Background
Axel Skovgaard was born May 20, 1875 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Axel Skovgaard was born May 20, 1875 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
In the years that followed he studied with the famed violinists Carl Halir, Emanuel Wirth and Joseph Joachim.
He showed promise at an early age and began his musical studies at the age of six. As a young man Skovgaard performed in much of Scandinavia and Germany and appeared before the rulers of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany. In 1902 he purchased a 1712 Stradivarius violin, which became his constant companion and instrument of choice.
Skovgaard came to America in 1903 when he accepted a position with the New York Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Walter Damrosch.
By 1905 he had formed the Skovgaard Concert Company along with pianist Christine Nilsson and vocalist Eleonora Olson. Within a few years both Nilsson and Olson had left the group.
Eleonora Olson started her own company in 1909 with which she enjoyed considerable success. Alice McClung became Skovgaard’s new accompanist.
McClung, who had been a student of the Swedish pianist August Hyllestad, was a talented soloist and ensemble player.
From 1905 onwards, Skovgaard traveled the country, often giving concerts under the auspices of the Chautauqua and Lyceum organizations. Their publications are, in fact, the primary source of information on the Danish violin virtuoso. Axel Skovgaard toured constantly, giving over one thousand performances during one nine-year stretch.
His American tours were well-documented in the small town press, and many of these accounts can be read at the Newspaper Archive and similar sites.
The Library of Congress has Skovgaard concert programs, which list several of the works he performed. Although he himself made no recordings, this portion of his repertoire can be heard at video-sharing websites or purchased from digital music download services.
Ballade et Polonaise - Vieuxtemps
The Bee - Schubert
Chant sans paroles - Tchaikovsky
Fantaisie Hongroise - Hubay
Kreutzer Sonata - Beethoven
Louisiana Folia - Corelli
Humoresque - Dvořák
Nocturne - Chopin
Scenes de la Csarda - Hubay
Serenade - Schubert
Sicilienne et Rigaudon - Kreisler
Traumerei - Schumann
Violin Concerto in Doctorate major - Brahms
Violin Concerto in F sharp minor - Ernst
Violin Concerto in East minor - Mendelssohn
Violin Concerto in A major - Svendsen
Violin Concerto in F sharp minor - Vieuxtemps
Violin Sonata in East minor - Sjögren
Zapateado - Sarasate.
He was also a member of the Meiningen Court Orchestra and the Copenhagen Philharmonic.