Oskar Back

[2][3] He only once ventured onto a public stage for a concerto performance, in Scheveningen on 17 January 1908, with the Hague Philharmonic Orchestra under Henri Viotta.

[1] He left Belgium in 1919, as he had found life difficult there in the First World War as an Austro-Hungarian citizen amid occupying German forces.

During the German invasion of the Netherlands in World War II, in order to rebut fake identity papers, he was forced to produce documents that demonstrated he had no Jewish heritage, and he was allowed to continue his activities.

[5] His students included Alma Moodie, Herman Krebbers, Emmy Verhey, Theo Olof, Davina van Wely, and others.

Although he made no recordings,[2] Oskar Back established a foundation to financially assist struggling young, talented violinists.

[3] This led to Theo Olof co-founding the National Oskar Back Violin Competition in 1967,[5] which has been held in the Netherlands every two years since then.