Hugo Bekker German cellist, composer and music teacher Date of Birth: 13.02.1864 Country: Germany

Hugo Becker Biography

Hugo Becker was a German cellist, composer, and music educator. He was born as the son of Jean Becker. He initially learned to play the violin from his father, but later switched to the cello. He first studied with Mangheimer musician Kanut Kunding, and then with Louis Spohr, a colleague of his father in the Florentine Quartet. By the age of 15, Becker was already playing the cello in the Mangheim Court Orchestra, and by 17, he performed as part of a family quartet led by his father.

Later on, Becker studied with Alfredo Piatti, Jules de Swert, and Friedrich Grützmacher. Although he was not formally a student of Karl Davydov, his contemporaries believed that he was significantly influenced by him. Becker extensively toured Europe (including Russia in 1891, 1897, and 1902) and the United States. He also played in a piano trio with Ferruccio Busoni and Eugène Ysaÿe, and later with Arthur Schnabel and Karl Flesch.

From 1884, Becker served as the principal cellist in the Frankfurt Opera Orchestra and taught at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt. He also played in the renowned Frankfurt Trio, alongside pianist James Kwast. From 1902, Becker was a professor at the Stockholm Academy of Music, and from 1909, at the Berlin University of the Arts. Among his notable students were Enrico Mainardi, Paul Grümmer, Grigory Piatigorsky, and Boris Hamburg.

Becker was the author of a cello concerto, the suite "From the Life of the Forest Goblin," and other works for the cello. He also co-authored the book "Mechanics and Aesthetics of Cello Playing" (1929) with physiologist Dago Rynar.