Franz Samohyl

Franz Samohyl (3 April 1912 – 14 June 1999) was an Austrian violinist, concertmaster of the Vienna State Opera and academic teacher.

Life Born in Vienna, Samohyl began his musical education in 1929 at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna with and continued these studies from 1931 after passing the Reifeprüfung. with which he travelled abroad to England, Hungary, Italy and Germany. Samohyl was concertmaster of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra from 1932 and of the orchestra of the Vienna Volksoper from 1934. From 1936, he was first violinist of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra, serving as its concertmaster in 1947.

From 1946 to 1982, he taught violin and viola at the Vienna Academy of Music and Performing Arts (now the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna) and was dean of the Stringed Instruments Department from 1964 to 1972. In addition, he taught from 1964 to 1974 at the Mozarteum University Salzburg.

His students included Michael Frischenschlager, , Werner Hink, Thomas Kakuska, Bijan Khadem-Missagh, , Rainer Küchl, , Gerhard Schulz, René Staar and .

Awards 1946: Appointment as professor at the Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst 1965: Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria 1966: Mozart Medal of the Mozartgemeinde Wien 1970: Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst I. Klasse 1972: Silver 1976: Großes Silbernes Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich 1977: Nicolai Medal in Gold for outstanding services to the Vienna Philharmonic 1980: Silbernes Komturkreuz des Ehrenzeichens für Verdienste um das Bundesland Niederösterreich 1982: Order of the Sacred Treasure 1987: Goldenes 1988: Goldene Ehrenmedaille of the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg