Hanna Lachert (born November 25, 1944) – a Polish-American violinist.
Early Life
Lachert was born in Podkowa Leśna, near Warsaw, Poland. Her mother was a pianist, and her father an agricultural engineer. Lachert started playing piano at the age of 3. As a 4-year-old prodigy with perfect pitch, she played the part of young Chopin in Eugeniusz Cekalski’s film Żelazowa Wola. At age 5, she performed for the first time in public, and at her own request started violin lessons at age 8.
Education and life in Europe
A concert in the Warsaw Philharmonic “Presenting Young Talents” series effectively started the 16- year-old violinist’s career as a performing artist. Between 1961 and 1969, she played over 200 concerts, including solo recitals, chamber music ensembles, and with orchestras. She also recorded broadcasts for radio and television.
Lachert received her education in Warsaw music schools, including Liceum Muzyczne (High School for Music, Baccalaureate with honors) and PWSM (Chopin University of Music, MA with distinction). Her studies continued in Hannover, Germany, at the Hochshule fur Musik (Artists Diploma in Solistenclasse), followed by the Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Bruxelles (Premier Prix with distinction in chamber music), in Brussels, Belgium.
Life in the US Hanna Lachert came to the United States at the invitation of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT, in the fall of 1969, as a graduate assistant. She earned her Master of Arts degree two years later. Lachert moved to New York City in 1971 and won a position with the New York Philharmonic in 1972. As a member of the New York Philharmonic for 40 years, she collaborated with some of the greatest artists of the last half century. She continued to perform in other capacities, as a soloist, a recitalist and chamber musician. She also recorded several LPs and CDs. Hanna Lachert retired from the stage in 2013, having played more than 6,000 concerts in 56 countries.
Music composed for Hanna Lachert:
Joanna Bruzdowicz – Per Due
Charles Whittenberg – Winter music
Marta Ptaszyńska – Mancala
Elizabeth Sikora – Solo
Piotr Lachert – Three Sketches, Concerto per violino, Vino-Vino, IX Sonata, 25 Sonata
Memorable highlights Soloist with the Warsaw National Philharmonic in 1967
Debut concert in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 1972
Recital in Carnegie Hall’s Isaac Stern Auditorium, in the “Three by Three” series in 1974
Recital in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall presenting a program of Polish music, “From Ogiński to Penderecki” in 1976
Concert in Carnegie Hall with Vladimir Horowitz as a soloist in 1978
Four concerts as soloist with the NYPhil under Zubin Mehta in Avery Fisher Hall in 1980
Two concerts in Berlin representing the US with an international orchestra under Leonard Bernstein’s baton (Beethoven Symphony #9), in celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall in December 1989
Chamber music concert downtown NYC at the site of the 9/11 disaster (Federal Reserve Bank) for the first responders and local residents in October 2001
Concert in Pyongyang, South Korea in 2008
For her work in the American Society for Polish Music, which she co-founded, Hanna Lachert received the Paderewski Medal in 1992.
In 2015 the President of Poland awarded her the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, in recognition of her life-long promotion of Polish music and Polish artists.
Other activities
American Society for Polish Music 1971-1997, co-founder and president
WVMC co-founder of Waterville Valley Music Center in New Hampshire, presenting chamber music summer festival and music camps for children and workshops for conductors, 1996-2013
Teaching: Manhattan School of Music, prep division
Publishing on music life and interviews: Ruch Muzyczny and Nowy Dziennik
Personal life
She is married to David Segal, a luthier. They have two children: a daughter, Adi Segal, who is a visual artist, and a son, Yaniv Segal, who is a conductor and composer. They reside in Yonkers.
Discography
Musica Antiqua Polonica, Instrumental Music of the XVII Century Polskie Nagrania MUZA XL 0303 (1966) Performed by "CON MOTO MA CANTABILE" Music by Mikołaj Zieleński, Adam Jarzębski, Marcin Mielczewski Violin: Gaetano Guadanini Music of Karol Szymanowski Telarc Records 5025 (1976) Hanna Lachert, violin Joseph Bloom, piano Mythes Op. 30 Romance Op. 23 Dance from the ballet Harnasie Op. 55 Chant de Roxanne Op. 46 La Berceuse D’Aitacho Enia Op. 52 Notturno e Tarantella Op. 28 Violin: Père Bernardel, 1831 Bartók and Szymanowski Telarc Records 5033 (1979) Hanna Lachert, violin Joseph Bloom, piano Béla Bartók: Sonata for Solo Violin Karol Szymanowski: Sonata in D Minor for Violin and Piano Violin: Guarneri del Gesù, 1741 Szymanowski: The Two Violin Concertos Spectrum SR 318 (1985-86) Hanna Lachert, violin; Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit, conductor Violin Concerto No. 1, op. 35 Violin Concerto No. 2, op. 61 Violin: David Segal, 1982 Remembering Felix Spectrum SD 1002 (1989) Harry Clark, cello Hanna Lachert, violin Sanda Schuldmann, piano Robert J. Lurtsema, narration Robert Starer: Remembering Felix Robert Starer: Piano Trio Violin: David Segal, 1982 Segal Violins in Concert Musika MA 962 (DSV., Ltd 1996) Hanna Lachert, violin; Yuval Waldman, violin George Phillip Telemann: Kanonische Sonate No. 1 Grażyna Bacewicz: Suita Per Due Violini Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda: Duo No. 2 for 2 Violins Piotr Lachert: Vino, Vino Per Due Violini Wolfgang A. Mozart: Table Music: Allegro Béla Bartók: Bartok, selections from rom 44 Duos Violins: David Segal, 1982 and 1984 Hanna Lachert plays the music of Karol Szymanowski. The Complete Works for Violin Musika MA 963 (DSV., Ltd 1996) Hanna Lachert, violin Joseph Bloom, piano, Roman Markowicz, piano Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit, conductor Concerto No. 1, Op. 35 Concerto No. 2, Op. 61 Sonata in D Minor Op. 9 Myths Op. 30 Romance Op. 23 Dance from the Ballet Harnasie Op. 55 Song of Roxanne Op. 46 La Berceuse D’aitacho Enia Op. 52 Notturno Et Tarantella Op. 28 Kurpian Song Op. 58 Three Paganini Caprices Op. 40 Violins: Père Bernardel, 1831, Guarneri del Gesù, 1741, David Segal, 1982 Krzysztof Penderecki | Piotr Lachert DSV, Ltd (2008) Hanna Lachert, violin Hélène Jeanney, piano Krzysztof Penderecki: Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano Piotr Lachert: Sonata No. 9 for violin solo Piotr Lachert: Sonata No. 17 for violin and piano Violin: David Segal, 1982
Piotr Lachert: Music for Piano Trio DSV, Ltd (2013) Waterville Trio: Helene Jeanney, piano Hanna Lachert, violin Qiand Tu, cello Mireille Gleizes, piano Mikhail Bezverkhny, violin Illia Laporev, cello violin: David Segal, 1982
Hanna Lachert: Sonatas For Solo Violin DSV, Ltd (2014) Hanna Lachert, violin Bartok, Bach, Yssaye violin: David Segal, 1982