Rudolf Baumgartner

Rudolf Baumgartner ( born 14 September 1917 in Zurich, † March 22, 2002 in Siena) was a Swiss violinist, conductor and arranger of works of classical music.

Rudolf Baumgartner studied violin with Stefi Geyer, whose chamber music partner he was in Stefi Geyer quartet. After his studies he took in Paris and Vienna violin lessons. By 1956, he was second concertmaster of the Collegium Musicum Zurich. In 1943 he married the sculptor Katharina Zurich Sallenbachstrasse. In 1945 he was co-founder of the " Zurich Chamber Orchestra ". In 1956 he founded together with Wolfgang Schneiderhan ( musician), whose assistant he was in the master classes of Lucerne and Salzburg until 1959, the Chamber Orchestra Lucerne Festival Strings, whose leader he was until 1998. From 1960 to 1987 he was director of the Lucerne Conservatory. In 1970 he was appointed Artistic Director of the " International Music Festival " (now Lucerne Festival ) called ( until 1980 ). In 1979 he was awarded the Central Swiss Culture Award and 1991 he was made an honorary citizen of the city of Lucerne.