Hugo Kortschak

Hugo Kortschak
Hugo Kortschak
Born	Hugo Kortschak February 24, 1884 Graz, Austria
Died	September 19, 1957 (aged 73) Honolulu, Hawaii, United States =
Nationality	Austrian - American
Citizenship	United States
Occupation	Violinist
Organization	Chicago Symphony Orchestra Yale University Manhattan School of Music
Spouse(s)	Alice Plaut (1884–1972)
Children	Alice Kortschak (1909–1995) Hugo P. Kortschak (1911–1983)

Hugo Kortschak (28 February 1884 Graz, Austria – 19 September 1957),^[1] was an Austrian-born American violinist who was a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1907 until 1914 (serving as assistant concertmaster from 1910 until 1914), founding member of the Berkshire String Quartet, and Dean of Music at Yale University.^[2][3][4][5]

The Berkshire String Quartet was founded when music patroness Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge persuaded Kortschak to move his quartet from Chicago to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where its members could focus exclusively on chamber music. In his youth Kortschak was a member of the Pozniak-Trio founded by the Polish Pianist Bronislaw Pozniak (de). Kortschak was an owner of several fine violins, including:

• In 1914: a Joseph Guarnerius violin, once the property of the Crown Treasurer of Spain;^[6] and
• Period of ownership unknown: Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, 1739c
• From 1925 to 1957: a 1698 Stradivarius violin, once owned by Joseph Joachim

Kortschak was a key figure in organizing the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival founded by Coolidge. The original Berkshire String Quartet disbanded sometime after 1941.

Honors

Kortschak is a recipient of the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Medal for "eminent services to chamber music."

References

1. Obituaries: "Hugo Kortschak", September 20, 1957
       New York Times
       Los Angeles Times, pg. 18
       Honolulu Advertiser, pg. B7, col. 1
2. Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (Kortschak is in Vol. 3 of 6), Macmillan; Schirmer
       6th ed., Slonimsky (ed.) (1978); OCLC 4426869
       7th ed., Slonimsky (ed.) (1984); OCLC 10574930
       8th ed., Slonimsky (ed.) (1992); OCLC 24246972
3. Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Classical Musicians, Nicolas Slonimsky (ed), Schirmer (1997); OCLC 36111932
4. Biography Index, H.W. Wilson Co.; ISSN 0006-3053
       Vol. 1: Jan. 1946–Jul. 1949 (1949)
       Vol. 4: Sep. 1955–Aug. 1958 (1960)
5. The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, (Mata is in Vol. 3 of 4), H. Wiley Hitchcock & Stanley Sadie (eds.), Macmillan Publishers (1986); (see Oxford Music Online); OCLC 13184437, OCLC 230202868
6. "The Violin I Use, and Why I Like It", The Violinist, Chicago: Violinist Publishing Company, Vol. 17, No. 3, June 1914, pg. 25,; OCLC 1769147