Robert Pikler

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(24 January 190916 January 1984) was a Hungarian-Australian

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 regular ...

ist,

violist ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...

and teacher.

Biography

Pikler received his musical training in his native

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

, first under

Eugene Ormandy Eugene Ormandy (born Jenő Blau; November 18, 1899 – March 12, 1985) was a Hungarian-born American conductor and violinist, best known for his association with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as its music director. His 44-year association wit ...

, then at the

Franz Liszt Academy of Music The Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music ( hu, Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Egyetem, often abbreviated as ''Zeneakadémia'', "Liszt Academy") is a music university and a concert hall in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875. It is home to the ...

, principally under Nándor Zsolt and

Jenő Hubay Jenő Hubay, Jenő Hubay von Szalatna, hu, szalatnai Hubay Jenő (; 15 September 185812 March 1937), also known by his Germany, German name Eugen Huber (), was a Hungarian violinist, composer and music teacher. Early life Hubay was born i ...

. As a violinist he toured extensively in Central Europe, prior to taking his own orchestra to India in 1934. For the next eight years he appeared as director of the orchestra and as soloist in important concert and radio work in the Far East. In 1946, following three years of internment in a Japanese camp during World War II, he took up residence in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. The same year, he became leader of the original Musica Viva Chamber Music Players founded by

Richard Goldner Richard Goldner (23 June 1908 – 27 September 1991) was a Romanian-born, Viennese-trained Australian violist, pedagogue and inventor. He founded Musica Viva Australia in 1945, which became the world's largest entrepreneurial chamber music organ ...

, giving concerts throughout Australia and New Zealand.Borer, p. 130 In 1952 he accepted the invitation from Sir Eugene Goossens to become the principal viola of the

Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra that was initially formed in 1908. Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been its home concert hall. Simone Young is the orchestra's chief conductor and firs ...

, a position he filled with great distinction for 14 years. Meanwhile, chamber music occupied much of his time outside orchestral duties. During a four-month absence from Australia in 1962, he visited the United States, England, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary and Austria. Leaving the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1966, he became Artistic Director and viola player for the Sydney String Quartet. At the same time he began teaching at the

New South Wales Conservatorium of Music The Sydney Conservatorium of Music (formerly the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music and known by the moniker "The Con") is a heritage-listed music school in Macquarie Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the ol ...

. The Sydney Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra which he founded in 1966 was the first Australian ensemble to undertake a tour of South East Asia on behalf of the Department of External Affairs. Pikler received the Britannica Award in 1972 for his services to Australian music and in 1974 was appointed an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE). He died in 1984, shortly before turning 75. In 1980 he made various recordings devoted to

Leopold Stokowski Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra and his appeara ...

's orchestral arrangements of

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

as conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Robert Pikler's pupils include

Robert Davidovici Robert Davidovici, born 1946, is a Romanian-American violinist. He took First Prize honors in the Naumburg Competition in 1972. In 1983, Davidovici tied for first place to co-win the Carnegie Hall International American Music Competition. The p ...

, John Harding,

John Curro John Ronald Curro (6 December 1932 – 6 November 2019) was an Australian violinist, violist, conductor and music director. Curro was the founder (1966) and Director of Music of the Queensland Youth Orchestras, with which he established the Nati ...

, William Hennessy, Elizabeth Holowell and

Cho-Liang Lin Cho-Liang Lin (Lin Cho-liang, , born January 29, 1960), born in Hsinchu, Taiwan, is an American violinist who is renowned for his appearances as a soloist with major orchestras. Musical America named him its "Instrumentalist of the Year" in 200 ...

References

Sources

* James Murdoch, ''A Handbook of Australian Music'', Melbourne, Sun Books, 1983 * Philippe Borer, ''Aspects of European Influences on Violin Playing & Teaching in Australia'', M.Mus. diss., 1988 https://eprints.utas.edu.au/18865/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Pikler, Robert 1909 births 1984 deaths Jewish Australian musicians Hungarian classical violinists Hungarian classical violists Australian classical violinists Male classical violinists Australian classical violists Sydney Conservatorium of Music faculty Hungarian music educators Australian music educators Violin pedagogues Viola pedagogues Hungarian emigrants to Australia Hungarian Jews Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century classical violinists 20th-century Australian musicians 20th-century Australian male musicians 20th-century violists