Aulin, Tor (Bernhard Vilhelm)

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Aulin, Tor (Bernhard Vilhelm)

Aulin, Tor (Bernhard Vilhelm), noted Swedish violinist, conductor, and composer; b. Stockholm, Sept. 10, 1866; d. Saltsjöbaden, March 1, 1914. He studied with C.J. Lindberg in Stockholm (1877–83) and with Sauret and P. Scharwenka in Berlin (1884–86). In 1887 he established the Aulin String Quartet, and traveled with it in Germany and Russia. He was concert-master of the orch. of the Royal Opera in Stockholm from 1889 to 1902, but continued his concert career, and was considered the greatest Scandinavian violinist since Ole Bull. Aulin was conductor of the orch. of the Stockholm Concert Soc. from 1902 until it disbanded in 1910. He was concertmaster of the Göteborg Orch. from 1909 to 1912. As a conductor and violinist, he made determined propaganda for Swedish composers. He wrote incidental music to Strindberg’s Mäster Olof, 3 violin concertos, several suites of Swedish dances for Orch., a Violin Sonata, a violin method, and songs. His sister, Laura Valborg Aulin (b. Gävie, Jan. 9, 1860; d. Örebro, Jan. 11, 1928), was a well-known pianist. She also composed chamber and piano music.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire