Peter "Petrowitsch" Bissing (1871 in Russia – 30 November 1961 in Wisconsin, United States) was the founder and president of Bissing's Conservatory of Music in
Hays, Kansas and later in
Topeka
Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central Uni ...
. He was known as an instructor of music and specialized in the
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
, publishing multiple works on the instruction of the instrument. He was among the top instructors of his day in the expression of
vibrato
Vibrato ( Italian, from past participle of " vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms ...
and published a book titled ''Cultivation of the Violin Vibrato Tone''.
In 1876, Bissing arrived in
Ellis County from the
Volga River
The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchme ...
area of
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
with his family. He was about five years old when his family arrived in Kansas and he began to study music on a homemade four-octave
organ made by his father. At 8 years old, he began learning to play the violin. As he grew older, Bissing studied at the
Chicago College of Music alongside jazz violinist
Eddie South
Edward Otha South (November 27, 1904 – April 25, 1962) was an American jazz violinist.
Biography
South studied classical music in Budapest, Paris, and Chicago. He turned to jazz because, as a Black musician, there was no room for him in class ...
and finished violin instruction under
Francis Boucher.
He also was an instructor of
Walter Wenzel
On January 2, 1901, Bissing began the ''Bissing Conservatory of Music'' and offered instruction in vocal, piano, violin, organ, harmony and composition. But it was in June 1903 when Bissing received an invitation to study at
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
under
Otakar Sevcik. Bissing left to complete his studies and returned to
Topeka
Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central Uni ...
in 1906 to reorganize his teaching conservatory. Upon returning, he adopted the stage name of Petrowitsch Bissing.
See also
*
List of defunct colleges and universities in Kansas
The following is a List of defunct universities and colleges in Kansas. This list includes accredited, degree-granting institutions and bona fide institutions of higher learning that operated before accreditation existed. All have hosted their pr ...
*
List of people from Ellis County, Kansas
This is a list of people from Ellis County, Kansas, Ellis County, Kansas, United States. Inclusion on the list should be reserved for notable people past and present who have resided in the county, either in cities or rural areas.
Academics
...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bissing, Petrowitsch
1871 births
Violinists from the Russian Empire
20th-century American violinists
American male violinists
People from Hays, Kansas
1961 deaths
People from Topeka, Kansas
Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States
Classical musicians from Kansas
20th-century American male musicians