Yevgeny Albrecht
Yevgeny Karlovich Albrecht (1844–1894) was a violinist and music educator of the Russian Empire. He was born on 4 June 1844 in St. Petersburg. His father, Karl Frantsevich Albrecht, taught at the Gatchina Nicholas Orphan Institute, where Albrecht was educated.
In 1858, Albrecht entered the Leipzig Conservatory and completed its full music course under Ferdinand David, Moritz Hauptmann, Ernst Friedrich Richter, Ignaz Moscheles and Ernst Brendel. After graduating, he joined the St. Petersburg Italian Opera as a violinist.
In 1866, he was invited to serve on a commission developing plans for music instruction and general school singing in military gymnasiums. His notes on the subject appeared in the Ministry of War's Pedagogical Collection in 1872, and, following his advice, student orchestras were established at military gymnasiums. From 1872 to 1880, he taught violin to Grand Dukes Paul Alexandrovich and Dmitry Konstantinovich.
In 1872, with Hildebrandt and Hille, Albrecht founded the St. Petersburg Quartet Music Society, renamed the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society in 1878. He chaired it until 1894 and regularly performed in its concerts as a violinist and violist. He also chaired the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society from 1881 to 1886.
Appointed music inspector of the Imperial St. Petersburg Theatres in 1877, Albrecht held the post until his death. He worked to improve the conditions of the theatres' orchestral musicians, and his reform proposals, modelled on European court orchestras, were approved in 1882. In 1884 he travelled abroad to study the administration of music, especially orchestral work. In 1892, he became head of the Imperial Theatres' music library, where he reorganized the music holdings and prepared a detailed catalogue that he did not live to publish.
Albrecht corresponded with Pyotr Tchaikovsky and took part in the 1890 premiere of the first version of Tchaikovsky's string sextet Souvenir of Florence, as well as the second performance of its revised version in 1892. His published pedagogical works included On the Rational Teaching of Music and Singing in Schools, Practical Elementary School for Violin and Cello, Violin School, and Reward for the First Successes of Child Violinists. With Nikolay Wessel, he compiled the song collections Little Gusli, School Songs, and Collection of Soldiers', Cossack and Sailors' Songs.
Albrecht died on 28 January 1894 in St. Petersburg. He was buried beside his father in the Gatchina Lutheran Cemetery.