Violinist and Pedagogue Geoffrey Michaels has Died, Aged 79

The Australian violinist was a member of the Curtis String Quartet and Liebesfreude Quartet, as well being as a noted soloist and pedagogue

The Australian violinist Geoffrey Michaels has passed away at the age of 79.

Born in Western Australia, Michaels began studying the violin at the age of five and was soon recognized as a prodigious player. By the time he was fourteen, he had won the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's concerto competition, becoming the youngest musician ever to do so. Michaels soon received opportunities to appear solo with major Australian orchestras and to tour as a recitalist.

At sixteen, he went to America to study violin with Efrem Zimbalist and viola with Oscar Shumsky at the Curtis Institute of Music. While he was still a student, Michaels accepted an invitation to become a member of the Curtis String Quartet and remained in this position until 1969.

Michaels was a prizewinner at the Tchaikovsky Competition, the Queen Elisabeth Competition, and the Concours Jacques Thibaud.

As a pedagogue, he taught for many years at Princeton University and Swarthmore College. He also held professorships at Florida State University and the University of British Columbia.

Michaels was also a founding member of the Liebesfreude Quartet, and appeared in the Janus Piano Trio, Performers' Committee for Twentieth Century Music, Richardson Chamber Players, and Vancouver New Music Society.

Our condolences to Michaels' family, friends, and colleagues.