1869

Friedrich Buxbaum

(23 September 1869, Vienna – 2 October 1948)

Austrian cellist

He was principal and solo cellist of the Vienna Philharmonic until 13 March 1938, when he and other Jewish members of the orchestra were dismissed. He and his family escaped to the UK where he was granted permanent residency. After the war, the Vienna Philharmonic invited him to return to the orchestra as principal, but he did not.

1920

Alexander Harutyunyan

 (23 September 1920 – 28 March 2012)

Soviet and Armenian composer and pianist

Photo by Tzolag Hovsepian – “Familiar Faces” album, Los Angeles, 2013, “Hay gir” publishing house, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Here is his “Impromptu” for cello and piano performed by cellist Vladimir Orloff and an unnamed pianist:

Your Turn

Know of other cellists, cello makers, composers of music played by cellists, or those with a strong tie to the cello world born on this day? This is a work in progress. We’d love to hear from you if you have suggestions, additions, or corrections. Thank you!

We include those with recordings and/or images available online.