Title Page | Collection Summary | Biographical/Organizational Note | Scope and Content | Arrangement
Biographical Note
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1911, Jan. 1 | Born, Lodz, Poland, to Adam and Stanislawa Totenberg |
| 1914 | Moved with family to Russia |
| 1917 | Began studying violin with Alexei Ermolov, concertmaster of the Bolshoi Opera |
| 1919-1929 | Enrolled at the Warsaw Conservatory and studied with Jozef Zarzembski while also attending an all-boys school during afternoons |
| 1922 | Debut performance with Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra |
| 1925 | Studied with Mieczysław Michałowicz |
| 1927 | Met Karol Szymanowski and Victor Babin |
| 1929-1932 | Studied with Carl Flesch at the Berlin Academy of Music |
| 1931 | Premiere of Paul Hindemith's Sonata in E major in Paris with Jacques Fevrier, then with Tasso Janopoulo Awarded the International Mendelssohn Prize |
| 1932 | Moved to Paris |
| 1932-1934 | Studied with Pierre Monteaux and Georges Enescu at the Paris Institute of Instrumental Music |
| 1933 | Met Darius Milhaud following Paris debut Pursued concert career throughout Europe and the Americas |
| 1935 | Adam Totenberg died Stanislawa joined Roman in Paris U.S. debut with National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. Totenberg performed Beethoven's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, op. 61 under Hans Kindler Received the Stradivari violin formerly owned by Nicholas Longworth as a gift from Alice Roosevelt Longworth |
| 1936 | Performed at the White House |
| 1937 | Toured South America with Artur Rubinstein |
| 1938 | Immigrated to the U.S. and established residency in New York City |
| 1938-1942 | Concertmaster, New Friends of Music Chamber Orchestra |
| 1940-1942 | Director, Chamber Music Interstate Broadcasting Co. radio station WQXR |
| 1941 | Married Melanie Shroder (died 1996) |
| 1943 | Purchased the Ames Stradivari violin (stolen in 1980 and recovered in 2015) |
| 1943-1944 | Head, Peabody Conservatory of Music violin department |
| 1948-1951 | Performed with the Alma Trio (Totenberg, Adolph Baller, and Gabor Retjo) |
| 1951-1957 | Head, Mannes College of Music violin department |
| 1951-1961 | Participated as teacher, soloist, and member of the board of directors of the Aspen Music Festival |
| 1952, Nov. 24 | Stanislawa Totenberg died |
| 1953-1960 | Toured the U.S. as both independent performer and as director and member of the Totenberg Ensemble |
| 1961-1978 | Head, Boston University's string department |
| 1962 | Premiere performance of William Schuman's revised Concerto for Violin and Orchestra |
| 1962-1963 | Head, Peabody Conservatory of Music violin department |
| 1975-2012 | Performed and taught during summer chamber music programs at Kneisel Hall, among the nation's oldest chamber music festivals |
| 1978-1985 | Director, Longy School of Music, Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| 1981 | Named Artist Teacher of the Year by the American String Teachers Association |
| 1988 | Awarded Poland's medal of merit, the nation's highest honor, for his musical contributions |
| 1996 | Awarded the Metcalf Prize from Boston University for superlative teaching |
| 2012, May 8 | Died, Newton, Mass. |