Harvey Shapiro, the cellist of the Primrose Quartet, was a pupil of Willem Willeke and Diran Alexanian, a winner of the Loeb and Naumburg awards, and is currently a highly sought-after teacher at the Juilliard School of Music.
Historical Context
The Primrose Quartet, despite its stellar talent and recording contracts with RCA Victor and a potential offer from Columbia, disbanded in 1942 due to the curtailment of recording activities during World War II.
Performer Biography
The Primrose Quartet was formed in 1938 at the instigation of the National Broadcasting Corporation in New York, composed of four members from Toscanini's NBC Symphony.
Performer Biography
Oscar Shumsky, the first violinist of the Primrose Quartet, was described by William Primrose as 'one of the greatest virtuosos I have ever heard' and debuted with the Philadelphia Orchestra at age eight.
Performer Biography
The quartet was named after its violist, William Primrose, who was the most renowned member, an unusual choice as quartet names typically did not adopt the violist's surname.
Recording & Production
This recording is part of the 'Archive Performances' series by Peter Biddulph Violins, dedicated to restoring and digitally remastering historical recordings.
Performer Biography
Josef Gingold, the second violinist, studied with Vladimir Graffman and Eugene Ysaÿe, and later served as concertmaster for the Detroit Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra before becoming a Distinguished Professor at the Indiana School of Music.
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