Biographical Note
Hugo Kortschak was born in Graz, Austria, on February 24, 1884. He studied violin at the Prague Conservatory under Otakar Ševčík, graduating in 1904. After a period in the Berlin Philharmonic, he immigrated to the United States in 1907 and joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He founded the Kortschak Quartet in 1913 with Herman Felber Jr., George Dasch, and Emmeran Stoeber; the ensemble was renamed the Berkshire String Quartet (in reference to the Massachusetts highlands) at the wishes of Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, who funded the ensemble when it relocated to Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Kortschak was very involved with the founding of Coolidge's Berkshire Music Festival in 1918 and continued his involvement for many years. In 1938, he was awarded the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Medal for "eminent services to chamber music." He also taught violin at Yale University for 28 years, retiring in 1952. After his retirement, Kortschak moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, and played in the symphony there. He died in Honolulu on September 20, 1957.