Rainer Küchl

Who is Rainer Küchl?

Rainer Küchl is an Austrian violinist who was born in Waidhofen an der Ybbs, Austria, in August 1950.

He started to play the violin at the age of 11, and was admitted to the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, at the age of 14, where he studied with Franz Samohyl. At the age of 20 he became concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

As a soloist he has worked with some of the world's most famous orchestras and conductors, such as Karl Böhm, Leonard Bernstein, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, and Simon Rattle.

In 1973 he founded the Küchl Quartett which is now known as the Wiener Musikverein Quartett. Since 1976, the Wiener Musikverein Quartett has its own concert series at the Brahmssaal of the Musikverein Vienna.

Rainer Küchl is a professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. Among his pupils were Wolfgang David and Joji Hattori.

Rainer Küchl plays 'The Chaconne' by Antonius Stradivari, Cremona 1725, given as a loan by the Austrian National Bank.