Biography
Henry Vieuxtemps (b Verviers, 17 Feb 1820; d Mustapha, 6 June 1881). Belgian violinist and composer. He studied the violin with Bériot and composition with Sechter and Reicha, from 1834 receiving praise throughout Europe for his virtuosity and compositional skill. He was particularly successful in Russia (1846-51) and America but spent his last years teaching at the Brussels Conservatory, where Ysaÿe was among his pupils. Apart from brilliant short violin pieces he wrote seven concertos; by setting an enriched (but not Paganinian) solo part in a modern symphonic framework he rejuvenated the grand French violin concerto, at the same time introducing original form, especially no. 4 in D minor (c1850), praised lavishly by Berlioz. Of his two brothers, Lucien (1828-1901) was a respected piano teacher in Brussels and Ernest (1823-96) a solo cellist in London and Manchester.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.