VIOLIN 1937 : Eighth Prize
A child prodigy, Paul Makanowitzky appeared as a soloist throughout Europe before making his American debut at age 18. Born in Sweden to Russian parents on June 20, 1920, he began his violin studies at age four with Ivan Galamian at the Russian Conservatory in Paris. He also was a pupil of Jacques Thibaud and Nadia Boulanger. In appearances with orchestras in Europe and the United States, he performed under such renowned conductors as Boulanger, Golschmann, Koussevitsky, Monteux, Paray and Ozawa.
His recordings include the Brahms Concerto with the Munich Philharmonic, 12 Vivaldi Concerti (Opus 9, Le cetra) with the Vienna State Orchestra, two Mozart concerti with the Saar Chamber Orchestra, and the complete piano-violin sonatas of Beethoven, Brahms and J.S. Bach with pianist Noel Lee. The Bach recording was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque.
Paul Makanowitzky taught at the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute, the Meadowmount School of Music and at the University of Michigan, from 1970 to 1983. There, he also conducted the University Chamber Orchestra and the University Philharmonia Orchestra. He was a visiting professor at Brandeis University, Toho-Gakuen in Tokyo and the Royal Conservatory in Toronto.