Wilhelm Melcher
Wilhelm Melcher (born April 5, 1940 in Hamburg ; † March 5, 2005 ) was the first violinist of the Melos Quartet for 40 years from 1965 until his death .
Life
Education and orchestral work
At the age of 7 he received his first violin lessons from his father, in 1950 he was accepted into the class of Erich Röhn , the long-time first concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic , with whom he studied until 1961. In July 1958, Melcher and Christoph Eschenbach, who was of the same age, recorded two Mozart sonatas for the radio play Wolfgang von Gott beliebe by Deutsche Grammophon , for which he received a bicycle as a “fee”. After graduating from high school in 1959 at the Christianeum in Hamburg, Melcher was a scholarship holder of the German National Academic Foundation from 1961 to 1963 . He continued his studies in Rome with Arrigo Pelliccia , then with Pina Carmirelli at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia . In 1962 he took part in a quartet course at the Quartetto Italiano . In the competition that followed, he and his quartet were awarded first prize. In 1963 he passed his concert exam in Rome with distinction. From 1963 to 1965 he was first concertmaster of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra , and from 1965 to 1967 in the same function with the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra in Heilbronn .
Melos Quartet
From 1965 he devoted himself to playing string quartet with the Melos Quartet , of which he was the first violinist.
Teaching
In 1975 he became a lecturer and in 1980 a full professor at the State University for Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart.
Instruments
Wilhelm Melcher mostly played a violin from 1731 attributed to Carlo Bergonzi or one attributed to Domenico Montagnana .
honors and awards
- 1966: Winner of the Geneva International Music Competition with the Melos Quartet
- 1967: Winner of the Villa Lobos Competition in Rio de Janeiro with the Melos Quartet
- Bearer of the Federal Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Individual evidence
- ^ Joseph Stevenson: Wilhelm Melcher Biography . allmusic.com, 2017
- ^ Tully Potter: In MGG Melos Quartet , Person Part Volume 11, Sp. 1521–1522
- ↑ Hamburger Abendblatt: W. Melcher died, 40 years primary of the Melos Quartet
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Melcher, Wilhelm |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German violinist, first violinist of the Melos Quartet |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 5, 1940 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Hamburg |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 5, 2005 |