Armin Kaufmann
1902 - 1980
Austrian
Summary
30 October 1902 in Neu-Itzkany (Bukovina); began his musical studies in Brno: violin, cello and music theory with Bruno Weigl; in Vienna, composition with Joseph Marx and cello with Franz Schmidt.
1928–1938: taught at the Vienna Conservatory and was a member of the world-famous Rothschild Quartet. 1938–1966: Member of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (concertmaster of the second violins). From 1966 until his death, he worked as a freelance musician.
Died 30 June 1980 in Vienna (buried in a grave of honour at Vienna’s Central Cemetery)
His compositional output encompasses all areas of chamber music (including seven string quartets alone) and solo repertoire, songs, choral and orchestral works (including four symphonies), a children’s opera ‘Krach im Ofen’, as well as the musical circus story for a narrator and orchestra ‘Zirkus Poldrini’.
Honours and awards:
1941 City of Vienna Prize
1950 Austrian State Prize Promotion Award
1951 Awarded the title of Professor
1954 Dr Theodor Körner Prize (for the creation of a school opera)
1958 Franz Schmidt Medal
1962 Silver Medal of the Vienna Men’s Choir for services to the German art song
1965 Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st Class
1966 Grand Prize of the City of Vienna for his entire oeuvre
1978 Awarded the City of Vienna’s Gold Medal of Honour