Hanuš Wihan

Hanuš Wihan was born in Police nad Metují and studied with František Hegenbarth (1881–1887) at the Prague Conservatory from the age of 13,[2] finishing his studies with Karl Davydov at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.

[3] By this time Hanuš Wihan was married to Dora (née Weis), a pianist from Dresden.

[7] There is no evidence that the affair was consummated or was ever going to be, but Wihan was very jealous by nature and it led to Dora's and Hanuš's marriage breaking up.

Tchaikovsky heard him perform in a concert in Prague in 1888 and offered to help arrange some appearances in Russia.

[4] In 1891 Hanuš Wihan formed the Bohemian String Quartet with violinists Karel Hoffmann and Josef Suk, and violist Oskar Nedbal – all pupils of Antonín Bennewitz – and his own cello pupil Otakar Berger.

1 in E minor From My Life, and Sergei Taneyev in Russia was particularly impressed, played with them on various occasions, and dedicated his 4th String Quartet to them.

However, in 1894-95, Dvořák wrote the Cello Concerto in B minor in New York City, with Hanuš Wihan's playing in mind.

In 1906 Lionel Tertis worked with the Quartet, and noticed Wihan's habit of spitting on the floor during rehearsals.

His pupils included Artur Krása, Otakar Berger, Jan Burian, Julius Junek, Rudolf Pavlata, Maxmilian Škvor and Bedřich Vaska.