Samuel Dushkin

Who was Samuel Dushkin?

Samuel Dushkin was an American violinist, composer and pedagogue of Polish birth.

Dushkin was born in Suwałki, Poland. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris as well as with Leopold Auer in New York City and Fritz Kreisler. He made his European debut in 1918 at the age of 23 and six years later his American debut with the New York Symphony Orchestra under Walter Damrosch.

Dushkin cooperated closely with Igor Stravinsky in the composition of the latter's first work for the violin, the Violin Concerto. He played at the concerto's world and US premieres and on the debut Vox recording with Stravinsky conducting Lamoureux Orchestra.

Stravinsky also composed his Duo Concertante and his Divertimento, both for violin and piano, to play with Dushkin in concert tours. They also worked together in violin transcriptions of other works, such as the Suite Italienne from Pulcinella.

Dushkin gave the premiere of Ravel's orchestral version of his Tzigane, in Amsterdam on 19 October 1924, with Pierre Monteux conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Dushkin owned two Stradivarius violins, a Guarneri del Gesù violin and a Guadagnini violin.