American Violinist Robert Mann Was Born in 1920

He is most known for being a founding member and first violinist with the Juilliard String Quartet

American violinist, composer, and conductor Robert Mann was born on July 19, 1920, in Portland, Oregon. He began playing the violin at age nine, and a few years later started studying with Edouard Hurlimann, concertmaster of the Portland Symphony.

Mann won the Naumburg Competition in 1941 and made his New York debut two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. A student of The Juilliard School, he was drafted into the U.S. Army shortly after his graduation.

He is most known for being a founding member and first violinist with the Juilliard String Quartet — a role in which he held for 52 years.

In addition to teaching at Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music, he was a longtime president of the Naumberg Foundation.

He held honorary doctorates from the Manhattan School of Music, Oberlin College, Michigan State University, Earlham College, Jacksonville University, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Mr Mann passed away in January 2018 — aged 97.