Luise Walker
Luise Walker
Luise Walker was born on September 9, 1910, in Vienna. At the age of eight she discovered the guitar, whose sound immediately fascinated her. Encouraged by her parents, who recognized her exceptional musical talent, she decided to dedicate herself to restoring the instrument’s artistic standing. Her first teacher was Joseph Zuth, a pioneering figure in guitar musicology. She continued her studies at the Conservatory of Music with Jacob Ortner and Heinrich Albert.
The Catalan guitarist Miguel Llobet, one of the most important pupils of Tárrega, performed regularly in Vienna and was a frequent guest in the Walker household. Through this close contact, Walker absorbed essential elements of the Spanish guitar tradition. She entered the Vienna State Academy of Music and graduated with distinction at the age of fifteen. Her debut took place in November 1925 and was followed by successful recitals in Prague and Berlin. After a performance in London in 1931, she appeared in New York in 1933. That same year she began extensive concert tours throughout Europe and overseas. In 1940 she was appointed Professor of Guitar at the Vienna Conservatory of Music.
After the Second World War she toured widely across Europe, the Soviet Union and the United States. She published compositions, arrangements and studies, and produced several recordings. In 1956 she served on the jury of the International Guitar Competition in Geneva. In 1968 she received the Cross of Honour for Science and Art from the Austrian Federal President. A Supraphon recording from 1972 demonstrated the continued strength of her artistic voice. In 1989 she published her autobiography titled A Life with the Guitar.
