Jahnke, Edwin (EN)

Jahnke Edwin, *22 March 1858 Środa Wielkopolska, † 24 September 1933 Poznań, Polish violinist and teacher. He studied music at the Königliche Hochschule für Musik in Berlin under the guidance of F.A. Dressler and A. Wirth. He subsequently worked in Poznań as a violinist, teacher, and music critic. In 1887, he founded a private music school, which he directed until 1918, training violinists and chamber musicians. From 1920, he served as professor of the violin class at the State Academy and School of Music (later renamed the State Conservatory of Music) in Poznań. Jahnke was a correspondent for the Warsaw periodicals “Echo Muzyczne”, “Teatralne i Artystyczne” and “Przegląd Muzyczny”, and also worked as a reviewer for “Dziennik Poznański”. In 1931, he was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit. His compositions, including works for violin and voice, were destroyed during World War II. Only his violin studies survived; these were later revised and republished by his son, Zdzisław Jahnke.