Kochański Eli, *1885 (1888?) Odessa, †19 October 1940 Warsaw, Polish cellist. He began studying with his father (a cantor and violin teacher); then, still in Odessa, together with his brother, he found himself under the care of E. Młynarski. After graduating with honours from the Odessa Conservatory, he received a scholarship to the Leipzig Conservatory, where he studied with J. Klengel. From 1909 he was a member and in 1912–26 concertmaster of the Warsaw Philharmonic. From 1911, almost until the outbreak of World War II, he taught the cello class at the conservatory in Warsaw; his students included, among others: B. Neuteich, H. Kowalska, and T. Kowalski. From 1908 he performed as a soloist and member of various chamber ensembles (with P. Kochański, I. Dubiska, E. Młynarski, and A. Rubinstein), and also played with an orchestra (including under the baton of G. Fitelberg, Z. Birnbaum). Progressing rheumatism of the hand gradually limited his concert and teaching activities. Eli Kochański was also a caricaturist. His drawings were published, among others, in “Music;” currently their originals are in TIFC in Warsaw.
