Jansa, Leopold

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Jansa, Leopold

Jansa, Leopold, Bohemian violinist and composer; b. Wildenschwert, March 23, 1795; d. Vienna, Jan. 24, 1875. He studied with Jan Jahoda and Jan Zizius in Wildenschwert, then studied law in Vienna, where Vorisek encouraged him to resume his musical training. He subsequently studied composition with Emanuel Alois Förster. He was in the service of the Count of Braunschweig (1823–24), then was a violinist at the Vienna court chapel (1824). He was made music director and prof, of violin at the Univ. of Vienna (1834), and also played first violin in Schuppanzigh’s quartet after its founder’s death. He lost his Viennese positions in 1851 after he took part in a concert in London for the benefit of the Hungarian revolutionists. He remained in England until the amnesty of 1868, when he returned to Vienna and received a pension. He was greatly esteemed as a violinist, numbering among his works 4 violin concertos, 36 violin duets, 8 string quartets, 3 string trios, and some sacred music.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire