Biographical Recollections

Looking back over all those years I would like to underline the most salient points that are worth mentioning as I see and remember them.

My memories go back to the terrible World War II years that are indelible in my mind, although so long ago. I was born of Czech-Dutch parentage in Rotterdam on the 9th of August, 1937. I enjoyed my first years in music and the violin with the bombs literally falling around us. One could not play with friends so I concentrated on the violin which was already my closest companion from a very young age. My parents were most encouraging. The then Director of the Rotterdam Music Conservatory called me a wonder child. How glad I am now that no consequences were imposed upon my parents and me and the outside world.

I remember well my first participations in solo and chamber music performances when I was twelve and thirteen with Betty Pack, my chamber music teacher, who was such a wonderfully warm personality and who has always had an unforgettable influence on my musical life. The most outstanding memory of this period was playing Max Bruch’s First violin concerto in the City Hall in the framework of the centenary festivities. It could have been in short trousers.

Because of the rather ruthless amount of changes of address in my formative years I wore out quite a few very capable violin teachers. The one that sticks out most in my mind was Joseph Spira. What an outstanding man and excellent musician. I cherish his memory.

The next and one of the most memorable episodes in my life was my student days in Brussels at the Royal Music Conservatory. André Gertler, a fantastic and great Hungarian violinist and pedagogue, and rival in Europe of Max Rostal, whipped up things considerably. He actually staked out your future while studying the violin, chamber music and orchestra repertoire in that lovely capitol. He was and is a very great inspiration in my life.

Straight from there I tumbled head over heels into the rather daunting task of being ‘promoted’ to Concert Master (Leader) of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (Amsterdam Philharmonisch Orkest). There I was really spoilt, meeting many of the greats of the music world. It was an absolutely tremendous time. With quite a few I made lasting friendships. To name a few: David Oistrakh, Henryk Szeryng, Zino Francescatti, Gennady Rojdestvensky, Kurt Sanderling and more. What a privilege.

Also, at that time, I formed a chamber music group, the “Amsterdam Kern Ensemble”, which, during its twelve years’ existence, performed over six hundred concerts in twenty- two countries, recorded for E.M.I., and commissioned and performed a great number of contemporary composers works.

Beside the orchestra and chamber music I also continued a career in both recitals and as a soloist with orchestra.

Together with my wife, Maria Kelemen, I co-authored a book on methodical violin technique entitled “Violin Technique-the Natural Way”.

I always felt very strongly that I had to explore other hidden talents and as a result I became head of the string department at Cape Town University and my wife Maria built up the very successful Kodály Music School in that beautiful city. It was through Maria’s love of the viola that I started to venture on the most enjoyable road of learning the secrets of that gorgeous instrument and its repertoire. The next major step was our coming to live in Dublin. And, we never looked back. Our welcome here has been fantastic.

Firstly, I was invited to a Senior Lecturer post at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama. There I instigated a scheme for the contact and exchange of Irish students to perform at foreign Conservatories. Took part in several committees and conducted the DIT Senior Orchestra in a very successful period. Furthermore, I resuscitated ESTA (European String Teachers Association)/Ireland in 1989, which is an underrated organisation and which could bring a lot of good influences to these shores, as it does in most of the other established European countries. I founded the very successful Music Instrument Fund of Ireland (MIFI) which has been instrumental, until now, in the success of the continuation of about forty students into professionalism. I have prepared forty-four students for their distinctions in their grade eight examinations, never mind sixty-two first prizes at the Feis Ceoil (National music competitions), and successes abroad with some of my ‘old’ students, e.g., David O’Doherty, Catherine Leonard, Clíodna Ryan, my daughter Gwendolyn, Gina Maria McGuinness, Ruth Gibson, Lynda O’Connor, to name a few. All of this in the course of Young European String School of Music which is the splendid brainchild of Maria, my wife, which she has built up since our arrival in Dublin. Quite a feat. And not to forget the YES Chamber Music Orchestra which has established quite a national name for itself over the years. It is made up of the more advanced students of the School and they perform all the works by heart.

In 2001 I took part in the YES-organized International FORUM for the future of music education in Ireland in the National Concert Hall, Dublin. Maria Kelemen was at the heart of that. Seven EU countries representatives of Music Schools, including the Chairman of the European Music Schools Federation, explained their own country’s ways of doing things. It was a most enlightening experience. As a result an official Music School Association was established in the Republic.

A further result was MEAG – the Music Education Action Group – which was established and eventually, after a lot of very hard endeavour, produced a white paper which was officially handed over to politicians at the Dáil (the Irish Parliament). The paper contained plans how to establish official music schools in this country plus quality guarantee.

Equally, I give regular workshops. Number 150 happened just a few days ago.

I also partook in twelve International Summer Courses which were organized in Budapest and Waterford (Ireland). And further in Summer Courses in Schöntal, Germany and Soesterberg in my home country, The Netherlands. In Schöntal I was invited to sit in on the jury on their tenth anniversary celebrations of that very well-known International Violin Competition.

However, in all of this the violin still takes pride of place in my life. It brings such inspiration to my life on a daily basis. It always makes me happy and I am a very privileged to serve with it.

Dublin,