Margarita Mandelstamm (June 1, 1895[1] – February 11, 1962), in Russian Маргари́та Фа́йвушевна (Па́вловна) Мандельшта́м, later known as Margarita Selinsky, was a violinist born in Riga, and based in the United States after 1921.

Margarita Mandelstamm
A young white woman with short dark hair playing a violin; she is wearing a dark dress with short sleeves
Margarita Mandelstamm Selinsky, from a 1921 publication
BornJune 1, 1895
Riga, Russian Empire
DiedFebruary 11, 1962
Los Angeles, California, US
Other namesMargarita Selinsky
Occupation(s)Violinist, music educator
SpouseMax Selinsky
RelativesElsa Gidoni (sister)

Early life

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Margarita Mandelstamm was born in Riga (then in the Russian Empire),[2] the daughter of Faivush (Pavel) Mandelstamm and Minna Mandelstamm. Her family was Jewish. Her father was a medical doctor in the Russian Army. Her younger sister was architect Elsa Gidoni.[3][4] Mandelstamm trained as a violinist in Berlin with Willy Hess, and at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory with Leopold Auer.[5]

Career

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Mandelstamm made her concert debut in Saint Petersburg in 1915. In 1917, during World War I, she and her family were held for several weeks in a German refugee camp in Ukraine, briefly returned to Riga, then moved to Berlin. She played with the Berlin Philharmonic, and in recitals there.[6] In 1921, she moved to the United States with her American husband, Max Selinsky, a fellow musician. The Selinskys gave their first American recital at New York's Aeolian Hall,[7][8] and toured North America playing rarely-heard violin duets through the 1920s and 1930s.[9][10][11] In 1940 they performed with their pianist daughter in 1940 as the Selinsky Trio.[12]

Personal life

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Mandelstamm married American violinist Max Selinsky in 1920.[5] They had a son, Victor, who became an artist and art teacher,[13] and a daughter, Xenia, who became a pianist[14] and performed with her parents from an early age.[15][16] Margarita Selinsky died in 1962, in Los Angeles, aged 66 years.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Birthdate given on a United States passport application in 1922. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 1847; Volume #: Roll 1847 - Certificates: 123976-124349, 06 Mar 1922-07 Mar 1922. via Ancestry. Other sources give 1896 or 1897 as the year.
  2. ^ "Selinskys Attract Attention". Musical Courier. 83: 19. September 15, 1921.
  3. ^ "Pioneering Women of American Architecture: Elsa Mandelstamm Gidoni". Pioneering Women of American Architecture. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  4. ^ "Architects in Palestine: 1920-1948". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  5. ^ a b Watson, Margaret W. (November 1921). "Fate in the Lives of Two Artists". The Musical Monitor. 11: 45.
  6. ^ "Violinists Offer Friday Ebell Program". The Pomona Progress Bulletin. 1939-10-17. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Will Give Violin Duet Recital". Musical America. 34: 47. April 2, 1921.
  8. ^ "Selinskys Play Novelties". Musical America. 34: 4. April 9, 1921.
  9. ^ "Metropolitan Musings". The Musical Monitor. 10: 435. June 1921.
  10. ^ "Selinskys to Play Under Mayer Management". Musical America. 34: 40. May 7, 1921.
  11. ^ "Unusual Concert at Bowl Tonight". The San Bernardino County Sun. 1937-08-27. p. 15. Retrieved 2021-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Selinsky Trip Gives Recital". The San Bernardino County Sun. 1940-08-07. p. 13. Retrieved 2021-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Green, Martin (1996-12-05). "World of Art Helps Keep Couple Active, in Step". The Sacramento Bee. p. 100. Retrieved 2021-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Xenia Selinsky to Present Concert for Woman's Club". Ventura County Star-Free Press. 1946-03-08. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "First Membership Luncheon and Musicale Today". The San Bernardino County Sun. 1939-11-01. p. 10. Retrieved 2021-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Rare Music Completes the Perfect Day". The San Bernardino County Sun. 1939-11-02. p. 10. Retrieved 2021-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Margarita Selinsky, funeral announcement". The Los Angeles Times. 1962-02-13. p. 23. Retrieved 2021-04-25 – via Newspapers.com.