Romanian-born Violist Vladimir Mendelssohn Dies at 72

A renowned soloist, chamber musician, educator, and composer, Mendelssohn passed away on August 13

Mendelssohn attended the National University of Music Bucharest, where he studied viola and composition. He held teaching positions at the Paris Conservatoire, Royal Conservatory at The Hague, and the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen, Germany.

He also served as the artistic director of the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival from 2005.

His engagements as a soloist took him to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, in addition to playing as a member of the Enesco Quartet.

As a composer, Mendelssohn wrote works for a wide variety of ensembles: from solo works and chamber ensembles to works for mixed choir, symphony, ballet, and screen. His film scores were shown at the Cannes Film Festival in the 1960s.

Following Mendelssohn's passing, friends, family, and colleagues wrote tributes to him on his Facebook wall, reflecting the memories they shared during his life, his "unforgettable" metaphors, and his ways of seeing music and the world through it.

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