Camilla Wicks

Born August 9, 1928 in Long Beach, California, Camilla Wicks was one of the first female violinists to achieve international success. Born to a Norwegian-born father who was a violinist and teacher and a pianist mother, Wicks was a child prodigy. She made her debut as a violinist at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium. She studied at the Julliard School in New York City. In 1942, she made her solo debut at age 13 with the New York Philharmonic. She went on to perform with some of the finest conductors and orchestras in the world. Wicks’ repertoire included lesser-known works that focused on Scandinavian composers. She performed concertos by Fartein Valen, Hilding Rosenberg, Harald Saeverud, Klaus Egge, and others. Married in 1951, Wicks retired for a short time so she could focus on her family. When she returned to performing, she spent her time teaching and cut down on her performing schedule. She taught at the Louisiana State University, Rice University, and the University of Michigan. In the early 1970s, she became head of the String Department at the Oslo Royal Academy. She was named a Knight 1st Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in 1999 for her contribution to music. She held the Isaac Stern Chair at the San Francisco Conservatory before retiring in 2005. Some of Wicks’ classic recordings have been collected together on various compilations including The Art of Camilla Wicks, Camilla Wicks Conertos by Sibelius, Valen and Short Pieces, Camilla Wicks: Violin Concertos & Pieces, and others. Camilla Wicks died on November 25, 2020.

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