Ivan Galamian

Ivan Alexander Galamian (Armenian: Իվան Ղալամեան; February 5 [O.S. January 23] 1903^[1] – April 14, 1981) was an Iranian-born Armenian violin teacher of the twentieth century.

Biography

He was born in Tabriz, Iran to an Armenian family, soon after his birth his family emigrated to Moscow, Russia.^[2] Galamian studied violin at the School of the Philharmonic Society there with Konstantin Mostras (a student of Leopold Auer) until his graduation in 1919. He was thrown in jail at the age of fifteen by the Bolshevik government. It was the opera manager at the Bolshoi Theater who rescued Galamian; the manager argued that Galamian was a necessary part of the opera orchestra, and the government allowed him to go free.^[3] He moved to Paris soon thereafter, studying under Lucien Capet in 1922 and 1923. In 1924 he debuted in Paris. Due to a combination of nerves, health, and a fondness for teaching, Galamian eventually gave up the stage in order to teach full-time. He became a faculty member of the Conservatoire Rachmaninoff, where he taught from 1925 until 1929. His earliest pupils in Paris include Vida Reynolds, the first woman in the Philadelphia Orchestra's first violin section, and Paul Makanowitzky.

In 1937 Galamian moved permanently to the United States of America. In 1941 he married Judith Johnson in New York City. He taught violin at the Curtis Institute of Music beginning in 1944, and became the head of the violin department at the Juilliard School in 1946. He wrote two violin method books, Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching (1962) and Contemporary Violin Technique (1962). Galamian incorporated aspects of both the Russian and French schools of violin technique in his approach. In 1944, Galamian founded the summer program Meadowmount School of Music in Westport, New York and it is still in operation today training thousands of world class musicians.^[4] He died in Manhattan, New York City, at the age of 78 in 1981.

His most notable teaching assistants — later distinguished teachers in their own right — were Margaret Pardee, Dorothy DeLay, Sally Thomas, Pauline Scott, Robert Lipsett, Lewis Kaplan, David Cerone, and Elaine Richey.

Galamian held honorary degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music, Oberlin College, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He also was an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music, London.

Notable pupils

Edited works

• Bach, Concerto No. 1 (A Minor). New York: International Music Company, 1960.
• Bach, Concerto No. 1 (D Minor). New York: International Music Company, 1960.
• Bach, Concerto No. 2 (E Major). New York: International Music Company, 1960.
• Bach, Six Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin. New York: International Music Company, 1971. (Includes facsimile of the original)
• Brahms, Sonatas, Op. 78, 100, 108. New York: International Music Company.
• Bruch, Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46. New York: International Music Company, 1975.
• Conus, Concerto in E minor. New York: International Music Company, 1976.
• Dont, Twenty-four Etudes and Caprices, Op. 35. New York: International Music Company, 1968.
• Dont, Twenty-four Exercises, Op. 37. New York: International Music Company, 1967.
• Dvořák, Concerto in A minor, Op. 53. New York: International Music Company, 1975.
• Fiorillo, Thirty-six Studies or Caprices. New York: International Music Company, 1964.
• Galaxy Music Company, 1963 and 1966.
• Gaviniés, Twenty-four Studies. New York: International Music Company, 1963.
• Kreutzer, Forty-two Etudes. New York: International Music Company, 1963.
• Mazas, Etudes Speciales, Op. 36 Part 1. New York: International Music Company, 1964.
• Mazas, Etudes Brilliantes, Op. 36 Part 2. New York: International Music Company, 1972.
• Paganini, Twenty-four Caprices. New York: International Music Company, 1973.
• Rode, Twenty-four Caprices. New York: International Music Company, 1962.
• Saint-Saëns, Caprice, Op. 52, No. 6. New York: International Music Company.
• Sinding, Suite in A minor, Op. 10. New York: International Music Company, 1970.
• Tchaikovsky, Three Pieces, Op. 42. New York: International Music Company, 1977.
• Vivaldi, Concerto in A minor. New York: International Music Company, 1956.
• Vivaldi, Concerto in G minor, Op. 12, No. 1. New York: International Music Company, 1973.
• Vivaldi, Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, Op. 3, No. 11. New York: International Music Company, 1964.
• Vivaldi, Concerto for Two Violins in A minor. Piccioli-Galamian, New York: International Music Company, 1956.
• Vieuxtemps, Concerto No. 5 in A minor, Op. 37, New York: International Music Company, 1957.
• Wieniawski, Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22. New York: International Music Company, 1957.
• Wieniawski, Ecole Moderne, Op. 10. New York: International Music Company, 1973.

Publications

• Galamian (with Neumann), Contemporary Violin Technique, Part I, Scale and Arpeggio Exercises; Part II, Double and Multiple Stops. New York:
• Galamian, Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching. Ann Arbor: Shar Products Company

See also

• Lipinski Stradivarius

References

• John Rockwell, "Ivan Galamian, Teacher of Famous Violinists, Dies" New York Times (April 15, 1981)
• Judith Karp, "Galamian - A Great Violin Teacher", New York Times (April 26, 1981)
• Sand, Barbara Laurie. Teaching Genius: Dorothy DeLay and the Making of a Musician. Amadeus Press, 2000. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 16 April 2012.

External links

• The case of the stolen Stradivarius