Ottokar Nováček

Ottokar Nováček ( born May 13, 1866 in Fehértemplon; † February 3, 1900 in New York City ) was a Slovak violinist and composer.

Life

Nováček had first lessons from his father Martin Nováček. He studied from 1880 to 1883 in Vienna with Jakob Dont, and then at the Conservatory in Leipzig with Adolph Brodsky and Henry Schradieck. Here he won the Mendelssohn Prize in 1885.

Since 1880 he was a violinist in the Gewandhaus Orchestra and the second violinist, violist later the Brodsky Quartet. In 1891 he became a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arthur Nikisch and taught at the New England Conservatory. 1892-93 he was principal violist of the New York Damrosch Orchestra. Here he was again a member of the string quartet of his teacher Brodsky.

After an illness in 1899 forced him to refrain from performing as musicians to Nováček devoted entirely to composition. He composed a piano concerto, which was premiered by Ferruccio Busoni, a perpetual motion machine for violin and orchestra, chamber music, including three string quartets, Bulgarian Dances for violin and piano, and eight Caprices for violin and piano, and songs.

Even his brothers Rudolf, Karl and Victor Nováček became known as a musician.