Hugo Becker

Hugo Becker (born Jean Otto Eric Hugo Becker; 13 February 1863 – 30 July 1941) was a German cellist, cello teacher, and composer. He studied at a young age with Alfredo Piatti, and later Friedrich Grützmacher in Dresden. Biography He was born in 1863 in Strasbourg (then part of France, but transferred to the German Empire in 1871); his father Jean Becker was a famous violinist. His father tried teaching him violin at the age of six, but the young Becker loved cello, and switched over at the age of nine. By age fifteen he was touring with a string quartet made up of him, his father, sister, and brother. He had also become a leading cellist in the court orchestra in Mannheim. among his students was George Georgescu, who would replace him as cellist in the Marteau Quartet before forsaking the cello for the conductor’s podium on account of a hand injury. Later, Georgescu would remark, “All I know, I learned from Hugo Becker.” Becker also gave finishing lessons to Beatrice Harrison. Selected works *Andante religioso *Three Pieces for Cello with Piano Accompaniment *Scènes d’amour, duo *Deux Morceaux: Romance, Duo *Deux Morceaux: Valse gracieuse, Duo *Cello Concerto, Op.10 in A major (pu