Violinist Arthur Grumiaux Died On This Day in 1986

A student of Alfred Dubois and George Enescu, he is remembered as one of the eminent violinists of the 20th Century

Belgian violin virtuoso and pianist Arthur Grumiaux died on this day in 1986 – aged 65.

Born in March 21, 1921 in Villers-Perwin, Belgium, Grumiaux is a graduate of the Charleroi and Royal Conservatories in Brussels, where he studied with Fernand Quinet and Alfred Dubois. He later pursued advanced studies with Georges Enescu in Paris. In 1939, he won the Vieuxtemps Prize, and a year later, the Belgian government's inaugural Prix de Virtuosité. His burgeoning career was interrupted by World War II and the German occupation of Belgium shortly after his debut in Brussels in 1940, where he performed Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with the Brussels Philharmonic.

Resuming performances in 1945, Grumiaux made a significant impact as a violinist, debuting in London that same year and quickly gaining recognition across Europe and the United States. By 1949, he had assumed the position of his former mentor, Alfred Dubois, at the Brussels Conservatory.

Grumiaux maintained a partnership with Philips Records for over 20 years, during which time they released recordings of his performances of works by Handel, Bach, Vivaldi, Michael Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Bruch, Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saëns, Lalo, Henryk Wieniawski, and Johan Svendsen. His most celebrated recordings are the solo J.S. Bach sonatas and his collaborations on sets of Ludwig van Beethoven and W.A. Mozart sonatas with pianist Clara Haskil.

Renowned for his refined elegance and masterful technique, Maestro Grumiaux was knighted baron by King Baudouin of Belgium for his services to music in 1973 - thus sharing the title with Paganini.

Dying in 1986, aged just 65, he is remembered as one of the finest violin virtuosi of the 20th Century.

Since 2008, the Arthur Grumiaux International Violin Competition is held every year at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, Belgium.

ARTHUR GRUMIAUX | BACH | SARABANDE