Michel Schwalbé

Mieczysław (Mojżesz) Michał Schwalbe, known professionally as Michel Schwalbe, was born on October 27, 1919, in Radom, Poland. He studied at the Warsaw Music Academy and later with Jules Boucherit, George Enescu, and Pierre Monteux in Paris. In 1940, he fled to Lyon and served as concertmaster of the local symphony orchestra. In 1944, he moved to Switzerland and became the first concertmaster of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under Ernest Ansermet. Herbert von Karajan then invited him to join the Berliner Philharmoniker as concertmaster, a position he held from 1957 until 1985. Schwalbe collaborated on numerous recordings with the orchestra and performed as a soloist and conductor in various countries. From 1966 to 1992, he played the Stradivari violin "King Maximilian." Schwalbe passed away in October 2012, in Berlin.