Best Violinist

Austrian-American violinist and composer (1875–1962) who wrote beloved encore pieces including 'Liebesleid' and initially attributed them to baroque masters in a celebrated hoax.

American-born violinist (1916–1999) who debuted at Carnegie Hall at age 11, championed contemporary works, and was created Baron Menuhin of Stoke d'Abernon by the British Crown in 1993.

Soviet violinist (1908–1974) who premiered concertos by Shostakovich and Khachaturian and is widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists produced by the 20th century.

American violinist (born 1979) who made her professional debut at age 11 and has won three Grammy Awards, recognized for pristine technique and authoritative interpretations of Bach.

Russian-American violinist (1901–1987) widely regarded as the supreme violin technician of the 20th century, celebrated for flawless intonation, silky tone, and vast recorded legacy.

German violinist (born 1963) discovered and mentored by Herbert von Karajan, to whom composers including Penderecki and John Williams have dedicated major works.

American violinist (1920–2001) who led the successful 1960 campaign to save Carnegie Hall from demolition and championed young soloists including Perlman, Zukerman, and Yo-Yo Ma.

Spanish violinist and composer (1844–1908) known for dazzling technique and works such as Zigeunerweisen, for whom Bruch and Lalo wrote major concertos.

Hungarian-German violinist (1831–1907) who gave the premiere of Brahms's Violin Concerto in 1879 and founded the Joachim Quartet in Berlin.

Belgian violinist (1921–1986) regarded as a master of the Franco-Belgian school, celebrated for refined Mozart and Bach recordings and honored with a baronetcy by the Belgian state.

Polish violinist and composer (1835–1880) who produced two violin concertos and the Légende, widely performed staples of the Romantic repertoire.

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.