Josef Luitz

Josef Luitz (born 2. August 1934 in Vienna) is an Austrian cellist and cello teacher. He was solo cellist of the NÖ Tonkünstlerorchester and is co-founder of the international chamber music festival Allegro Vivo.

Biography
He spent his childhood in Gablitz near Vienna. His father was music director of the ''1. Gablitzer Musikverein''. He first became an apprentice to an instrument maker.

After finishing his apprenticeship he took a job as adjuster for automatic lathes. In his spare time he took cello lessons with Walther Kleinecke and studied with Professor Nikolaus Hübner.

He began his cello career as principal cellist of the NÖ Tonkünstlerorchester, and later advanced to the post of solo cellist. Apart from his solo performances he was involved in many chamber music ensembles and also became teacher of cello at the Konservatorium Vienna.

Josef Luitz is married to Edelgard Sonja Luitz and has two children: Joachim (1967) and Angelika (1968).

Engagements

 * 1957-62 Tonkünstler Orchestra, principal cellist
 * 1962-99 1st solo cellist of the Tonkünstler Orchestra
 * 1972-99 Konservatorium Wien, teacher for cello
 * 1988-89 University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, teacher for chambermusic

Membership in chamber music ensembles

 * 1962-63 Streichtrio of the Tonkünstler Orchestra
 * 1963-68 Haydn Quartett Vienna with Thomas Kakuska
 * 1968-75 Ensemble Kontrapunkte (mainly contemporary music)
 * 1972-77 Philharmonia Quintett (with Wolfgang Poduschka)
 * seit 1977 Tonkünstler Kammerorchester - Academia Allegro Vivo, co-founder, president and solo cellist of this orchestra
 * 1978-95 Concordia Trio (piano trio) with Harald Ossberger and Erich Schagerl

Courses and Seminars

 * since 1979 International Chamber Music Festival Austria Allegro Vivo (co-founder and president)
 * 1981-86 Mid summernight festival in Umeå, Sweden, cello and chamber music
 * 1985-92 Summer seminars for music teachers in Tullnerbach and Zeillern
 * 1989-93 Wiener MusikSeminar (international mastercourse)
 * 1992-	Wiener Musikverein-Nagano, Japan - seminars, chamber music and orchestra

Honors and awards

 * 1994: Silver Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria
 * 1997: Gold Decoration for Services to the country of Lower Austria
 * 2000: Austrian Decoration for Science and Art
 * 2009: culture prize of the city of Horn

Discography (excerpt)

 * Composers of the court of the Holy Roman Empire: G. Muffat, G. C. Wagenseil, J. J. Fux and J. J. Froberger (MHS 601, 1965?)
 * Masters of the French Baroque von Jean-Marie Leclair (MHS 655, 1966)
 * Rococo delights von Hilde Langfort (1966)
 * Spohr Nonet in F, Op. 31, Double-Quartett in E minor, op. 87 (DECCA SSD416, 1974)
 * Four sonatas for flute and continuo von Johann Joachim Quantz (MHS 1038, 1979)
 * Josef Matthias Hauer (Dokumentationsreihe des Österreichischen Komponistenbundes 1 Vol. 11, 1972)
 * F. Schubert: Atzenbrugger Tänze (EMI C05-33232, 1978)
 * Caprice Viennois (1985)
 * Musik für Streicher (1988)
 * Tanztheater 1975-2000 von Peer Raben (BMG Ariola Classics, 2004)
 * Duo für Violine und Violoncello von Maximilian Kreuz (Kulinarium Wien - ÖGZM, ?)
 * String quartet no. 2a von Nancy Van de Vate (Vienna Modern Masters, 2010)
 * Cant del ocells (2011)
 * String quartet no. 10 von Don Walker (Vienna Modern Masters, 2013)