Rainer Kussmaul | |
---|---|
Born | Mannheim, Germany | 3 June 1946
Origin | Germany |
Died | 27 March 2017 Freiburg, Germany | (aged 70)
Occupation(s) | Conductor |
Instrument(s) | violin |
Rainer Kussmaul (3 June 1946 – 27 March 2017) was a German Grammy Award-winning violinist and conductor.[1][2][3] Kussmaul was born in Mannheim and studied at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart.[4][5] He was professor in Freiburg, first concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic and led the Berliner Barocksolisten.[3][4] He died in Freiburg at age 70.[6][7]
Rainer Kussmaul, one of three brothers, received his first violin lessons from his father Willy Kussmaul who was solo viola in the orchestra of the National Theater Mannheim.[8] After studying in Mannheim and with Ricardo Odnoposoff at the Stuttgart State University of Music and Performing Arts, Rainer Kussmaul soon won prizes in international competitions, both as a soloist and with his co-founded Stuttgart Piano Trio from 1968, the year of its founding, to 1997.[9]
Due to his talent he was also a popular music professor. Since 1977, he worked as a violin professor at the Freiburg Hochschule für Musik, preferring to teach the Baroque style.[10] Among his students were Petra Müllejans, Gottfried von der Goltz, Daishin Kashimoto, and Jermulai Albiker.[10] Later, in 1987, he was appointed director of the Academy in Baden-Baden.[11]