Werner Scholz (violinist)

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Werner Scholz (7 July 1926 – 1 October 2012) was a German violinist and a respected teacher. He studied in Dresden with Adrian Rappoldi and served as concertmaster of the Dresden Philharmonic from 1948 to 1951. He then worked as assistant and successor to Gustav Havemann in Cottbus (1951) and later in Berlin (1953). In 1961 he became a professor of violin at the Hochschule für Musik „Hanns Eisler“ and from 1974 led a highly successful violin master class. In 1975 he was elected to the presidium of the Union of Art board of directors. Scholz was the first concertmaster of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin for 18 years (1956–1974) and also gave solo concerts across Europe, premiering many new works and making radio and TV recordings. He founded and directed the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and the chamber orchestra of the Hanns Eisler School. In chamber music he played with artists such as Dieter Zechlin, Jürgen Schröder, Alfred Lipka and Anton Spieler. He helped develop the international arts festival in Hohenlohe and the Sophie Charlotte Violin Prize. He died in Berlin at the age of 86. Many of his students became leading players and teachers, including first concertmasters of major orchestras and professors at top music schools; several won prizes in international competitions.