Kievman, Louis (13 August 1910

Violinist and violist who is as well known for his teaching and his legacy of string instruction books as his own virtuosity. His skills were honed at the Institute of Musical Art and the Juilliard School of Music in New York.

He debuted at Carnegie Hall, and helped found the Musical Art Quartet, for whom he played viola from 1931 to 1937, when he joined the famed NBC Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Arturo Toscanini.

In the 1940s, he toured as a soloist, then made the great egress to L.A. where he found himself in demand as a session musician. During his career, he recorded with just about everybody who was anybody, including Desi Arnaz & His Orchestra, George Benson, The Carpenters, Benny Carter, Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Bobby Darin, Doris Day, Neil Diamond, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, The Benny Goodman Orchestra, Eartha Kitt, Peggy Lee, Dean Martin, Randy Newman, Oscar Peterson, The Platters, Chuck Rainey, Diana Ross, Neil Sedaka, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, The Stuyvesant Quartet, Mel Torme, Tom Waits, The Westwood Quartet, Andy Williams, and Nancy Wilson.

In the late ’60s and early ’70s, he wrote a series of books on string technique, including Practicing The Viola Mentally-Physically, Practicing The Violin Mentally-Physically, and Introduction To Strings: Programmed Instruction For The Music Educator. A Twelve-Week String Course For Individual Or Group Practice. These books remain a staple of string instructors and students throughout the world.

His teaching methods were as meticulous and exact as the craftsmanship of the 1580 Gasparo da Salo he played.

He passed away on 4^th December 1990, of pancreatic cancer.

Lalo Schifrin recordings
Love Rhapsody from “The Concorde – Airport ’79” (Lalo Schifrin)
Theme from “The Concorde – Airport ’79” (Lalo Schifrin)

Here’s Doris Day and “I Got the Sun in the Morning” which Louis performed on…

Sources:

Kievman, Louis (13 August 1910 – 4 December 1990)

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