Hugo Kortschak (28 February 1884 – 19 September 1957) was an Austrian-born American violinist and a member of the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenure ...

from 1907 until 1914 (serving as assistant concertmaster from 1910 until 1914), founding member of the

Berkshire String Quartet The Berkshire String Quartet was an American classical chamber group founded and funded in 1916 at the height of World War I by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. The quartet, originally, was the Kortschak String Quartet, named for Hugo Kortschak (1884� ...

and Dean of Music at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. His son was the plant physiologist

Hugo P. Kortschak Hugo Peter Kortschak (or Kortschack; 4 September 1911, in Chicago, Illinois – 20 August 1983) was an American biologist who discovered the C4 pathway in 1957. This pathway is an adaptation found in plants which reduces loss of energy via the ine ...

. The Berkshire String Quartet was founded when music patroness

Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge aka Liz Coolidge (30 October 1864 – 4 November 1953), born Elizabeth Penn Sprague, was an American pianist and patron of music, especially of chamber music. Biography Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge's father was a we ...

persuaded Kortschak to move his quartet from Chicago to

Pittsfield, Massachusetts Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfield� ...

, where its members could focus exclusively on chamber music. In his youth Kortschak was a member of the Pozniak-Trio founded by the Polish Pianist Bronislaw Pozniak (de). Kortschak was an owner of several fine violins, including: * In 1914: a

Joseph Guarnerius Bartolomeo Giuseppe "del Gesù" Guarneri (, , ; 21 August 1698 – 17 October 1744) was an Italian luthier from the Guarneri family of Cremona. He rivals Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) with regard to the respect and reverence accorded his inst ...

violin, once the property of the Crown Treasurer of Spain; and * Period of ownership unknown:

Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù Bartolomeo Giuseppe "del Gesù" Guarneri (, , ; 21 August 1698 – 17 October 1744) was an Italian luthier from the Guarneri family of Cremona. He rivals Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) with regard to the respect and reverence accorded his inst ...

, 1739c * From 1925 to 1957: a 1698

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, once owned by

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 ...

and later

Joan Field Joan Field (April 28, 1915March 18, 1988) was an American violinist. Biography and career Joan Field was born in Long Branch, New Jersey. She began violin studies at the age of 5. She was a pupil of Franz Kneisel, Albert Spalding and Michel P ...

Kortschak was an influential teacher in Chicago, Illinois. Ruth Scott Miller, the first female music critic of the ''Chicago Tribune'', studied violin with Kortschak between 1912 and 1915, first in Chicago and then Berlin. She credited Kortschak and conductor

Frederick Stock Frederick Stock (born Friedrich August Stock; November 11, 1872 – October 20, 1942) was a German conductor and composer, most famous for his 37-year tenure as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Early life and education Born ...

for inspiring her to become a concert violinist.“Berlin as Seen by Topeka Girl,” ''The Topeka Daily Capital'', July 13, 1913, p. 3; “Our Family Album, ''Ladies’ Home Journal'' Volume 42 (January 1925), p. 25. Kortschak was a key figure in organizing the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival founded by Coolidge. The original Berkshire String Quartet disbanded sometime after 1941.

Honors

Kortschak is a recipient of the

Medal for "eminent services to chamber music."

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kortschak, Hugo 1884 births 1957 deaths American classical violinists Male classical violinists American male violinists Yale University faculty Concertmasters Musicians from Chicago Austro-Hungarian emigrants to the United States Classical musicians from Illinois 20th-century classical violinists 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American violinists