Joachim

Joachim, Joseph, was born of Jewish parents at Kitsu, near Presburg, Hungary, in 1831. Entering the Musical Conservatory at Vienna as a mere child, he attained such skill as a violinist that he was engaged at the age of twelve in the Gewandhaus Orchestra, Leipzig. Here he remained for seven years studying under F. David and M. Hauptmann. In 1850 he made his first appearance in Paris, and was soon afterwards appointed director of concerts at Weimar, going thence as Kapell-Meister to Hanover in 1853. By this time his reputation had spread over Europe, and he won especial popularity in London, where he has appeared almost annually for the last forty years. He has never allowed his pre-eminent manual control over his instrument to turn him aside from the highest functions of his art as interpreter of the works of great composers. He himself is also a theoretical musician of considerable merit, and has written some excellent concerted pieces, in the manner of Schumann. Herr Joachim was, in 1869, called to Berlin as director of instrumental music in the newly-founded Conservatory, and in 1882 was promoted to the directorship of the Berlin Academy of Music. He received, in 1877, the honorary degree of Mus. Doc. from the University of Cambridge.