Robert Mann, who served a remarkable 51 years as the founding first violinist of the Juilliard String Quartet, died on Jan. 1 at home in Manhattan. He was 97 years old.
The news of Mann's death was announced by The Walter W. Naumburg Foundation, a music nonprofit Mann had helped lead as president long after winning their violin competition back in 1941. In 1945 at New York City Town Hall, the Juilliard String Quartet made its debut appearance, led by first violinist Mann, who played his final concert with the quartet in 1997.
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The Juilliard String Quartet received 16 GRAMMY nominations under Mann's leadership, winning 4 of them for compositions by Bartók, Beethoven, Debussy, and Schoenberg. It was awarded the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. Although the quartet's composition went through changes, under Mann's first-violin chair for more than five decades it was a shining example of the jewel-like clarity chamber music can achieve.
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"Robert was known for his unparalleled technique, passionate approach to classic and contemporary music, and as the driving force behind the long-running success of the quartet," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. "He will be remembered always for his artistry and unwavering dedication to chamber music."
