Walter Prystawski

Prystawski, Walter

Prystawski, Walter. Violinist, teacher, b Toronto 12 Feb 1933; Artist Diploma (Toronto) 1953. After studies 1944-53 with Elie Spivak at the TCM he was a member 1953-8 of the TSO and 1956-9 of the CBC Symphony Orchestra. He studied further with Wolfgang Schneiderhan in Switzerland, where Prystawski was concertmaster 1960-9 and soloist with the Lucerne Festival Strings, recording with them the Vivaldi Concerto for 2 violins, RV552 (1964, DG 138-947/DG 2535-200) and Bach's Concerto for three violins, BWV1064 (1969, DG 139-432/DG 2535-410/DG 427-022-2-CD). He was concertmaster 1967-9 of the Basler Orchestergesellschaft and a member 1966-9 of the Lucerne Trio. He taught at the Lucerne Cons prior to his return to Canada in 1969 to serve as concertmaster of the NACO, a position he retained in 1991. He is soloist on the NACO's recordings of Tippett's Fantasia on a Theme of Corelli (1975, CBC SM-287), Richard Strauss' Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme Suite, Opus 60 (1984, RCA HRC1-5362), and Glick's Concerto (4-ACM 34), and he is part of the NACO's chamber ensemble on the recording of the Quartets, K478, K156, and K172 by Mozart (1971, CBC SM-170). He has continued to perform as a soloist and chamber musician in recital and on radio, and in the Pierrot Ensemble, an autonomous group of players dedicated to the creation and performance of contemporary music, of which he was a founding member (1986).

In 1975 Prystawski was on the jury for the Montreal International Music Competition. He taught at the University of Ottawa in the early 1970s and again beginning in 1982, and also at the Conservatoire de Hull beginning in 1988.