Hubay, Jeno

1858-

Hubay is sometimes known as Eugen Huber. He was born in Budapest and is a famous violinist. Karl Hubay, father of Jeno, was a violin professor at the Pesth Conservatory, chorister of Hungarian National Opera, and an apostle of Wagner. He gave jeno Hubay his first violin instruction and at the age of eleven Jeno played in Pesth at a public concert one of Viotti's concertos, and was pronounced a prodigy. In 1871 he was sent to Berlin and for five years studied under Joachim at the Hochschule. When in 1899 the sixtieth anniversary of Joachim's public appearance was celebrated in Berlin, Hubay was one of the distinguished violinists to play at the grand concert. After finishing his course of study with Joachim he returned to his home and gave a public concert. Liszt heard this performance and upon his recommendation Hubay appeared at the Pasdeloup concerts, in 1878, with great success. While in Paris he met many famous musicians, among them Vieuxtemps who was delighted .with his rendering of violin compositions and became his life-long friend. Vieuxtemps' last concerto was dedicated to Hubay, and after Vieuxtemps' death Hubay orchestrated his seventh concerto and entirely revised his works. After leaving Paris, Jeno Hubay made a tour as soloist through  France, England and Belgium, and won great renown. In 1882 he filled a position which has been held by so many brilliant musicians, that of principal professor at the Brussels Conservatory. Upon the death of his father in 1886 he resigned the post in order to succeed the elder Hubay at the Budapest Conservatory. He has also been a teacher of violin in the Royal Academy of the same city, and he has successfully toured Germany, Russia and Italy since accepting the above position. While in Brussels he founded a quartet and later founded another in Pesth which Brahms pronounced one of the best in existence. Hegyesi, formerly of the Florentine Quartet is cellist. Although best known as a violinist and teacher, Hubay has also won recognition by his compositions, which include three operas, one based upon Coppee's Luthier de Cremone Alinon, and A Falu Rossza; a concerto; a sonata; songs and many violin pieces founded largely upon Hungarian national airs.