AUER, LEOPOLD

AUER, LEOPOLD (1845–1930), Hungarian violinist and teacher. Born in Veszprém, Auer studied at the Budapest, Vienna, and Paris conservatoires and with josef joachim . In 1868 he was appointed soloist of the Russian Imperial Orchestra and professor at the conservatoire in St. Petersburg. His baptism into the Russian Orthodox Church probably took place shortly before this time. In 1895 he was ennobled by the czar. He left Russia in 1918 and ultimately settled in New York, but he died in Germany. Auer was one of the greatest violinists   and teachers of his time, renowned for his nobility of interpretation and for fostering the individuality of his pupils. These included Joseph Achron, Mischa Elman, Jascha Heifetz, and Nathan Milstein. Auer's works for the violin included cadenzas, études, and arrangements. His Graded Course of Violin Playing was published in 1926–27. He also wrote three books on his life and work: Violin Playing as I Teach It (1921); Violin Master Works and Their Interpretation (1925); and My Long Life in Music (1923). -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Riemann-Gurlitt; Grove, Dict; Baker, Biog Dict; Sendrey, Music. (Bathja Bayer)