Kurt Sassmannshaus, born in Würzburg, Germany, is a notable violinist and pedagogue. He studied under Igor Ozim in Cologne and earned his bachelor's degree there. Sassmannshaus then pursued a master's degree from the Juilliard School as a scholarship student of Dorothy DeLay. His career took off when he won first prize in the International Chamber Music Competition in Colmar, France. He taught at various institutions, including the University of Texas and Sarah Lawrence College before joining the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) full-time in 1983. At CCM, Sassmannshaus has held the distinguished Dorothy Richard Starling Chair for Classical Violin. Throughout his career, he has taught master classes worldwide and mentored numerous prizewinners of major international competitions. His recordings focus predominantly on recordings of Giornovichi violin concertos with the Starling Chamber Orchestra.
