Hambourg

Hambourg, noted family of Russian-born musicians:

(1)Michael (Mikhail) Hambourg , pianist and teacher; b. Yaroslavl, July 12, 1855; d. Toronto, June 18, 1916. He studied with N. Rubinstein and Taneyev in St. Petersburg and at the Moscow Cons., and was prof, at the latter (1880–90) and at the Guildhall School of Music in London (1890–1910). He went to Toronto in 1911 and founded the Hambourg Cons, of Music with his son Boris. All of his sons were musicians:

(2)Mark Hambourg , pianist; b. Bogutchar, June 12, 1879; d. Cambridge, Aug. 26, 1960. He studied with his father, making his debut in Moscow at age 9. He then studied with Leschetizky in Vienna. After international tours, he settled in England and became a naturalized British subject. He publ. How to Play the Piano (Philadelphia, 1922), From Piano to Forte: A Thousand and One Notes (London, 1931), and The Eighth Octave (London, 1951).

(3)Jan Hambourg , violinist; b. Voronezh, Aug. 27, 1882; d. Tours, Sept. 29, 1947. He studied with Sauret and Wilhelm] in London, Sevčik in Prague, and Ysaÿe in Brussels, and played in a trio with his brothers. He died during a concert tour in France.

(4)Boris Hambourg , cellist; b. Voronezh, Jan. 8, 1885; d. Toronto, Nov. 24, 1954. He studied with his father and with H. Walenn in London, H. Becker at the Frankfurt am Main Cons. (1898–1903), and Ysaÿe (1904), and played in a trio with his brothers. He went to Toronto in 1911 and founded the Hambourg Cons, of Music with his father, serving as its director until 1951. He also played in the Hart House Quartet (1924–6).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire