Becker, Jean

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Becker, Jean

Becker, Jean, German violinist, father of (Jean Otto Eric) Hugo Becker; b. Mannheim, May 11, 1833; d. there, Oct. 10, 1884. He studied with his father, and then with Vincenz Lachner, Hugo Hildebrandt, and Aloys Kette-nus. From 1855 to 1865 he was concertmaster of the Mannheim Orch. In 1865 he went to Florence, where he was founder and first violinist in the Florentine String Quartet until 1880. He spent his remaining years touring with his children, Jeanne (b. Mannheim, June 9, 1859; d. there, April 6, 1893), a pianist, Hans (b. Strasbourg, May 12, 1860; d. Leipzig, May 1, 1917), a violist, and Hugo.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire