Joseph Press Explained

Joseph Press
Birth Name:	Josef Isaakovitch Press
Birth Place:	Vilnius, Russian Empire
Death Place:	Rochester, New York, US
Occupation:	Cellist
Relatives:	Michael Press (brother)
Education:	Moscow Conservatory

Josef Isaakovitch Press (Russian: Иосиф Исаакович Пресс; 1882 or 1883 – October 4, 1924)^[1] was a Russian-American cellist.

Biography

Joseph Press was born in Vilnius in 1882 or 1883. He won a gold prize scholarship to the Moscow Conservatory. After graduating, he performed as a soloist, and became head of the cello department at the Petrograd Conservatory.^{[2] [3]}

He performed in the concerts of the Society for Jewish Folk Music which also featured violinists Jascha Heifetz and Efrem Zimbalist the bass Feodor Chaliapin.^[4] In 1921, he emigrated to America with his brother, Michael Press.^{[5] [6]}

He began teaching at the Eastman School of Music in 1922. He died of pneumonia in Rochester, New York on October 4, 1924.^{[2] [7]}

Notes and References

1. http://www.musenc.ru/html/p/press.html ПРЕСС Иосиф Исаакович
2. News: Joseph Press, Noted 'Cellist at Eastman School of Music, Dies from Pneumonia Attack . . Rochester, New York . 25 . 1924-10-05 . 2024-08-08 . Newspapers.com.
3. https://books.google.com/books?id=vvEsAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA196 The Violinist, Volume 21, page 196
4. https://books.google.com/books?id=YLQXrHGNlQUC&pg=PA50 Juilliard: A History by Andrea Olmstead (2002), page 50
5. https://books.google.com/books?id=HJdn-qdFlCUC&pg=PA465 George Eastman: A Biography by Elizabeth Brayer (2006), page 465
6. Violins and Violinists' Magazine, Volumes 11-12, page 14 Ernest N. Doring - 1950 "The instrument belonged later to the late Joseph Press, also of Russian birth, who with his brother Michael achieved eminence here. Joseph Press died at Rochester in 1924. The cello is now in New York"
7. https://books.google.com/books?id=HJdn-qdFlCUC&pg=PA322 George Eastman: A Biography by Elizabeth Brayer (2006), page 322