Lillian Fuchs

Lillian Fuchs (1901–1995) was a famous American violist, composer and music educator, sister of violinist Joseph Fuchs and cellist Harry Fuchs. At first she started with a piano, but soon Lillian switched to violin and had been studying with Franz Kneisel at the Institute of Musical Art (now the Juilliard School). In 1926, Lillian debuted as concert violinist in New York. Soon after, under the influence of Kneisel, she started taking viola lessons, and eventually became a full-time violist. From 1925 to 1945, Lillian Fuchs was a member of Perolé Quartet. The violist also collaborated with Budapest String Quartet and Amadeus-Quartett. She made numerous recordings and performed extensively with her brother Joseph Fuchs, joined by Harry on some occasions. They recorded Beethoven's Trio in C Minor, Op. 9, No. 3 for violin, viola and cello together, a hugely successful LP released by Decca in 1951. A prominent chamber music/viola teacher, Lillian Fuchs had been teaching at the Manhattan School Of Music, Juilliard School, and Aspen Music Festival + School. She also co-founded Blue Hill Music School with her brother Joseph. Fuchs wrote and published three books of etudes, widely used by viola students nowadays.