15 Facts About Roman Totenberg

Roman Totenberg was a Polish-American violinist and educator.

Roman Totenberg performed and taught nationally and internationally throughout his life.

Roman Totenberg was a child prodigy who made his concert debut at the age of eleven with conductor Grzegorz Fitelberg.

Roman Totenberg was awarded the gold medal at the Warsaw Chopin Conservatory.

Roman Totenberg's sister survived the Warsaw Ghetto, where her own husband had died.

Roman Totenberg toured South America with Franz Reizenstein in 1937, and gave joint recitals with Karol Szymanowski.

Roman Totenberg gave many concerts comprising the complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas and all Bach Brandenburg concertos.

Roman Totenberg premiered Paul Hindemith's Sonata in E, the Samuel Barber Concerto and the Bohuslav Martinu Madrigal Sonata, as well as giving the American premiere of Arthur Honegger's Sonata for Solo Violin.

Roman Totenberg appeared with numerous American orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Cleveland, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Washington Symphonies.

Roman Totenberg performed under eminent conductors including Leopold Stokowski, Kubelik, Szell, Rodzinski, Grzegorz Fitelberg, Jochum, Rowicki, Krenz, Pierre Monteux, Wit, Steinberg and Vladimir Golschmann.

Roman Totenberg was featured with the most important music festivals of the world, notably at Salzburg's Mozarteum, the Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival and the Music Academy of the West in Montecito, which he helped found and where he was appointed chairman of the string department in 1947.

Roman Totenberg taught at the Peabody Conservatory of Music; the Music Academy of the West; the Aspen Music Festival and School; the Mannes College of Music and the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which he directed from 1978 to 1985.

Roman Totenberg was awarded the Wieniawski Medal of Poland and the Ysaye Medal of Belgium.

Roman and Melanie Totenberg were the parents of National Public Radio journalist Nina Totenberg, judge Amy Totenberg, and businesswoman Jill Totenberg.

Roman Totenberg recorded for many labels, including Deutsche Grammophon, Telefunken, Philips, Vanguard, Musical Heritage Society, Heliodor, Remington, Da Camera, Dover, Titanic and VQR.