Axel Skovgaard was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

violinist, who performed throughout the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

during the first three decades of the 20th century.''The Lyceumite and Talent'', (Chicago: The International Lyceum Association of America, April 1910) pp. 20-21.

European beginnings

Axel Skovgaard was born May 20, 1875, in

Copenhagen, Denmark Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. He showed promise at an early age and began his musical studies at the age of six. In the years that followed he studied with the famed violinists Carl Halir,

Emanuel Wirth Emanuel Wirth (18 October 18425 January 1923) was a German violinist and violist. Wirth was born in Žlutice (German: Luditz) in western Bohemia. As Joseph Joachim's assistant at the Hochschule für Musik (Berlin), he taught violin and viola. ...

and

Joseph Joachim Joseph Joachim (28 June 1831 – 15 August 1907) was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, composer and teacher who made an international career, based in Hanover and Berlin. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely regarded as one of ...

. Skovgaard
''uiowa.edu''. Retrieved: June 19, 2012. As a young man Skovgaard performed in much of

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and appeared before the rulers of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

and

. He was also a member of the

Meiningen Court Orchestra The Meiningen Court Orchestra (german: Meininger Hofkapelle) is one of the oldest and most traditional orchestras in Europe. Since 1952 the now 68-member orchestra has been affiliated to the Meiningen Court Theatre and in addition to their opera ...

and the

Copenhagen Philharmonic The Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra (Danish language, Danish: Sjællands Symfoniorkester), also known as the Tivoli Symphony Orchestra, is a Danish symphony orchestra which both serves as Danish Regional Symphony Orchestra, Danish Regional Orchest ...

. In 1902 he purchased a 1712

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), during the 17th and 18th centuries. They are co ...

violin, which became his constant companion and instrument of choice.''The Lyceumite and Talent'', (Chicago: The International Lyceum Association of America, March 1910) pp. 54 -56.

American career

Skovgaard came to

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in 1903 when he accepted a position with the

New York Symphony Orchestra The New York Symphony Orchestra was founded as the New York Symphony Society in New York City by Leopold Damrosch in 1878. For many years it was a rival to the older Philharmonic Symphony Society of New York. It was supported by Andrew Carnegie, ...

under the direction of

Walter Damrosch Walter Johannes Damrosch (January 30, 1862December 22, 1950) was a German-born American conductor and composer. He was the director of the New York Symphony Orchestra and conducted the world premiere performances of various works, including Ge ...

. By 1905 he had formed the Skovgaard Concert Company along with pianist Christine Nilsson and vocalist

Eleonora Olson Between 1905 and 1925 Eleonora and Ethel Olson were well-known figures in Scandinavian communities throughout the United States. They toured extensively in the Midwest, and their recordings on major record labels gained them a nationwide following. ...

. Within a few years both Nilsson and Olson had left the group.

started her own company in 1909 with which she enjoyed considerable success. Alice McClung became Skovgaard's new accompanist. McClung, who had been a student of the

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

pianist August Hyllestad, was a talented soloist and ensemble player.New York Metropolitan Company
''uiowa.edu''. Retrieved: October 23, 2016. She joined Skovgaard's company in 1908 and eventually became his wife. The couple played together for over thirty years, their partnership lasting until Alice Skovgaard's death in 1946.''Herald Press'' (St. Joseph, MI), February 08, 1946. From 1905 onwards, Skovgaard traveled the country, often giving concerts under the auspices of the

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua bro ...

and

Lyceum The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Generally in that type of school the th ...

organizations. Their publications are, in fact, the primary source of information on the Danish violin virtuoso. Axel Skovgaard toured constantly, giving over one thousand performances during one nine-year stretch. His American tours were well-documented in the small town press, and many of these accounts can be read at the

Newspaper Archive Heritage Microfilm, Inc. (est. 1997) is a preservation microfilm and microfilm digitization business located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. History The company began in 1996 when the microfilm division of Cedar Rapids-based Crest Information Technolo ...

and similar sites. The

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

has Skovgaard concert programs, which list several of the works he performed.Circuit Chautauqua in the Twentieth Century
''loc.gov''. Retrieved: June 19, 2012. Although he himself made no recordings, this portion of his repertoire can be heard at video-sharing websites or purchased from digital music download services.

Music played by Axel Skovgaard

*''Ballade et Polonaise'' - Vieuxtemps *''The Bee'' - Schubert *''Chant sans paroles'' - Tchaikovsky *''Fantaisie Hongroise'' - Hubay *''Kreutzer Sonata'' - Beethoven *''La Folia'' - Corelli *''Humoresque'' - Dvořák *''Nocturne'' - Chopin *''Scenes de la Csarda'' - Hubay *''Serenade'' - Schubert *''Sicilienne et Rigaudon'' - Kreisler *''Traumerei'' - Schumann *''Violin Concerto in D major'' - Brahms *''Violin Concerto in F sharp minor'' - Ernst *''Violin Concerto in E minor'' - Mendelssohn *''Violin Concerto in A major'' - Svendsen *''Violin Concerto in F sharp minor'' - Vieuxtemps *''Violin Sonata in E minor'' - Sjögren *''Zapateado'' - Sarasate

References

External links

August Hyllested profile
Historic American Newspapers
Axel Skovgaard advertisements and articles
Circuit Chautauqua in the Twentieth Century
What was Chautauqua?Axel Skovgaard concert programs
at the

. Advertisements
The Skovgaard Concert Party
in ''The Lyceumite and Talent:'' February 1910, page 45.
Skovgaard
in ''The Lyceumite and Talent:'' April 1910, page 47. Articles
"The Story of My Violin"
in ''The Lyceumite and Talent:'' March 1910, page 54.
"The Danish Ole Bull"
in ''The Lyceumite and Talent:'' April 1910, page 20. Skovgaard Concert Company 1905-1907
Skovgaard postcardAxel Skovgaard photoChristine Nilsson photoEleonora Olson photoSkovgaard articles and advertisements
Alice McClung
Alice McClung photoAlice McClung obituary
McCartney and McClung Families Genealogy

Eleonora Olson Company
Olson Company:
concert programs from 1911 to 1917
"Luk Dot Vindow":
humorous story from 1925 Streaming audio
Music from the repertoire of Axel Skovgaard
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Skovgaard, Axel 1875 births American classical violinists Male classical violinists American male violinists Chautauqua Chautauqua Institution Danish emigrants to the United States Danish violinists Lyceum movement Musicians from Copenhagen Year of death missing