Violinist Chaim Taub has Died, Aged 99

Taub served as a longtime concertmaster of the Israel Philharmonic and helped shape generations of musicians 

Chaim Taub served as principal violin of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for almost 20 years from 1969 until his retirement in 1988. He was also the founder of the Tel Aviv Quartet, which performed extensively in Israel and on international tours. 

As an educator, he led several masterclasses worldwide, and many of his students achieved success at competitions and won coveted positions in top international orchestras. 

A native of Israel, Taub started playing the violin at the age of nine. By age 11, he was regularly attending IPO concerts, where he saw performances led by conductors including Toscanini and Huberman. 

Following his studies with Eden Partosh, Taub moved to New York to study with Ivan Galamian, and later won a position in the Pittsburgh Symphony. He then returned to Israel upon finding that the IPO needed an assistant concertmaster. 

In a recent social media post by the IPO, Taub and his legacy is remembered by violinist Saida Bar-Lev, who won a first violin position with the orchestra while studying with him. 

“The greatest gift I received from Chaim was the understanding that music is not just sounds — it is the human voice, and most importantly — it is something that must be passed on,” Bar-Lev said. “Chaim taught until his last day, and today, as I teach the next generation, I feel that I am continuing his legacy. Thank you, Chaim, for everything you taught me - about music, about life, and about the importance of passing this love forward.”

“Sorry to have lost Chaim Taub. Rest in peace,” violinist Shlomo Mintz posted on Instagram. “I vividly remember Chaim leading the Israel Philharmonic on my first debut concert at age 11 at the Mann auditorium. Since then, I've played many times for him and listened to his advice. Later on, we met at Keshet Eilon and he gave me many compliments for my playing and advancing my career. He is a good soul and an important person in Israel and in the violin world. A true legend who will be missed by many.”

Our condolences to Mr. Taub’s family, friends, students, and colleagues.