Kris Landsverk
Inducted Saturday, September 30, 2017
Kris Landsverk graduated from Moorhead High School in 1978 at age 16 as an honors student and class salutatorian. He was active in orchestra and as an accompanist for band and choir, he played in the pit orchestra for theater productions, and he performed in the 1978 production of “Camelot.” During high school, Landsverk played viola with the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra and Fargo-Moorhead Civic Opera Orchestra.
Landsverk earned his bachelor of music degree with high distinction from the University of Iowa School of Music. He earned an Alliance Française de New York Fribourg Foundation scholarship for continued study in France. Landsverk took master classes with viola professors at the New England Conservatory of Music and the Paris Conservatoire, and the principal players in the Cleveland Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
While at University of Iowa, Landsverk played viola in the Quad City Symphony, Davenport, Iowa; University of Iowa Center for New Music; and Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Symphony. Following his studies at the Paris Conservatoire, Landsverk played with two German orchestras, one being the renowned State Theater Orchestra in Darmstadt.
Since 1987, Landsverk has been assistant principal viola in the Philharmonic Orchestra of Luxembourg. He has performed as soloist on three occasions: the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante in 1992, the Bloch Suite for Viola and Orchestra in 1995, and Vaughan Williams’ Flos Campi in 2006. Landsverk was elected and served on the orchestra’s personnel delegation for five years.
In addition, Landsverk was active as a chamber musician. He played with the Luxembourg Chamber Music Society from 1988-2001 and the Luxembourg String Quartet from 2001-04. The Quartet made a number of recordings for JCH Productions (2001, 2003 and 2004). Landsverk also has recorded with Timpani Records the chamber music of Maurice Ohana (2002) and Gabriel Pierné (2007).
The Luxembourg String Quartet did a series of educational presentations, created and written by Landsverk, introducing junior high and high school students to string instruments and repertoire. Landsverk coaches chamber music for youth ensembles and adult amateur groups, has accompanied and coached elementary students at the Academy Vivaldi for many years, and performs at assisted living facilities. Landsverk lives in Luxembourg.