MICHEL SCHWALBE

Violinist, conductor, teacher. Laureate of the International Competition in Scheveningen, the Netherlands (1948). Laureate of the Sarasate Prize. Knight of the Legion of Honor (1990). Awarded with the Leopold the Second Distinguished Service Order and the First Class Federal Cross.

Born in Poland (1919); permanently lives in Berlin. Publicly plays violin since his ten. Graduated from Warsaw Music Academy (1931) with Prof. Moritz Frenkel, a pupil of Leopold von Auer. Before the Second World War, graduated from Paris Conservatory with Prof. Jules Bucherit (violin), George Enescu (interpretation) and Pierre Monteux (chamber ensemble and conducting). During the War, graduated from Lyon Conservatory with Prof. Bouffard (composition). Taught former Henry Marteau’s and Jozsef Szigeti’s virtuoso performance class as a professor of Geneva Conservatory. Professor of Mozarteum’s International Summer Academy in Salzburg (1960–63). Professor of Berlin Music Academy (1963–86).

Soloist, choirmaster and chief concertmaster of the France Symphony Orchestra in Lyon (1942–44). Chief concertmaster of the Roman Switzerland Symphony Orchestra in Geneva (since 1944), then of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra (since 1957), directed by Ernest Ansermet and Herbert von Karajan, respectively. Yearly chief guest concertmaster of the Switzerland Festival Orchestra in Lucerne. The mastery of Michel Schwalbe has been highly noted by Karl Bohm, Wilhelm Furtwangler, Herbert von Karajan, Eugene Ormandy, Leopold Stokowski, Bruno Walter and other world famous conductors.

Founder of the Zurich String Quartet and the Geneva Trio. Recited as a guest conductor in Japan, Poland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (until 1990). Recited as a solo violinist with major European orchestras, as well as participated in numerous concert tours and LP recording sessions, on a permanent basis. The King Maximilian violin by Antonio Stradivari has been granted to Michel Schwalbe for liferent.