Suzanne Rosza, 82; Violinist Helped Form Amadeus Quartet
Suzanne Rosza, 82, a violinist who had a significant role in the formation of the Amadeus Quartet, one of the 20th century’s leading string ensembles, died Nov. 9.
For 55 years, she was married to Martin Lovett, a cellist and fellow student at London’s Royal College of Music.
Through Rosza, Lovett met violinist Norbert Brainin, and the pair formed the quartet in 1947 with viola and violin players.
When the group’s second violinist was ill, Rosza sometimes filled in.
Rosza led several orchestras, played with the Dumka Trio from 1965 to 1980 and was a founding member of the English Chamber Orchestra and Yehudi Menuhin’s Bath Festival Orchestra.
Born in Budapest, Rosza started playing violin at 5 and immigrated to Vienna at 8. She studied with the principal violinist of the Vienna Philharmonic before fleeing to London in 1938 with her violin and a few other belongings.
She had a large collection of miniature violins, the smallest of which measures half an inch and is mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records.
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