Ferdinand David

Ferdinand David (1810–1873) – a German violinist, composer and teacher. He trained with Louis Spohr and Moritz Hauptmann. The first performer of Mendelssohn’s famous Violin Concerto in E minor, he was also leader of the Gewandhaus Orchestra. From 1943, he taught violin at the Leipzig Conservatory (his pupils included Joseph Joachim and August Wilhelmj). David’s oeuvre contains five violin concertos, works for various solo instruments and orchestra, chamber and choral compositions, songs and an opera. He also produced many violin transcriptions and a playing school: Hohe Schule des Violinspiels.