Jascha Heifetz

Jascha Heifetz
Heifetz in 1920s
Born(1901-02-02)February 2, 1901
Vilnius, Russian Empire (now Lithuania)
DiedDecember 10, 1987(1987-12-10) (aged 86)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationViolinist
Spouses
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(m. 1928; div. 1945)​
Frances Spiegelberg
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(m. 1947; div. 1963)​
Children3
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Jascha Heifetz (/ˈhaɪfɪts/; February 2 [O.S. January 20] 1901 – December 10, 1987) was a Russian-American violinist, widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time.[1] Born in Vilnius, he was soon recognized as a child prodigy and was trained in the Russian classical violin style in St. Petersburg. Accompanying his parents to escape the violence of the Russian Revolution, he moved to the United States as a teenager, where his Carnegie Hall debut was rapturously received. Fritz Kreisler, another leading violinist of the twentieth century, said after hearing Heifetz's debut, "We might as well take our fiddles and break them across our knees."[2]

By the age of 18, Heifetz was the highest-paid violinist in the world.[3] He had a long and successful concert career, including wartime service with the United Service Organizations (USO).[4] After an injury to his right (bowing) arm in 1972, he switched his focus to teaching.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference nytimesobit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Nikolaus de Palezieux, Jascha Heifetz – The Supreme (2000 RCA Victor compilation)
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Timnick was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "The Heifetz War Years". Jascha Heifetz – the official web site. December 21, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  5. ^ Kennedy, Michael and Joyce Bourne. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford University Press, 2004. p. 331.
  6. ^ "The Best Violinists", time.com, February 2, 1962.
  7. ^ Wallechinsky, David and Amy Wallace. The New Book of Lists. Canongate, 2005. p. 94.