Max Weil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Max Weil (November 21, 1869 — February 18, 1944) was an American violinist, conductor, composer, and music educator. He is chiefly remembered for his contributions to music in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada.[1]
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Weil was educated as a violinist in Germany over a four year period at the Leipzig Conservatory in the late 1880s. After graduating from that institution in 1890, he began his career as a concert violinist and chamber musician in his native city before working as a violinist in the New York Symphony Orchestra in 1891-1892. In the 1892-1893 season he spent 26 weeks performing as the second violinist in George Lehmann's Schumann Quartette; mainly in concerts in Denver, Colorado. He returned briefly to Philadelphia in 1893 before joining the violin faculty of the Halifax Conservatory of Music and the staff of the associated Halifax Ladies' College in September 1893. He served as the head of the violin faculty at that school until his resignation in 1900 when he founded the Weil School of Music in Halifax; a school he operated until 1908.
Weil was a prominent and important conductor in Halifax from 1893-1908. He was appointed music director of the Haydn Quintette Club in 1893, a post he held for many years. In 1897 he founded the Halifax Symphony Orchestra, a professional orchestra he conducted for eleven seasons of concerts. He was also active as a conductor and producer of operas in Halifax.
In 1908 Weil left Canada to become first chair of the second violin section of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. During that time he also was the second violinist in the Sansone Quartet, a string quartet based in Saint Paul, Minnesota that was founded by the Naples born composer and violinist Errico Sansone (b. 1859). He returned to Canada in late 1912 when he was appointed conductor of the Calgary Symphony Orchestra, a post he held until shortly after the outbreak of World War I. He then relocated to Los Angeles where he had a career in real estate. He died in that city in 1944 at the age of 74.
Max Weil was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 21, 1869.[2][3][4] His parents were Samuel Weil and Bertha Weil (née Simon).[5] His family was Jewish.[6]
Weil trained as a violinist in Germany. He graduated from the Leipzig Conservatory (now the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig) in 1890 after four years of study where his main concentration was in violin performance, but where he also trained as a pianist.[7] There he was a pupil of violinists Adolf Brodsky and Hans Sitt.[8]
After returning to the United States, Weil gave his first public performance at the Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel (RCKI) in Philadelphia where he played as a soloist during religious services in September 1890.[7] He gave a recital with the pianist Robert Tempest and soprano Marie Kunkel at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in November 1890,[9][10] and that same month performed violin duo works with Harry Herzberg in the RCKI's chamber music concert series.[11] He continued to perform regularly during concerts, religious services, and public events such as funerals and weddings at the RCKI in 1891.[6][12]
On March 12, 1891, Weil made his New York recital debut at Steinway Hall.[13] His repertoire in that concert included violin concertos by Louis Spohr and the Polonaise de Concert, Op. 4 by Henryk Wieniawski. He also performed songs with tenor Henry Duzensi in that concert and with pianist Max Liebling.[14][15] In June 1891 he was the violin soloist in a concert given at Philadelphia's Mercantile Hall at 847 N. Franklin St in which he performed with the band of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment under conductor Herman Solomon.[16] On October 21, 1891, he performed in concert with contralto Weda Cook (1867–1937), pianist Maurits Leefson (1861-1926), and cellist Rudolph Hennig (1845-1904) at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.[17][18]
At the end of October 1891 Weil left Philadelphia to begin a position as violinist in the New York Symphony Orchestra under conductor Walter Damrosch.[19] He played with that orchestra for two years.[8] During that time he periodically returned to Philadelphia to perform in concerts. As part of the Philadelphia chamber group The Schumann Club, he performed in chamber music concerts at the New Century Club in 1892 with Robert Tempest, Weda Cook, and tenor Nicholas Douty.[20][21] He also concurrently taught violin in Philadelphia, operating a violin studio at 1796 Chestnut St,[22] and was the second violinist in George Lehmann's string quartet whose other members included violist Paul Stoeving (1861-1948) and cellist Franz Meyer.[23] With this latter group he performed in 26 weeks of chamber music concerts in the 1892-1893 season.[24]
