Joseph Achron

Russian-born Jewish Violinist and Composer

Joseph Achron or Iosif Akhron (1886–1943) was a Russian-American composer and violinist of Jewish origin, older brother of pianist and composer Isidor Achron. He was born in Lazdijai, Lithuania (Russian Empire) and studied with Leopold Auer (violin) and Anatoly Liadov (composition) at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory from 1899 to 1904. Achron joined the Society for Jewish Folk Music in 1911 and wrote Hebrew Melody for violin and orchestra (Jascha Heifetz performed this piece). In 1913, Joseph became the head of the violin and chamber music departments at the Kharkiv Conservatory. After World War I, musician toured extensively, giving over 1000 concerts in three years around Russia, Europe and Near East. In 1922, Achron moved to Berlin and ran the Jewish music publishing company Yivneh with Mikhail Fabianovich Gnesin. He immigrated to the United States in 1925 and settled in New York, where he had been teaching violin at the Westchester Conservatory. Joseph Achron perfomed his Violin Concerto No. 1 with Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1927. He moved to Hollywood in 1934, continuing his concert career and composing music for films. Joseph performed his second and third Violin Concertos with Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 1936 and 1939.