The Spanish-born violinist, who taught for three decades at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, was 66 years old
The Spanish-born violinist Stephen Picard died on 19 July at the age of 66. For more than 30 years he taught the violin at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, having also taught at institutions in Münster, Mainz and Aachen.
Born in 1960, Picard began learning the violin aged ten with Gustav Mikulai in Bad Godesberg, Bonn, Germany. From 1974 he studied with Saschko Gawriloff at the Folkwang University of Arts, Essen, and from 1978 with Ramy Shevelov in Hannover and with Roman Nodel in Mannheim. He received the first prize at the Maria Canals International Music Competition in Barcelona, and second prize at the Rodolfo Lipizer Violin Competition in Italy.
For many years, Picard was the concertmaster of the Orchestra of the Stadttheater Aachen opera house and later of the Munich Chamber Orchestra. He also made guest appearances as first concertmaster with the NDR Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic. He was a founder member of the Michelangelo Quartet, with which he played until 2012 when he was succeeded by Daniel Austrich. He also performed with the Mendelssohn Trio of Berlin.
Picard also participated in a performance of Anton Webern’s complete chamber music works at the Bundeskunsthalle, developed the project Musikgedankentheater with pianist Ben Süverkrüp and cabaret artist Tina Teubner, and recorded an album of Wolfgang Rihm’s Chiffren.
Picard joined the Hanns Eisler faculty in 1995, and also served as a permanent guest faculty member at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. He served as jury chair for the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, and as a jury member for the Max Rostal, Leopold Mozart and the Seoul international violin competition among others. He played a violin by Petrus Guarnerius (Mantua) made in 1715.
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