Busch, Adolf (Georg Wilhelm)

Busch, Adolf (Georg Wilhelm), noted German violinist, brother of HERMANN and Fritz Busch; b. Siegen, Westphalia, Aug. 8, 1891; d. Guilford, Vt., June 9, 1952. He studied in Cologne and Bonn; then served as concertmaster of the Vienna Konzertverein (1912–18); subsequently taught at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. In 1919 he organized the Busch Quartet and the Busch Trio (with his younger brother, Hermann, and his son-in-law, Rudolf Serkin). The Busch Quartet gained renown with the appointment of Gosta Andreasson and Karl Doktor as members; Busch’s brother Hermann became cellist in the Busch Trio in 1926 and in the Busch Quartet in 1930. Adolf Busch went to Basel in 1927; in 1939 he emigrated to America. In 1950 he organized the Marlboro School of Music in Vt. His Adolf Busch: Briefe, Bilder, Erinnerungen (Walpole, N.H., 1991) was publ. posthumously in German and in English.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

Busch, Adolf (Georg Wilhelm) (b Siegen, Westphalia, 1891; d Guilford, Vermont, 1952). Ger.-born violinist and composer. From 1907 played many of Reger's chamber works with composer. Leader, Vienna Konzertverein Orch., 1912. Vn. prof. Berlin Hochschule 1918. Founded qt. 1919. Settled in Basle 1927, taking Swiss nationality 1935. Founded Busch Chamber Players in Eng. in late 1930s. Went to USA 1939. His qt. made many famous recordings. Noted for sonata recitals with his son-in-law, the pianist Rudolf Serkin. Comp. sym., concs., sonatas.