Halir, Karl (original name, Karel Halir)

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Halir, Karl (original name, Karel Haliř)

Halir, Karl (original name, Karel Haliř), Bohemian violinist and teacher; b. Hohenelbe, Feb. 1, 1859; d. Berlin, Dec. 21, 1909. He was a student of Bennewitz at the Prague Cons. (1867–73) and of Joachim in Berlin (1874–76). He was concertmaster of the Weimar Court Orch. (1883–93) and of the Berlin Royal Opera Orch. (1893–97). After touring the U.S. in 1896-97, he became 2nd violin in the Joachim Quartet in 1897. He also led his own quartet and was a prof, at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik. He prepared a vol. of violin exercises, Neue Tonleiterstudien. In 1888 he married the soprano Teresa Zerbst.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire