Beginning at the cello

Born in Budapest, Hungary, on July 5, 1924, into a family of Polish and Russian descent, János Starker became acquainted with the cello at the age of six. Student of Professor Adolf Schiffer at the Franz Liszt Academy, he joined the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra and the Budapest Opera Orchestra after his studies, where he held the position of first cello.

Holocaust survivor

A musical prodigy and teacher, János Starker himself taught the instrument to a dozen students at a very early age before being caught up in events. Although he escaped forced labor and death due to his young age when the Second World War broke out, the musician of Jewish origin was deported to a concentration camp where he was imprisoned for three months. Two of his brothers, violinists, did not survive. The cellist who survived the Holocaust left Europe in 1948 to settle in the United States. A member of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under the direction of his compatriot Antal Doráti, he then collaborated regularly with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fritz Reiner.

A life dedicated to teaching

In 1958, János Starker opened the position of professor of cello at the School of Music of Jacobs University in Bloomington, Indiana, where his friend, partner and compatriot György Sebök officiated. The musician known for his recordings of Kodaly (Cello Sonata Opus 8), Dvorak (Cello Concertos) and JS Bach divided his time between his teaching position, the masterclasses he gave around the world, tours and studio sessions. Until 1965, he owned the Lord Aylesford Stradivarius cello, considered the largest in the world, and then played on an instrument developed by the luthier Matteo Goffriller.

The Legacy

Considered the greatest performer of his generation, along with Mstislav Rostropovich, János Starker was rewarded late in 1998 with a Grammy Award for his last recording of JS Bach's Six Suites for Solo Cello. The composer to whom composers David Baker, Antal Doráti, Jean Martinon, Miklos Rozsa and Robert Starer dedicated works, made over one hundred and sixty recordings, constituting one of the largest repertoires for the cello. In 2004, his autobiography The World of Music According to Starker was published. After several days in hospital, János Starker died on April 28, 2013 at the age of 88, leaving behind an exemplary catalogue of works.