José Silvestre White Lafitte (17 January 1836 in Matanzas, Cuba - 12–15 March 1918, Paris, France), also known as Joseph, was a Cuban violinist and composer. His father was Spanish (according to other sources, a French businessman) and his mother was Afro-Cuban.
He studied at the Paris Conservatory between the years 1855 and 1871 and was highly praised by Rossini, who wrote, "The warmth of your execution, the feeling, the elegance, the brilliance of the school to which you belong, show the qualities in you as an artist of which the French school may be proud." When White performed in the US in 1876, one music critic called him "The best violinist who has visited this country . . ." From 1877 to 1889 he was director of the Imperial Conservatory in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after which he returned to Paris to spend the rest of his days. The famous 1737 "Swansong" Stradivari was his instrument.
Joseph White
Biography
José Silvestre White Lafitte (17 January 1836 in Matanzas, Cuba - 12–15 March 1918, Paris, France), also known as Joseph, was a Cuban violinist and composer. His father was Spanish (according to other sources, a French businessman) and his mother was Afro-Cuban.
He studied at the Paris Conservatory between the years 1855 and 1871 and was highly praised by Rossini, who wrote, "The warmth of your execution, the feeling, the elegance, the brilliance of the school to which you belong, show the qualities in you as an artist of which the French school may be proud." When White performed in the US in 1876, one music critic called him "The best violinist who has visited this country . . ." From 1877 to 1889 he was director of the Imperial Conservatory in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after which he returned to Paris to spend the rest of his days. The famous 1737 "Swansong" Stradivari was his instrument.