Auer, Leopold

1845-

Brilliant Hungarian violinist. He showed great talent for music very early, and during the Revolution of 1849 as a four-year-old boy excited great enthusiasm, by marching as a drummer before the troops. Studied first at the Prague Conservatory and then at the Vienna Conservatory with Dont from 1857 to 1858 and afterwards with Joachim. Went to Düsseldorf, in 1863, as leader of the orchestra, and in 1866 to Hamburg in the same capacity. In 1868 he went to St. Petersburg, where he still lives, as solo violinist to the Czar and in the Imperial Orchestra. On the death of Henri Wieniawski, in 1880, Auer succeeded him as professor of violin at the Conservatory of St. Petersburg, and there, while acting as conductor of the Symphony concerts of the Imperial Musical Association he has introduced to the Russian people many important works, notably Berlioz's Requiem and Schumann's Manfred. Auer founded a quartet at St. Petersburg which became one of the leading musical organizations of the city, until it was broken by the death of Davidoff, the violoncellist.