Austrian Violinist Lukas Florian David has Died, Aged 87

David held longtime teaching positions at the University of Vienna and Detmold School of Music

Born in Austria in 1934, Lukas David initially studied in Leipzig and made his concert debut at the age of 14. He then furthered his studies in Salzburg and Stuttgart with Max Strub and Max Kergl; this was followed by a period of masterclasses with prominent figures such as Tibor Varga and Nathan Milstein.

David eventually took as position as Varga's assistant at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold. In 1959, he was appointed to teach at the University of Vienna, and then returned to Detmold to take up a professorship in 1966.

David was born into a musical family: his father Johann Nepomuk David and his brother Thomas Christian David were both composers and conductors. With this influence, he specialized in contemporary music alongside nineteenth-century repertoire and often performed concerti written by his father.

David's performing career took him across Europe, but also to South Africa, Asia, and South America. He founded an annual chamber music festival in his name in Lima, Peru.

Our condolences to David's family, friends, students, and colleagues.