Wilhelm Melcher

Wilhelm Melcher is among Germany’s most widely known chamber music artists and a founding person in the Melos Quartet Stuttgart, among the countries’ leading string quartets. After research in Hamburg and Rome, he gained the 1962 International Chamber Music Competition in Venice and in 1963 became concertmaster from the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra at age twenty-three. Seeking to form a normal string quartet, he enlisted two brothers, violinist Gerhard Ernst Voss, an associate from the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra, and his old sibling Hermann Voss, the main violist from the Stuttgart Symphony Chamber Orchestra since 1960. Gerhard Voss brought with him cellist Peter Buck, also an associate from the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra, who also been delivered in Stuttgart. The name of the Melos Quartet derives in the Greek Isle of Melos (or Milos), and in addition plays within the 1st syllable of Melcher’s name. The addition of “Stuttgart” assists distinguish the German quartet from your Melos Outfit, the London-based co-operative of twelve chamber music artists who form numerous combinations of devices as required and have been around since 1950. The quartet was officially located in Stuttgart due to the ties Hermann Voss and Peter Buck experienced with the town. The Melos Quartet quickly started attracting worldwide interest when it received two major awards in 1966, the reward for Greatest Quartet in the Geneva International Competition and an award in the Villa-Lobos String Quartet Competition of Rio de Janeiro. This resulted in its becoming sponsored from the Deutsches Musikleben basis also to representation of Western Germany in the Youthful Musicians worldwide event in Paris, still in 1967. Their quick success led all of the users to resign using their orchestral positions in order that they could focus on the Melos Quartet full-time. By 1970 that they had finished their first essential recording from the Beethoven string quartets, and became more developed as recording performers, and a leading worldwide chamber group. They possess documented for Deutsche Grammophon and Harmonia Mundi. Melcher is definitely a noted instructor and gives expert classes both by himself and as an associate from the quartet. He takes on a violin manufactured in 1731 by Domenico Montagnaga. For suggested recordings observe under Melos Quartet Stuttgart.