One of he greatest musicians of our time, Hungaro-American cellist Janos Starker (*1924), passed away today, April 28. With his peerless technical mastery and intensely expressive playing, Starker was universally recognized and has appeared as recitalist and soloist with the most prestigious orchestras around the globe and became one of the most sought after virtuosi and teachers of our time. After almost five decades of appearing on concert stages worldwide, Starker was focusing his efforts on teaching as professor of Indiana University and on giving masterclasses. His inheritance to the musical world comprises an extensive discography of more than 165 works.
Starker was a child prodigy. He began playing the cello in the early 1930s in Hungary at age six, and by the time he was 8 years old he had his first student. Starker was famous for what he called “An Organized Method of String Playing”. Every aspect of string playing, he said, can be put into groups – playing preparation, right and left arm placement, responses to the demands of specific pieces – an overall examination of one’s technique.
