The Netherlands’ Royal Conservatoire of The Hague Appoints New Viola Professor

Violist Lech Antonio Uszynski will begin his tenure at the school as of September 2023

Growing up in Switzerland, Lech Antonio Uszynski studied violin with Ana Chumachenco, Zakhar Bron, and Michel Rouilly at the Zurich University of the Arts. On viola, he was mentored by Rudolf Barshai. 

Since 2010, he has been the violist of the Stradivari Quartet, with which he has toured internationally. Additionally, he served as guest principal viola of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, and the Gstaad Festival Orchestra, plus received an interim position as co-principal viola of the Sinfonieorchester Basel in 2022.

He has appeared solo and as a chamber musician in venues such as the Philharmonie Berlin, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Berlin Konzerthaus, Zurich Tonhalle, Vienna Konzerthaus, Wigmore Hall, and Tokyo’s Suntory Hall. His collaborators have included Vilde Frang, Lars Vogt, Christian Tetzlaff, and Antoine Tamestit. 

As a recording artist, he has released solo and chamber music albums on Sony Classical and Warner Classics. In 2021, he released a live-recording of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue arranged for solo viola, which can be viewed below.

Between 2010 and 2017, Uszynski played Antonio Stradivari’s famous 1734 “Gibson” viola. He now performs on a rare 1690 viola made by Hendrick Willems. Uszynski is also a Thomastik-Infeld Artist.

“I am excited to join the Viola faculty at this exceptional Institution which is rich in tradition [and is both] inspiring and visionary,” he said. “Teaching is a passion for me and to accompany and support young musicians in their development into an independent artist is one of the most fulfilling tasks.”

Founded in 1826, the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague is the oldest conservatory in the Netherlands. Involving a variety of arts and music courses, its students hail from over fifty countries around the world.