Luz Leskowitz (born 7 August 1943) is an Austrian violinist, founder of the Salzburg Soloists music ensemble. He is the owner of the ex-Prihoda Stradivarius violin made in 1707.[1][2][3][4]
Early career
Leskowitz was born in Salzburg into a family of musicians. He began playing violin at the age of six. At age thirteen he moved to Vienna to study at the Vienna Academy of Music. His teacher at the academy was a Czech violinist, Váša Příhoda, later followed by an Argentinian-Austrian-American violinist, Ricardo Odnoposoff.
After his study in the Academy he moved back to Salzburg to study in the Mozarteum University. Parallel to his university classes he took lessons in violin and viola from viola soloist Ernst Wallfisch. After graduation he received an invitation from Yehudi Menuhin, one of the greatest violinists of the century, to become a music teacher for his school in London. Collaboration with Yehudi Menuhin deeply influenced the young violinist.
Music
At the age of twenty, Luz Leskowitz made his debut performances in London (Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall), in New York (Carnegie Hall), in Vienna (Golden Hall of the Musikverein), in Milan (Verdi Hall) and in Hamburg (Music Hall of the Hamburg Philharmonic). His performances were received exceptionally well, which lead to more concerts around the world in Europe, USA, Russia, South America, the Middle East, and Far Eastern Asia.
In 1979 Luz Leskowitz organised his first ensemble "Salzburg Soloists" (German: Salzburger Solisten)[4][5] which was followed by two other ensembles called "Salzburg Mozart Players" (German: Salzburger Mozartspieler)" and "Salzburg Soloists Trio" (German: Salzburger Solistentrio). Luz Leskowitz often performs with "Salzburg Soloists" in Europe, Russia, and around the globe.
Luz Leskowitz owns and plays a Stradivarius violin made by Antonio Stradivari in the city of Cremona in 1707. The official ID number for the violin is 3652 and although the violin has not been given an official sobriquet, it is often called ex-Prihoda, by the name of the previous owner, teacher of Luz Leskowitz, Czech violinist Váša Příhoda. Because of the famous nature of such an instrument, it is often mentioned in the concert announcements, especially in Russia and Eastern Europe.[1][2][6][3][4][7][8][9]
Festivals
Under the impression by Yehudi Menuhin Gstaad Music Festival, Luz Leskowitz in 1970 organised his first chamber music festival in Hamburg, called Harzburger Musiktage. The festival was successful and was followed by more festivals in Austria, Germany, and Romania. Currently he is the head of such festivals as "May Festival in the Rellingen Cathedral" (German: Mai Festival Rellinger Kirche)[10] which first ran in 1986 and the "International Music Ferstival at the Berleburg Castle" (German: Internationale Musikfestwoche at Schloss Berleburg),[11] run since 1972.
Leskowitz is often invited to be on juries of international music competitions. Every year he takes part in organising FLAMES competition in Paris. He also founded the "Yuzhnouralsk—Salzburg" (Russian: Южноуральск—Зальцбург) music competition, one of the rare international music competitions in Russia held outside major cities.[2][12]
In 1991 Luz Leskowitz took over the "Salzburg Palace Concerts" (German: Salzburger Schlosskonzerte) concert series first organised in 1954, becoming the Artistic Director. Salzburger Schlosskonzerte is based in the Marble Hall of the SalzburgMirabell Palace. Every year more than 230 concerts are performed under the Salzburger Schlosskonzerte name.[13][14][15]
