Pavel Kochanski (1887-1934) born Fajwel Kaganov in Odesa (other sources state Orzeł, Russia), son of Josue Kahan and Chana Smoljenicka, a Polish violinist of world renown. His brother, Eli, was a cellist and professor at the Warsaw Conservatory.

From 1894 to 1901 he studied with Emil Mlynarski in Odesa and Warsaw, and then at the Brussels Conservatory with César Thomson, from which he graduated with the highest honours. After an early career as concertmaster of the Warsaw Philharmonic (1901-1903), he travelled Europe in concert. In 1907 he took up the post of professor of violin at the Warsaw Conservatory. In 1911 he married Zofia Kon (Kohn). From 1916 to 1918 he was a professor at the St Petersburg Conservatory, and from 1924 to 1934 he taught at the Juilliard School of Music in New York.

Kochanski's repertoire encompassed the entire violin literature, from ancient to contemporary works. He was the author of numerous violin transcriptions of works by Karol Szymanowski, Frederic Chopin, Maurice Ravel and Manuel de Falla, among others. His interpretations were distinguished by exceptional beauty of sound, richness of dynamic nuances and extraordinary emotionality, which was emphasised by his contemporaries, including Borys Rowicki.

He collaborated with eminent artists such as Artur Rubinstein, Pablo Casals and Karol Szymanowski, with whom he enjoyed a long friendship. He played a key role in the creation of Szymanowski's violin works, introducing the composer to the technical and artistic possibilities of the violin.

After his death on 12 January 1934, he was originally buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in New York. On 21 April 1934, his remains were transferred to Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, where he was laid to rest in a family grave. The concession of the burial site was purchased by his wife on 27 January 1934.

Sources: Père-Lachaise Cemetery burial books (annual no. 424, 1934); https://culture.pl/pl/tworca/pawel-kochanski .

• Polski Słownik Biograficzny, t. 13, s. 211