Jean Becker (violinist)

Jean Becker (May 5, 1833 – October 10, 1884) was a prominent German violinist from Mannheim in the Grand Duchy of Baden.

During his career, Becker toured extensively, both as a solo virtuoso, and later, using a Stradivarius violin (made 1685), as a chamber music performer. He was the founder, and first violinist of the Florentine Quartet which was famous throughout the world at the time. He composed some short pieces for the violin, one of which is a Gavotte known to students of the violin today who pursue the Suzuki Method. Antonin Dvorak's "Slavonic" String Quartet No. 10 in E Flat Major Op. 51 (1879) was dedicated to him.

Becker's son, Hugo Becker, later became a renowned cellist.

External links

* [http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchdetail.cfm?trg=1&strucID=338544&imageID=1101044&word=Becker%2C%20Jean%2C%201833%2D1884&s=3&notword=&d=&c=&f=2&lWord=&lField=&sScope=&sLevel=&sLabel=&total=1&num=0&imgs=12&pNum=&pos=1# A portrait of Jean Becker] can be found in the Joseph Muller Collection at the New York Public Library