Petrowitsch Bissing
Bissing c. 1920
Background information
Born1871
Russia
Died30 November 1961
Wisconsin
Occupation(s)Founder and president of Bissing's Conservatory of Music
Instrument(s)Violin

Peter "Petrowitsch" Bissing (1871 in Russia – 30 November 1961 in Wisconsin, United States) was the founder and president of Bissing's Conservatory of Music in Hays, Kansas[1] and later in Topeka.[2] He was known as an instructor of music and specialized in the violin, publishing multiple works on the instruction of the instrument. He was among the top instructors of his day in the expression of vibrato[3] and published a book titled Cultivation of the Violin Vibrato Tone.[4]

In 1876, Bissing arrived in Ellis County from the Volga River area of Russia with his family. He was about five years old when his family arrived in Kansas and he began to study music on a homemade four-octave organ made by his father. At 8 years old, he began learning to play the violin. As he grew older, Bissing studied at the Chicago College of Music alongside jazz violinist Eddie South[5] and finished violin instruction under Francis Boucher.[6] He also was an instructor of Walter Wenzel[7]

On January 2, 1901, Bissing began the Bissing Conservatory of Music and offered instruction in vocal, piano, violin, organ, harmony and composition. But it was in June 1903 when Bissing received an invitation to study at Prague under Otakar Sevcik. Bissing left to complete his studies and returned to Topeka in 1906 to reorganize his teaching conservatory. Upon returning, he adopted the stage name of Petrowitsch Bissing.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ Saerchinger, César (1918). International who's who in music and musical gazetteer, Volume 5. New York: Current Literature Publishing Company. p. 807.
  2. ^ "PRAISE THE STRICH & ZEIDLER PIANO" (PDF). THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW. 1908. p. 17. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
  3. ^ Eaton, Louis (1919). The Violin. Jacobs' Band Monthly, Volume 4. p. 52. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
  4. ^ Bissing, Petrowitsch. Cultivation of the Violin Vibrato Tone. Central States Music Publishing Company. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
  5. ^ Lieberman, Julie Lyonn (2004). Alternative Strings: The New Curriculum. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 92. ISBN 9781574670899. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
  6. ^ a b Beck, Elisha (August 16, 2009). "Fall fundraiser will tour Rush County sites". Hays Daily News. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
  7. ^ "Wenzel is Scheduled in a Violin Recital". The Milwaukee Journal. March 18, 1945. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
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