Albert Pratz

Albert Pratz (born May 13, 1914 in Toronto , † March 28, 1995 in Scottsdale / Arizona ) was a Canadian violinist, conductor, composer and music teacher.

Pratz studied first in Toronto with Broadus Farmer and Luigi von Kunits , in 1933 with Mishel Piastro in the USA and 1936-37 in Europe with William Primrose . He also attended summer courses with Mischa Mischakoff in the early 1930s . He began his career as a violinist in 1929 with the radio orchestra of the CFRB under the direction of Alexander Chuhaldin and made his debut at the Promenade Symphony Concerts in 1937 as a soloist with Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto under Reginald Stewart .

From 1933 to 1941 Pratz was a member of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and various radio orchestras of the CRBC and CBC , from 1940 to 1943 he also worked as a conductor for the CBC Winnipeg . He then moved to the United States and served in the US Army from 1943 to 1946. Until his return to Canada in 1953, he played in the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini .

From 1953 to 1961 Pratz was concertmaster with the CBC Symphony Orchestra , which he conducted many radio appearances and with whom he performed violin concerts a. a, performed by Johannes Brahms , Henri Vieuxtemps , John Weinzweig and Édouard Lalo . At the same time he taught at the Royal Conservatory of Music . As a chamber musician, he appeared as a trio with Isaac Mamott and Glenn Gould at the first Stratford Festival in 1953 , and he also worked frequently with his sister Frances Pratz and with Leo Barkin .

From 1955 he was concertmaster and solo violinist of the Hart House Orchestra , which he left in 1960. The following year he founded the Canadian String Quartet , which existed until 1963. From 1964 he taught at Brandon University for two years . After a time as concertmaster with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra from 1965, Pratz returned to the Toronto Symphonyorchestra in 1969, where he was concertmaster until he resigned for health reasons in 1979.

Pratz worked as a violin teacher at the University of Toronto in the 1960s, and later taught with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and gave private lessons. His students include Dean Franke , Carol Lynn Fujino , Raymond Gniewek , Myron Moskalyk , Imant Raminsh , Bill Richards , Lenny Solomon , Steven Staryk , Campbell Trowsdale , David Zafer and comedian Jack Benny . As a composer he emerged with orchestral works (aa Melanie Waltz and A Tango ) some of which were recorded by the CBC radio orchestra. Even he recorded with various radio orchestras records as a soloist and as a conductor, he also played the Soloviolinev in Louis Applebaum music for the film Homage to Chagall by Harry Rasky . In 1967 Pratz was awarded the Canadian Centennial Medal .

source

• Albert Pratz ( English, French ) In: Encyclopedia of Music in Canada . published by The Canadian Encyclopedia .