Howard L. Gottlieb

September 29th, 2024

I met Howard for the first time in the artist room after my first concert with the Chicago Symphony.
He immediately asked me what kind of violin I played ? ( I had a JB Guadagnini 1740 instrument. )

You need a better violin ! Soon afterwards he came to my hotel room with three violin cases . Two Stradivarius and a Guarneri .

He asked me to play on each, he wanted to hear how his violins really sounded. They were wonderful !
He asked me , which one do you like best ? I pointed to one of the Strads !

YOU CAN HAVE IT said Howard . I was totally in a gaze , but how , insurance ????
I have taken care of that he said.

This is how I started to play on this 1714 MASSART Stradivarius.
I used it for my concerts around the world, but I had a bad feeling , what if he or his children want to have it back in the family.

I asked what about selling it to me ?

He generously offered me a prize which was well below its value !
I sold my Guadagnini ( which was a bad mistake ! ) and payed the rest in instalments.

This is how I became the owner of this wonderful instrument. I played on it until my last concert .
The violin has been “resting”ever since in the safe of a Bank.
Now that I am not performing anymore I am thinking lend it to one of my top ex students.
A violin of such magnitude has to be heard in concert halls !

Howard will be remebered for ever for his personality and generosity.

Gyorgy PAUK

~Gyorgy Pauk
~Friend, London UK

September 28th, 2024

~ To the Entire Family of Rare Person/Friend/Avid Violinist and Lover of Violin and Music ~ Howard Gottlieb ~

~ Having just received Notice from our Chicago Symphony Orchestra CSOAA President, Tom M Hall of Your
~ Father/Grandfather and many ‘Hats’ Beloved Friend, Howard Gottlieb’s Passing, I am at once so saddened
~ due having long known Howard, an avid Lover of The Violin and a Violinist who made good despite his own
~ limited amounts of Time due his ‘Day Job’ which elevated his adored City of Birth, Chicago, & to highest Mt.
~ Everest Peaks in The World of Business and which he turned into Music and Musician’s Gold throughout his
~splendidly Lived Life … My deepest Condolences on your immense Loss and may God make Sure to not only
~ receive His Servant, Howard Gottlieb, ‘Up There’, yet place Howard in GOAT Garden of Music & Musicians,
~ Heifetz, Milstein (both my Violin Mentor’s!), Oistrakh, HvK & CSO’s Carlo Maria Giulini & Sir Georg Solti, w/
~ Toscanini, Claudio Abbado & GOAT Composers of History to accept Howard in His God’s Heaven Orchestra
~ under Music Director’s herein named to Play and Make Music ‘Til Eternity is No More . . .

~ With my Deepest Sympathies to All of You ~

Elisabeth Matesky, ‘Apostle’ of Jascha Heifetz & Nathan Milstein in Chicago & London

Composed on Saturday, 28th September, 2 0 2 4 ~

~elisabeth matesky
~Friend of Decades ~ Violin Concert Artist & Colleague {London & Chicago}, IL