Heinrich Schiff (18 November 1951 – 23 December 2016) was an Austrian cellist and conductor.
Early life
Heinrich Schiff was born on 18 November 1951 in Gmunden, Austria.[1] His parents, Helga (née Riemann) and Helmut Schiff, were composers.[1] He studied cello with Tobias Kühne and André Navarra and made his solo debut in Vienna and London in 1971. He studied conducting with Hans Swarowsky.
In 2004, he was appointed Chief Conductor of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and served in the post from 2005 to 2008.[1] He stood down from the post in 2008 for health reasons.[4]
Schiff frequently experienced pain in his right shoulder and arm, the one that holds the bow, presumably caused by overexertion, but tried to ignore it. While playing in a chamber concert in Vienna on 25 April 2010 he had to take breaks during pieces due to the pain. After this evening, he never played cello in public again.[8]
Since 2012, the 'Mara' Cello has been played by Christian Poltéra, one of Schiff's former students.[9][10]
Death
Schiff died in Vienna on 23 December 2016 at the age of 65.[1][11]