Henryk Wieniawski (1835-1880); POL

Henryk Wieniawski (1835–1880) was a Polish violinist and composer born in Lublin. A child prodigy, he entered the Paris Conservatoire at eight and won its first prize in violin at eleven. He subsequently toured widely with his pianist brother Józef and became one of the nineteenth century’s most celebrated violin virtuosos. From 1860 to 1872 he served at the Russian imperial court in St Petersburg and taught at the conservatory there, later succeeding Henri Vieuxtemps at the Brussels Conservatoire.

Wieniawski’s compositions combine brilliant violin technique with Romantic lyricism and strong Polish elements. His central works include the Violin Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Légende, Polonaise brillante No. 1, and Scherzo-Tarantelle. His writing exploits double stops, harmonics, rapid passagework, and sustained cantabile playing, making his music both a cornerstone of the virtuoso violin repertory and an important part of the Polish Romantic tradition.

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Read biography at allmusic.com.