, she fled into the river Ladon, and at her own request was metamorphosed into a reed from which Pan then mad ...

, Mirabell, Arte Nova Classics,

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...

, EMI-Classics,

BIS Records BIS Records is a record label founded in 1973 by Robert von Bahr. It is located in Åkersberga, Sweden. BIS focuses on classical music, both contemporary and early, especially works that are not already well represented by existing recording ...

Brilliant Classics Brilliant Classics is a classical music label based in the Dutch town of Leeuwarden. It is renowned for releasing super-budget-priced editions on CD of the complete works of J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and many other composers. The label also s ...

Point Classics A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...

, One Media,

X5 Music Group X5 Music Group is a record label based in Stockholm, Sweden with a branch in Manhattan, New York. Founded in 2003, it is a digital-only label that primarily licenses pre-existing music for compilation albums. X5 originally focused on classical mu ...

, BFM Digital, and Ok Records. * 1996 — Johannes Brahms String Sextets Nos. 1, 2 (Label: Arte Nova Classics) * 1997 — Chamber Music of Europe (Label: Arte Nova Classics) * 1997 — Brahms: Piano and Chamber Music (Label: Arte Nova Classics) * 2002 — Mozart: Flute Quartets (Label:

) * 2005 — The Best of Mozart (Label:

) * 2005 — #1 Classical -Concertos for flute (Label:

) * 2006 — Mozart: Gran Partita (Label:

) * 2008 — Mozart: Flute & Harp Concerto - Flute Concertos Nos. 1, 2 (Label:

Savoy Label Group Savoy Records is an American record company and label established by Herman Lubinsky in 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. Savoy specialized in jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel music. In September 2017, Savoy was acquired by Concord Bicycle Music. ...

) * 2008 — Mozart: Quartets for Flute and String Trio - Divertimento No. 15 (Label:

, BFM Digital) * 2008 — Stamitz: Quartet for Oboe - Sonata for Viola & Piano - Symphony for 2 Oboes, 2 Horns & Strings (Label:

, BFM Digital) * 2008 — Mozart: Cassation No. 2 - Divertimentos K. 156 & 251 (Label:

, BFM Digital) * 2009 — Mozart: The Flute Concertos & Andante In C Major (Label:

) * 2010 — Mozart: Quintet for Clarinet & Strings K. 581 "Stadler Quintet" (Label: One Media) * 2010 — Mozart: Divertimento No.15 for 2 Horns & Strings in B Flat Major K. 287 "London Serenade No.2" (Label: One Media) * 2010 — Mozart: Flute Concerto No.1 & No.2 (Label: One Media) * 2010 — Mozart: Flute Concerto No.4 in A Major K. 298 (Label: One Media) * 2011 — Mozart: Symphony No.36 - Flute Quartet - Salzburg Symphony No.1 (Label: Ok Records)

Films

Luz Leskowitz played a minor role in the 2001 French-Austrian film The Piano Teacher, appearing as a violinist.Cinema Luz Leskowitz (In German)
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leskowitz, Luz 1943 births Living people Austrian male classical violinists 20th-century Austrian classical violinists 21st-century Austrian classical violinists Musicians from Salzburg University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna alumni Mozarteum University Salzburg alumni 20th-century Austrian male musicians 21st-century Austrian male musicians