Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Orchestral

 

Bernard Zaslav was born on August 23, 1926, in New York City. He grew up in a musical family, with his father playing the violin and his mother playing the piano. Zaslav began playing the viola at the age of 12 and quickly showed a natural talent for the instrument. Zaslav studied at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, where he was a student of William Lincer. He also studied with Emanuel Vardi and Lillian Fuchs. After completing his studies, Zaslav began his professional career as a violist, performing with various orchestras and chamber music ensembles. In 1951, Zaslav joined the New York Philharmonic as a violist. He remained with the orchestra for five years before leaving to pursue a career as a chamber musician. Zaslav became a founding member of the Fine Arts Quartet in 1963, which quickly gained a reputation as one of the finest chamber music ensembles in the world. Throughout his career, Zaslav performed with many of the world's leading orchestras and chamber music ensembles. He was a frequent guest artist at the Marlboro Music Festival and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Zaslav also performed with the Budapest String Quartet, the Guarneri Quartet, and the Tokyo String Quartet, among others. In addition to his performing career, Zaslav was also a respected teacher. He taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was a professor of music from 1971 until his retirement in 1991. Zaslav was known for his dedication to his students and his ability to inspire them to achieve their full potential. Zaslav's many accomplishments were recognized with numerous awards and honors. In 1987, he was awarded the Wisconsin Arts Board Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalist Grant and the National Endowment for the Arts Chamber Music Grant. Throughout his career, Zaslav remained committed to promoting the viola as a solo instrument. He commissioned many new works for the viola and was a champion of the music of lesser-known composers. Zaslav's recordings of the music of Hindemith, Martinu, and other composers helped to bring their music to a wider audience. Bernard Zaslav passed away on January 13, 2019, at the age of 92. He left behind a legacy as one of the greatest violists of his generation and a tireless advocate for the viola as a solo instrument. His contributions to the world of classical music will be remembered for generations to come.

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