Ignaz Schuppanzigh

Born

November 20, 1776

Died

March 2, 1830 (aged 53)

Known as

conductor, violinist, composer, music director, musician

Ignaz Schuppanzigh was an Austrian violinist and friend of Beethoven, and leader of Count Razumovsky's private string quartet. Schuppanzigh and his quartet premiered many of Beethoven's string quartets, and in particular, the late string quartets. The Razumovsky quartet, which Schuppanzigh founded in late 1808, is considered to be the first professional string quartet. Until the founding of this quartet, quartet music was played primarily by amateurs or by professional musicians who joined together on an ad hoc basis.

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