Rosand, Aaron

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Rosand, Aaron

Rosand, Aaron , gifted American violinist and pedagogue; b. Hammond, Ind., March 15, 1927. A child prodigy, he made his formal debut at age 9 in a recital at Chicago’s Civic Opera House, sharing the occasion with Jan Peerce, who was also making his Chicago debut. After studies with P. Marinus Paulsen (1935–39) and Leon Sametini (1940–44), he completed his training with Zimbalist at the Curtis Inst. of Music in Philadelphia (1944–48). He made his N.Y. debut in a Town Hall recital (1948); following his European debut in Copenhagen (1955), he pursued an international career as a virtuoso. He taught at the Curtis Inst. of Music (from 1981). A charismatic performer, blessed with a singing tone supported by an extraordinary technique, he established himself as a champion of the Romantic repertoire. In addition to the standard literature, he has consistently sought out rarely heard compositions by Spohr, Godard, Wieniawski, Lalo, Vieuxtemps, and many others for performance at his concerts.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire