Eck, Friedrich Johann (Gerhard)

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Eck, Friedrich Johann (Gerhard)

Eck, Friedrich Johann (Gerhard), German violinist and composer; b. Schwetzingen, May 25, 1767;d. there, Feb. 22,1838. He studied violin with Christian Danner. In 1778 he became a supernumerary violinist in the Mannheim Orch., and that same year he removed with the court to Munich to study composition with Peter Winter. He won distinction as a violinist there, serving later as Konzertmeister (1788–1800). Among his works are several violin concertos, a Premiere concertante for 2 Violins and Orch., and a Concertante for 2 Violins. His brother, Franz Eck (b. Mannheim, 1774; d. probably in Strasbourg, 1804), was a violinist in the Munich Orch. before pursuing a solo career. In 1803 he went to St. Petersburg, where he served as soloist of the court orch. until his career was derailed by mental illness. Spohr was his pupil.

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire