Julius Conus was a Russian violinist and composer. He was born in Moscow to a distinguished musical family of French extraction who had migrated to Russia at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. His father was the piano teacher Eduard Conus, and his brothers were the composer and music teacher Georgi Conus and pianist Lev Conus (known as "Leon" in the USA, memorial #112719613). All three studied at Moscow Conservatory under Sergei Taneyev and Anton Arensky, and all three stayed on to teach there.
In 1888, Julius won the Gold Medal at the Moscow Conservatory. He then studied in Paris, where he played the violin in the Opera orchestra and was a virtuoso in his own right for several years. In 1891, he became a concertmaster in New York City. From 1893 to 1901, he taught violin at the Moscow Conservatory and formed a close friendship with Sergei Rachmaninoff. One of his notable students was violinist, composer, and conductor Alexander Chuhaldin. He also gave concerts, both as a soloist and as a chamber musician, appearing sometimes in a Trio or other ensemble with Rachmaninoff to play the latter's works. (Rachmaninoff dedicated his Two Pieces for Violin and Piano, op. 6, to Julius, and the two men remained close friends throughout their lives.)
He married his first wife, Princess Maria Alexandrovna von Lieven (1889–1941) in October 1911, and they had two daughters, Alexandra and Tatiana. The marriage ended in divorce.
With his second wife, musician Zoe Voronine, Conus had two sons, Serge and Boris. Serge became an esteemed pianist, composer, and teacher. Boris became a financier, and married Rachmaninoff's daughter Tatiana in 1932; together they had a son, Alexandre Borisovich.
Julius and his brother Lev Conus moved to Paris in 1919, and began to teach at the Russian Conservatory there in 1921. However as the Nazi threat spread across Europe, Lev emigrated to the USA in 1935, and in 1939 Julius returned to Russia.
He was refused an exit visa to return home to France, where he held citizenship. Soviet authorities decreed that anyone helping Conus, housing or feeding him (during that time food stamps were needed to get food) would be jailed. As a result Julius Conus died of starvation in the streets of Moscow, at Melenki on 3 January 1942.
Conus was known for his adeptness at long-lined melody, as shown particularly in his Violin Concerto in E minor which he premiered in Moscow in 1898. It became a repertoire staple in Russia and was long popular with audiences. Conus, a violinist himself, wrote no other major works, although he did compose several short pieces for violin, which are rarely played today.
Fritz Kreisler championed the violin concerto, giving its first performance in London in 1904. However, it was Jascha Heifetz who was to become the concerto's true champion. He included it in his worldwide concert repertoire, and from 1920 played it many times in Carnegie Hall. Heifetz also recorded the concerto with the RCA Symphony Orchestra under Izler Solomon in 1952.
In 1888, Julius won the Gold Medal at the Moscow Conservatory. He then studied in Paris, where he played the violin in the Opera orchestra and was a virtuoso in his own right for several years. In 1891, he became a concertmaster in New York City. From 1893 to 1901, he taught violin at the Moscow Conservatory and formed a close friendship with Sergei Rachmaninoff. One of his notable students was violinist, composer, and conductor Alexander Chuhaldin. He also gave concerts, both as a soloist and as a chamber musician, appearing sometimes in a Trio or other ensemble with Rachmaninoff to play the latter's works. (Rachmaninoff dedicated his Two Pieces for Violin and Piano, op. 6, to Julius, and the two men remained close friends throughout their lives.)
He married his first wife, Princess Maria Alexandrovna von Lieven (1889–1941) in October 1911, and they had two daughters, Alexandra and Tatiana. The marriage ended in divorce.
With his second wife, musician Zoe Voronine, Conus had two sons, Serge and Boris. Serge became an esteemed pianist, composer, and teacher. Boris became a financier, and married Rachmaninoff's daughter Tatiana in 1932; together they had a son, Alexandre Borisovich.
Julius and his brother Lev Conus moved to Paris in 1919, and began to teach at the Russian Conservatory there in 1921. However as the Nazi threat spread across Europe, Lev emigrated to the USA in 1935, and in 1939 Julius returned to Russia.
He was refused an exit visa to return home to France, where he held citizenship. Soviet authorities decreed that anyone helping Conus, housing or feeding him (during that time food stamps were needed to get food) would be jailed. As a result Julius Conus died of starvation in the streets of Moscow, at Melenki on 3 January 1942.
Conus was known for his adeptness at long-lined melody, as shown particularly in his Violin Concerto in E minor which he premiered in Moscow in 1898. It became a repertoire staple in Russia and was long popular with audiences. Conus, a violinist himself, wrote no other major works, although he did compose several short pieces for violin, which are rarely played today.
Fritz Kreisler championed the violin concerto, giving its first performance in London in 1904. However, it was Jascha Heifetz who was to become the concerto's true champion. He included it in his worldwide concert repertoire, and from 1920 played it many times in Carnegie Hall. Heifetz also recorded the concerto with the RCA Symphony Orchestra under Izler Solomon in 1952.
Julius Conus was a Russian violinist and composer. He was born in Moscow to a distinguished musical family of French extraction who had migrated to Russia at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. His father was the piano teacher Eduard Conus, and his brothers were the composer and music teacher Georgi Conus and pianist Lev Conus (known as "Leon" in the USA, memorial #112719613). All three studied at Moscow Conservatory under Sergei Taneyev and Anton Arensky, and all three stayed on to teach there.
In 1888, Julius won the Gold Medal at the Moscow Conservatory. He then studied in Paris, where he played the violin in the Opera orchestra and was a virtuoso in his own right for several years. In 1891, he became a concertmaster in New York City. From 1893 to 1901, he taught violin at the Moscow Conservatory and formed a close friendship with Sergei Rachmaninoff. One of his notable students was violinist, composer, and conductor Alexander Chuhaldin. He also gave concerts, both as a soloist and as a chamber musician, appearing sometimes in a Trio or other ensemble with Rachmaninoff to play the latter's works. (Rachmaninoff dedicated his Two Pieces for Violin and Piano, op. 6, to Julius, and the two men remained close friends throughout their lives.)
He married his first wife, Princess Maria Alexandrovna von Lieven (1889–1941) in October 1911, and they had two daughters, Alexandra and Tatiana. The marriage ended in divorce.
With his second wife, musician Zoe Voronine, Conus had two sons, Serge and Boris. Serge became an esteemed pianist, composer, and teacher. Boris became a financier, and married Rachmaninoff's daughter Tatiana in 1932; together they had a son, Alexandre Borisovich.
Julius and his brother Lev Conus moved to Paris in 1919, and began to teach at the Russian Conservatory there in 1921. However as the Nazi threat spread across Europe, Lev emigrated to the USA in 1935, and in 1939 Julius returned to Russia.
He was refused an exit visa to return home to France, where he held citizenship. Soviet authorities decreed that anyone helping Conus, housing or feeding him (during that time food stamps were needed to get food) would be jailed. As a result Julius Conus died of starvation in the streets of Moscow, at Melenki on 3 January 1942.
Conus was known for his adeptness at long-lined melody, as shown particularly in his Violin Concerto in E minor which he premiered in Moscow in 1898. It became a repertoire staple in Russia and was long popular with audiences. Conus, a violinist himself, wrote no other major works, although he did compose several short pieces for violin, which are rarely played today.
Fritz Kreisler championed the violin concerto, giving its first performance in London in 1904. However, it was Jascha Heifetz who was to become the concerto's true champion. He included it in his worldwide concert repertoire, and from 1920 played it many times in Carnegie Hall. Heifetz also recorded the concerto with the RCA Symphony Orchestra under Izler Solomon in 1952.
In 1888, Julius won the Gold Medal at the Moscow Conservatory. He then studied in Paris, where he played the violin in the Opera orchestra and was a virtuoso in his own right for several years. In 1891, he became a concertmaster in New York City. From 1893 to 1901, he taught violin at the Moscow Conservatory and formed a close friendship with Sergei Rachmaninoff. One of his notable students was violinist, composer, and conductor Alexander Chuhaldin. He also gave concerts, both as a soloist and as a chamber musician, appearing sometimes in a Trio or other ensemble with Rachmaninoff to play the latter's works. (Rachmaninoff dedicated his Two Pieces for Violin and Piano, op. 6, to Julius, and the two men remained close friends throughout their lives.)
He married his first wife, Princess Maria Alexandrovna von Lieven (1889–1941) in October 1911, and they had two daughters, Alexandra and Tatiana. The marriage ended in divorce.
With his second wife, musician Zoe Voronine, Conus had two sons, Serge and Boris. Serge became an esteemed pianist, composer, and teacher. Boris became a financier, and married Rachmaninoff's daughter Tatiana in 1932; together they had a son, Alexandre Borisovich.
Julius and his brother Lev Conus moved to Paris in 1919, and began to teach at the Russian Conservatory there in 1921. However as the Nazi threat spread across Europe, Lev emigrated to the USA in 1935, and in 1939 Julius returned to Russia.
He was refused an exit visa to return home to France, where he held citizenship. Soviet authorities decreed that anyone helping Conus, housing or feeding him (during that time food stamps were needed to get food) would be jailed. As a result Julius Conus died of starvation in the streets of Moscow, at Melenki on 3 January 1942.
Conus was known for his adeptness at long-lined melody, as shown particularly in his Violin Concerto in E minor which he premiered in Moscow in 1898. It became a repertoire staple in Russia and was long popular with audiences. Conus, a violinist himself, wrote no other major works, although he did compose several short pieces for violin, which are rarely played today.
Fritz Kreisler championed the violin concerto, giving its first performance in London in 1904. However, it was Jascha Heifetz who was to become the concerto's true champion. He included it in his worldwide concert repertoire, and from 1920 played it many times in Carnegie Hall. Heifetz also recorded the concerto with the RCA Symphony Orchestra under Izler Solomon in 1952.
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