DIRECTORY / LIBRARY OF FAMOUS HISTORICAL CELLISTS
Surname letter starting with I-J
** Thomas Igloi
1947 – 1976
Hungary (later Britain)
Important Activity:
Cello soloist
Anecdotes:
* pupil of Maurice Eisenberg, Douglas Cameron, Pablo Casals and Pierre Fournier.
* Outstanding promise shown, but died very young …
** ?. Immler
1750 – ????
Germany
Important Activity:
Worked in Gottingen
Anecdotes:
* said to possess a fine tone. Also a good violinist.
** Iosif Iosifovich Genishta (or Josif Josifovich)
1795 – 1853
Russia
Important Activity:
Russian composer Iosif Iosifovich Genishta was also a conductor, pianist and cellist …
** Franz Ippisch
1883 – 1958
Austria (later Guatamala)
Important Activity:
Principal Cello of the Vienna Volksopera Orchestra. Under the auspices of Richard Strauss Ippisch formed together with Otto Siegl, Marco Frank, Egon Kornauth and Rinaldini the famous Composer-Group called “Die Fünf” (The Five).
Anecdotes:
* As a composer his compositions were performed by the best artists of that time including Senta Benesch, the Sedlak-Winkler-Quartett, the Rosé-Quartett, the Vienna Symphonic Orchestra, the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg.
* He wrote a ‘Suite für Violoncello-Solo Suite’ for Cello.
** Giuseppe Jacchini
1663 – 1727
Italy
Important Activity:
Member orchestra at the Church of San Petronio in Bologna. Member Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna.
Music/Publications:
Own original works for cello – chamber music published 1701. Perhaps he wrote first known cello concerto in existence ?
Article in JOHNSTONE-MUSIC
** Hermann Jacobowsky
1846 – ????
Germany
Important Activity:
Principal cello Liepzig Symphonie Kapelle. Professor Leipzig Music School. Post of Chamber Musician in the Royal Orchestra, Leipzig.
Anecdotes:
* Pupil of Griebel
** Édouard Jacobs
1851 – 1925
Belgium
Important Activity:
Member Weimar Court Orchestra. Professor Brussels Conservatoire.
Known as a virtuoso.
Dedications:
Popper – High School of Cello Playing Vol.II (Etudes, No. 21-30), Op.73 (1902)
Anecdotes:
* Pupil of Joseph Servais (son of famous Adrien François Servais) at Brussels Conservatoire.
* Whilst professor at the conservatoire, he mocked Casal’s arrival at the class (thinking the Spaniard surely possessed little level), but later apologized after hearing Casals play the Servais – Souvenir de Spa in front of the cello class (but alas too late- Casals was too proud to enrol at the Conservatoire !).
* also the teacher of Felix Salmond.
** Leon Jean Jacquard
1826 – 1886
France
Important Activity:
Professor Paris Conservatoire. Co-founder important chamber music society.
Dedications:
he was dedicated the first piece in the Tableaux de genre (Trois Idylles), Op.78, of Jacob Rosenhain “Matinée d’Été”, composed in 1872-73
Anecdotes:
* Student of Hus-Desforges and Norblin (achieving 1st prize Paris Conservatoire).
* lived in few years in Montreal, Quebec during the early 1870s.
** Ernst Jager
???? – ????
Germany
Important Activity:
Principal cello Munich Orchestra.
Anecdotes:
* Son of the cellist Johann Jager, younger brother of Johann.
* Pupil of Bernhard Romberg.
** Johann Zach (Leonhard) Jager
1777 – ????
Germany
Important Activity:
Chamber musician to Margrave of Anspach (Breslau).
Anecdotes:
* Son of the cellist Johann Jager, older brother of Ernst.
* At only 10 years old was offered position in Royal Orchestra of Berlin (but father refused on grounds of youthfulness).
** Ivor James
1882 – 1963
Britain
Important Activity:
English string Quartet. Professor Royal College of Music (London). Teacher Westminster College Music courses (Cambridge) – the first of their kind ever in Britain.
Friendships:
Frank Bridge.
Anecdotes:
* Pupil of William Whitehouse.
* James married the cellist Helen Just (a former pupil).
* Ivor James gave lectures on his specialty – the late-Beethoven string Quartets.
Article in JOHNSTONE-MUSIC
** Antonio Janigro
1918 – 1989
Italy (later Jugoslavia)
Important Activity:
Recitals with Dinu Lipatti and Paul Badura-Skoda. Professor Zagreb Conservatoire. Founder Zagreb Cello Club, Conductor (formed Radio Zagreb Symphony Orchestra), founder ‘I Solisti di Zagreb’.
Friendships:
Casals, Alexanian, Cortot, Thibaud, Paul Dukas, Nadia Boulanger, Stravinsky, Rudolf Matz
** Ernest A. (Jean Baptiste Aime Joseph) Janson
1742 – 1803
France
Important Activity:
Patronage Prince of Conti, and later the Duke of Brunswick. ‘Surintendant de la musique’ to Louis XVIII’s brother. Professor Paris Conservatoire.
Music/Publications:
Own original pieces
Anecdotes:
* Pupil of Berteau.
* Performed in numerous European countries.
** Louis-Auguste-Joseph Janson [‘le jeune’]
1749- c. 1815
Important Activity:
Cellist and composer.
Anecdotes:
* Brother of Ernest A. Jansen
** Thomas Jefferson
1743 – 1826
United States of America
Important Activity:
Third president of the United States, who drafted the Declaration of Independence. Also noted for his role on the Louisiana Purchase. Said to have played the cello (and also the violin and harpsichord!).
** Joannini di Violoncello
???? – ????
Italy (later Russia)
Important Activity:
Kapellmeister at St. Petersburg (appointed 1759)
** Bartholomew Johnson
1710 – 1814
Britain
Important Activity:
Cellist.
Anecdotes:
* Exceeding long life!
** Julius Junek
1873 – 1927
Czech
Important Activity:
Professor Prague Conservatoire.
** Helen Just
???? – ????
Great Britain
Important Activity:
Professor Royal College of Music, London. Member of the Menges Sextet (Menges, Isolde (violin) / Carrelle, Beatrice (violin) / Yewe Dyer, John (viola) / De Reyghere, Alfred (viola) / James, Ivor (cello) / Just, Helen (cello).
Anecdotes:
* wife of cellist Ivor James
* The Royal College has an annual cello concerto prize in her name.