Best Violinist

Fritz Kreisler was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer, born in Vienna in 1875, who became one of the most prominent violin masters of his era. He was particularly recognized for his sweet vibrato and his extensive catalog of short, expressive compositions. Among his best-known original...

Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, was an American-born violinist and conductor who maintained a significant international career spanning most of the 20th century. Born in New York City in 1916, he debuted as a child prodigy and quickly established himself as a leading interpreter of Classical and Roma...

David Oistrakh was a prominent Soviet violinist and conductor, born in Odesa in 1908, whose career spanned the mid-20th century. He was closely associated with major Soviet composers and premiered significant works written specifically for him, including both of Dmitri Shostakovich's violin concerto...

Hilary Hahn is an American violinist born in 1979, recognized for her precise technique and dedicated commissioning of contemporary violin concertos. She began her professional musical training early, studying at the Curtis Institute of Music under Jascha Brodsky. Hahn has built an extensive discogr...

Jascha Heifetz was a Russian-born American violinist, born in Vilnius in 1901, noted for his rigorous technique and vast recorded legacy. A prodigy who studied under Leopold Auer at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, he immigrated to the United States as a teenager and quickly established a dominant...

Anne-Sophie Mutter is a German violinist born in 1963 who is recognized as one of the world's leading classical music performers. She gained international prominence after her professional debut at the Lucerne Festival, which led to a close mentorship and frequent collaborations with conductor Herbe...

Isaac Stern was an American classical violinist who maintained a major international performing and recording career from the 1940s until his death in 2001. He played a crucial role in preserving Carnegie Hall, leading a successful campaign in 1960 to prevent the historic New York venue from being d...

Pablo de Sarasate (1844–1908) was a Spanish violinist and composer, born in Pamplona, who became one of the most celebrated violin virtuosos of the late nineteenth century. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and toured internationally from his teenage years. His compositions, including Zigeunerwe...

Joseph Joachim (1831-1907) was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, and composer who became one of the most influential musicians of the Romantic era. He maintained close friendships with Johannes Brahms and Robert Schumann, premiering Brahms's Violin Concerto in D major in 1879 under the composer's di...

Arthur Grumiaux (1921–1986) was a Belgian violinist and pianist associated with the Franco-Belgian violin tradition. He studied under Alfred Dubois at the Brussels Conservatory and George Enescu in Paris. Grumiaux recorded extensively for Philips, with notable interpretations of Mozart, Bach, and Be...

Henryk Wieniawski (1835–1880) was a Polish violinist and composer regarded as one of the most significant violin virtuosos of the Romantic era. Born in Lublin, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire and later held positions including court violinist to Tsar Alexander II in Saint Petersburg. His compo...

Polish-Mexican violinist (1918–1988) who served as interpreter for the Polish government-in-exile during World War II, later adopted Mexican citizenship, and was noted for his Bach recordings.

Latvian violinist born 1947 who founded the Kremerata Baltica chamber orchestra in 1997 and is a dedicated champion of contemporary and Eastern European music.

Belgian violinist and composer (1820–1881) who wrote seven violin concertos and was a central figure in establishing the Franco-Belgian violin school.

German violinist born 1972 who won the Paganini Competition in 1993 and plays the 1704 Stradivarius known as the 'Sleeping Beauty.'

French violinist (1919–1949) who won the 1935 Wieniawski Competition at age 15, defeating David Oistrakh, and died aged 30 in an Air France crash over the Azores.

Greek violinist (born 1967) who won the Sibelius Violin Competition in Helsinki in 1985 and the Paganini Competition, noted for his recordings of the complete Beethoven violin sonatas.

German violinist born 1966 who plays a modern instrument by luthier Stefan-Peter Greiner and is acclaimed for recordings of Bach and contemporary works.

Polish violinist (1882–1947) who founded the Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra in 1936, a project that rescued dozens of Jewish musicians fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe.

South Korean violinist born 1948 who co-won the Leventritt Award in 1967 and became one of the first Asian soloists to achieve major international standing.

Japanese-American violinist (born 1971) who gained international fame at age 14 at the 1986 Tanglewood Festival by completing a performance after breaking strings on two successive violins.

Italian violinist and composer (1755–1824) who wrote 29 violin concertos and is regarded as a founding influence on the modern Franco-Belgian violin school.

Hungarian-American violinist (1892–1973) who championed contemporary works by Bartók and Prokofiev and appeared with Bartók and Benny Goodman in a celebrated 1938 Library of Congress concert.

German violinist born 1965 known for recordings of Bach's solo sonatas and partitas and for performances on a 1711 Stradivarius violin.

Gil Shaham is an Israeli-American violinist born in 1971 in Urbana, Illinois, recognized for acclaimed recordings of Brahms, Prokofiev, and Bartók and decades of major international touring.

Israeli-born violinist and conductor (born 1948) who studied with Ivan Galamian at Juilliard and is equally acclaimed as a principal violist.

Hungarian violinist and teacher (1845–1930) who taught at the St. Petersburg Conservatory for nearly 50 years and trained a generation of legends including Heifetz, Milstein, and Elman.

German-American violinist (born 1984) who survived severe burns in a 1999 farm fire, won the Indianapolis International Violin Competition in 2006, and later received a Grammy Award.

Canadian violinist (b. 1976, Brandon, Manitoba) who has won multiple Grammy Awards for recordings including Elgar and Beethoven chamber works, establishing one of Canada's foremost solo careers.