Feuermann’s Early Life and Family

Marika Hughes, granddaughter of cellist Emanuel Feuermann, shares insights into her grandfather’s early life and career. Born in a Jewish ghetto in what is now Ukraine, Feuermann and his older brother Sigmund were both musical prodigies, often playing in cafes to support their family.

Feuermann began playing the cello around age five and quickly gained recognition, even performing with the Vienna Philharmonic at just 11. At 16, he moved to Cologne to fill a cello position in the orchestra, where he became closely associated with the wealthy Rifenberg family, who provided him support and stability. Marika’s grandmother, Eva, first met Feuermann when she was just four years old as part of the Rifenberg household. They married when Eva was in her early twenties with a significant age gap between them.