Leopold Jansa

Leopold Jansa (23 March 1795 – 25 January 1875) was a violinist, composer and teacher from the Austrian Empire.

Biography

He was born on 23 March 1795 in Ústí nad Orlicí, Habsburg Monarchy (present day Czech Republic). He took violin lessons as a child in his home town. He completed his education in Brno. In 1817 he came to Vienna to study law. However, he soon took up composition lessons with Jan Václav Voříšek and Emanuel Förster.

He was a member of the Braunschweig orchestra in 1823, while in 1824 he joined the Vienna Court Orchestra. In 1834, he became music director and professor at University of Vienna. From 1834 to 1850, he participated in various String quartets. He took over from Ignaz Schuppanzigh, with Karl Holz (second violin) and Joseph Linke (cello) from the Schuppanzigh Quartet, adding Karl Traugott Queisser (viola). From 1845 to 1848 he directed quartet soirées at the hall of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde. In 1847–48 he taught violin at the Vienna Conservatory.

He lost his positions in Vienna as a result of his participation in a London concert in favour of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. He stayed in London as a music teacher, until 1868 when he was amnestied and returned to Vienna. He resumed his previous duties in 1871. He died in Vienna on 25 January 1875, at the age of 79.

Among his students was Wilma Neruda, later known as Lady Hallé, and Karl Goldmark.

He composed chamber music and violin works.

References

• Biography from The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music.
• Biography from musiklexikon.ac.at

External links

• Free scores by Leopold Jansa at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)