OBITUARIES

CARL PINI

British–Australian violinist Carl Pini has died at the age of 87. In a wideranging career he was concertmaster of the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO), as well as founding his own string quartet.

Born in London in 1934, Pini studied with Sascha Lasserson, also taking lessons in Paris with René Benedetti. In 1960 he became leader of the London String Quartet. In 1968 he moved to Sydney where he formed the Carl Pini Quartet, with which he recorded exclusively for EMI and toured worldwide. He joined the Philharmonia in 1975 before moving back to Australia in 1983, when he served as the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s artistic director for seven years. He was concertmaster of the MSO from 1990 to 1995. His principal performing instrument was the c.1732–34 ‘Perkin, Burnford’ Bergonzi violin.

JAMES BUSWELL

Versatile US violinist James Buswell has died at the age of 74 after a long career asa performer, teacher and presenter. Born in 1946 in Fort Wayne, IN, Buswell began his violin studies at the age of five, progressing rapidly and making his solo debut with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra aged seven.

He studied at the Juilliard School with Mary Canberg, Paul Stassevich, and Ivan Galamian, as well as taking courses in Renaissance Art at Harvard University.

Buswell was an enthusiastic educator, serving on the faculties of the University of Arizona, Indiana University and New England Conservatory of Music throughout his career. Most recently, he joined the faculty of the Steinhardt School at New York University along with his wife, cellist Carol Ou. They continued teaching and giving masterclasses online during the pandemic.

Buswell was also an extensive recording artist, releasing many albums on the Naxos label. His recording of the Barber Violin Concerto was nominated for a Grammy. He collaborated with conductors including Leonard Bernstein, George Szell, Seiji Ozawa, Zubin Mehta, André Previn, Pierre Boulez and Michael Tilson Thomas.

While in his twenties, Buswell acquired the 1720 ‘L’Evèque’ Stradivari violin, which he played for the rest of his life. He also made appearances as a presenter, in 1990 appearing in the documentary Stations of Bach, commemorating the 325th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

LUKAS DAVID

Austrian violinist and pedagogue Lukas David has died at the age of 87. As well as enjoying a solo career, he taught at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the Hochschule für Musik Detmold.

Born in 1934 in Wels, Austria, David first received violin lessons at the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig, making his concert debut at the age of 14. He also had lessons with Nathan Milstein.

From 1949 to 1957 he studied with Tibor Varga, working as Varga’s assistant at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold until 1959, and becoming professor there in 1966.

He was the recipient of a sponsorship award from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia for young artists in 1958.

David enjoyed an international touring career, which took him across Europe and to Asia, the US, South America and South Africa. He focused on Romantic and contemporary repertoire, and also performed several concertos by his father, Johann Nepomuk David.

KENNETH ESSEX

British viola player Kenneth Essex has died at the age of 1 01. He enjoyed a performance career of almost 60 years, going on to earn attention in the last years of his life for his fundraising efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Born in 1920, Essex studied viola at the Royal Academy of Music. After war service he performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Boyd Neel Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hurwitz and Amadeus Quartets, before becoming principal viola with the London Symphony Orchestra.

He left the orchestra to go freelance, performing with the Aeolian, Delmé and Gabrieli quartets in expanded quintet and sextet instrumentations. Among many other credits, his playing can be heard on the Beatles song Yesterday, the theme music from Fawlty Towers and the title music of the film The French Lieutenant’s Woman, which features a viola solo.

In the midst of the pandemic in 2020, Essex raised funds for Moorfields Eye Hospital by walking 10 kilometres before his 100th birthday. Initially aiming to raise £1,000 for the hospital that treated him for macular degeneration in both eyes, he raised his target to £20,000 following intense media interest.

RAYMOND GNIEWEK

US violinist Raymond Gniewek has died at the age of 89. Born in New York in 1931, Gniewek studied with André de Ribaupierre and Joseph Knitzer at the Eastman School of Music, becoming concertmaster of the Eastman Rochester Orchestra and associate concertmaster of the Rochester Philharmonic. He also studied with Canadian violinist Albert Pratz and Raphael Bronstein in New York City.

In 1957, at the age of 25, Gniewek was appointed concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra – the youngest musician ever to have been offered the position. His tenure in the role lasted 43 years, until his retirement in 2000.

Laura Hamilton, recently retired principal associate concertmaster of the Met Orchestra, wrote on social media, ’It was my great good fortune to sit next to [Gniewek] for innumerable hours, benefiting from the wealth of his experience and learning all the major repertoire at his elbow. We played so many masterpieces together.’