Born in Switzerland in 1928, Swiss-Dutch violinist Marie Leonhardt, née Amsler, handed away in Amsterdam not too long ago. Rising up in a musical household, her shut acquaintances included Swiss conductor Paul Sacher and cellist August Wenzinger.
Marie started her violin research on the Geneva Conservatory with Michel Schwalbé — who later turned concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic — and with Walter Kägi on the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.
Earlier than transferring to Vienna, Marie accomplished her personal music research with Max Rostal in London and later turned acquainted with violinist Alice Harnoncourt and conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who have been married in 1953 — the identical yr as Marie and Gustav Leonhardt.
She turned the concertmaster of the Leonhardt-Consort, based by her husband Gustav, who died in 2012.
That is unhappy information that now two of probably the most vital members of HIP motion have handed away in a matter of days: Alice Harnoncourt and now Marie Leonhardt. Honoured that Marie attended the LBS fiftieth Anniversary cantata live performance , which Gustav directed. She liked @StBartholomews https://t.co/k0xWXlBjrv
— London Bach Society (LBS) (@bachlive) July 25, 2022
Marie additionally carried out within the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and was first violinist within the Musica Antiqua Amsterdam — created in 1969 by Gustav’s former scholar, Ton Koopman.
As an educator, Marie held instructing roles on the Rotterdam Conservatory and the Geneva Conservatory, of their early music division. Moreover, she taught masterclasses world-wide and carried out on a 1676 Jacob Stainer violin.
Our condolences to Ms. Leonhardt’s household, mates, college students, and colleagues.
Her rendition of the “Chaconne” from Bach’s Partita No. 2 for solo violin will be heard under.