Former Berlin Philharmonic Concertmaster Rainer Kussmaul Has Died

German violinist and conductor Rainer Kussmaul has passed away - aged 70

German violinist and conductor Rainer Kussmaul has passed away - aged 70.

A graduate of the Stuttgart State Academy of Music, where he studied with Ricardo Odnoposoff, Mr Kussmaul was a co-founder of the Stuttgart Piano Trio - and served a long term teaching position on faculty at the Freiburg Musikhochschule.

He served as First Concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic from 1993 until 1998.

He was honored in 2010 with a prestigious ‘Federal Cross’ Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany – for his work as a cultural ambassador for the country.

Our condolences are with Mr Kussmaul’s family, friends, colleagues and students.