JAVS Fall 1997

80

ABOUT VIOLISTS

In Memoriam

viola. Scheduled to play the following day, Lincer stayed up all night learning the Brahms E-flar Sonata. At the exam the jury urged him co conrinue on the viola. Lincer cook their advice and formed a suing quartet that in cluded his wife, a violinist. A few years later, Lincer began a seven year stint as violist of the Gordon String Quarter, which toured the United States and Canada. From 1941 to 1943 he was principal violist of the Cleveland Orchestra under Arrur Rodzinski. In 1943, Lincer succeeded Zoltan Kurthy as principal violist of the New York Philharmonic. During his rwenty-nine year tenure at the Philharmonic, Lincer performed more than 4,000 concerts and made fifty-seven appear ances as soloist. He played the solos in Strauss's Don Quixote many rimes, most notably on 14 November 1943 when Leonard Bernsrein made his unexpected conducting debut in place of Bruno Walter at Carnegie Hall. Lincer also appeared as soloist several rimes in Berlioz's Harold in Italy; Mozart's Sinfonia Concerranre K. 364; Robert Starer's Concerto for Viola, Suings and Percussion; Jean Rivier's Concercino for Viola and Chamber Orchestra; Alan Hovhaness's Talin Concerto for Viola and Suing Orchestra; Ernest Bloch's Suite for Viola and Orchestra; and the Handel-Casadesus Viola Concerto. In addition, he rediscovered a single-movemenr work by Mozart while in Salzburg in the early 1950s and premiered the Sinfonia Concerre for Violin, Viola, and Cello in New York with the Philharmonic in 1955. Lincer participated ar the Casals Festival in Prades, France, was recipienr of the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Chamber Music Award in 1938, was recipient of the 1986 American String Teachers Association Artist-Teacher award, and was also awarded a medal from the New York Viola Society in 1993. He helped transcribe and edit many works for viola and published by the International Music Company and Viola World Publications, Inc., among others.

Deduation to WiUiam Linen- by Leonard Bernstein

William 1Lincer. one of che mosc distinguished American violists and teachers of his time, died 31 July 1997 at Sc. Lu.ke's Roosevelc Hospital Cenrer, Manhattan. He was ninety and lived in New York City with his wife of sixry-eight years, Mary. Lincer was principal violist of the New York Phil harmonic from 1943 to 1972 and served on the faculty of the Juilliard School from 1969. His tireless devotion to reaching has and will conrinue co influence generations of suing players and musicians. Born in Malverne, New York, 6 April 1907, Lincer began his musical studies as a violinist at age five. His teachers in~luded Leopold Lichtenberg, Samuel Gardner, and Erica Morini, as well as Bernard Wagenaar in composition. After his graduation from the Institute of Musical Arc (Iacer renamed the Juilliard School), he continued his studies at Harvard. Shorcly before graduating from the Institute in 1933, Lincer was informed he would have to rake a secondary exam on the