SIDNEY HARTH

Sidney Harth’s current international fame rests on his brilliant showing at the Wieniawski Violin Competition held last December in Poznan, Poland. Trhe only American ever to reach the finals of this most important contest, he was bowed out of first place by the narrowest of margins, by a Russian pupil o f David Oistrakh, who was on eof the judges. In post-contest concerts in Warsaw, audiences showed by tumultuous ovations that Harth was their favorite amopng the winners. He was bornm in Celveland and, like his wife, Teresa Testa Harth, is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and a former pupil of Herbert Elwell. He is now concertmaster and associate conductor of the Louisville Orchestra, with his wife as assistant concertmaster. His command of his instrument is a reflection of his philosophy of music: a performers skill and depth of perception grow in proportion to the musical challenges he confronts. This philosophy has helped him build, in a short time, a background which includes performing in Europe and America, conducting, ensemble work, music education, criticism, editing, television performances and lectures, and promotion of community music events. He leads the Louisville String Quartet, and he is the founder and conductor of the University of Louisville Symphony Orchestra and head of the departmnent of strings of the university’s School of Music. In addition, he took part in the Casals Bach Festival in Prades in 1950, and was chosen by Pablo Casals to be assistant concertmaster of his most recent festival in Puerto Rico.

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