American Violinist Guila Bustabo Died in 2002

Jean Sibelius famously quoted her 1937 performance of his violin concerto as “just as I envisioned it when I composed it”.

 

American violinist Guila Bustabo died on this day, in 2002.

Born in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, in 1916, her musical journey began early, starting violin lessons at the age of two. By the time she was three, she had already showcased her talent to Frederick Stock, the conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

In pursuit of her musical education, her family relocated to Chicago, where she studied under Ray Huntington at the Chicago Musical College. Before she reached the age of five, she had embarked on studies with Leon Samétini, a protege of the renowned virtuoso and composer Eugène Ysaÿe.

Displaying remarkable skill, she performed with the Chicago Symphony at the age of nine and further showcased her prodigious talent with appearances alongside the Philadelphia Orchestra and the National Orchestral Association. Continuing her musical journey, she successfully auditioned for the Juilliard School studying under Louis Persinger, solidifying her place as a gifted violinist.

During the 1940s, 50’s and 60’s she performed with many of the world's top-rank conductors and orchestras.

Sadly, bipolar disorder forced her retirement from the concert stage in the early 1970s. 

She died in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2002, aged 86.

 

GUILA BUSTABO | SIBELIUS VIOLIN CONCERTO IN D MINOR | FRITZ ZAUN & STADTISCHEN ORCHESTRA BERLIN | 1940