ON THIS DAY

Today is German-born pianist and conductor Christoph Eschenbach’s 80th birthday. A protege of Herbert von Karajan and George Szell, Maestro Eschenbach is widely regarded as...

Hungarian violin virtuoso Joseph Szigeti died on this day in 1973 – aged 80. A protégée of Jeno Hubay, Mr Szigeti is remembered as one of the...

Sergei Prokofiev's Sinfonia Concertante in E Minor Op. 125 premiered on this day in 1952. The first performance was given by legendary cello virtuoso Mstislav Rostropovich - with...

Italian violin virtuoso and composer Camillo Sivori died on this day in 1894. He is remembered in history as Niccolo Paganini's only student.

Today is French violin virtuoso Olivier Charlier's 59th birthday. A student of Yehudi Menuhin and Henryk Szeryng, he is a former 1st prize winner at...

Today is Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer John Corigliano's 82nd birthday. A graduate of Columbia University and the Manhattan School of Music, his signature works include...

Alexander Glazunov Violin Concerto in A Minor Op. 82 premiered on this day in 1905. The first performance was given by Hungarian virtuoso, Leopold Auer...

Today is celebrated Russian violin virtuoso Victor Pikayzen's 87th birthday. A protege of David Oistrakh, he is a former prize winner at the Paganini, Queen...

American comedian, vaudevillian and violinist Jack Benny was born on this day in 1894. Dying in 1974, he is widely regarded as one of the...

Today is South-Korean VC Young Artist Ji-Young Lim’s 25th birthday. A graduate of the Korean National University of Arts where she studied with Nam-Yun Kim, and current student of...

American violinist, pianist and pedagogue Louis Persinger was born on this day in 1887. His famed students included Yehudi Menuhin, Ruggiero Ricci, Isaac Stern, Guila Bustabo,...

Italian violinist and composer Antonio Bazzini died on this day in 1897. Bazzini is remembered as one of the finest concert violinists of the 19th...

The original version of Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D Minor premiered on this day in 1904. The first performance was given by Finish...

Today is American composer, conductor and pianist John Williams’ 88th birthday. The recipient of 3 Emmy Awards, 5 Academy Awards and 21 Grammy Awards, he...

Samuel Barber Violin Concerto Op. 14 premiered on this day in 1941. The first performance was given by violinist Albert Spalding with the Philadelphia Orchestra –...

Polish-American violinist Piotr Janowski was born on this day in 1951. A student of Ivan Galamian, Zino Francescatti, Henryk Szeryng and Jascha Heifetz, Mr Janowski was a former 1st prize winner...

Austrian-born violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler was born on this day in 1875. He is widely regarded as one of the finest violinists of all...

Legendary violin virtuoso Jascha Heifetz was born on this day in 1901. A protégé of Leopold Auer, he is remembered in history as one of the most important...

Austrian composer Franz Schubert was born on this day in 1797. Despite dying aged just 31, he was tremendously prolific - outputting 9 symphonies, more than...

Today is Canadian violinist, VC Artist Nikki Chooi’s 31st birthday! A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School, Nikki is a...

Today is Canadian violinist, VC Artist Blake Pouliot’s 26th birthday! A graduate of the Colburn School, where he studied with Robert Lipsett, Blake is a former...

Today is American cellist Lynn Harrell's 76th birthday! A protege of Leonard Rose and Orlando Cole, Mr Harrell is widely respected as one of the...

Today is Romanian-born violin virtuoso, Silvia Marcovici's birthday! A former 1st prize winner at the Long-Jacques Thibaud and George Enescu International Violin Competitions, she is...

Austrian-American violin virtuoso & composer Fritz Kreisler died on this day in 1962, from a heart condition - aged 86. He is widely regarded as...

Today is Taiwanese-American violin virtuoso Cho-Liang Lin's 60th birthday! A student of Dorothy DeLay, Cho-Liang has made appearances with virtually every major orchestra in the world,...

Today is French violin virtuoso Renaud Capucon's 44th birthday! A protege of Gérard Poulet, he is widely regarded as one of today's eminent violin...

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on this day in 1756. Mozart is remembered in history as one of the most prolific and influential composers of...

Today is Canadian violinist James Ehnes’ 44th birthday. A protégé of Sally Thomas and The Juilliard School, James is widely regarded as one of today’s foremost virtuosi –...

Japanese pedagogue Shinichi Suzuki died on this day in 1998 – aged 99. Mr Suzuki holds an influential place in history as the creator of the Suzuki...

Today is Venezuelan-born conductor Gustavo Dudamel’s 39th birthday! Gustavo currently serves as the Music Director of the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar and the Los Angeles Philharmonic...

Legendary French jazz violinist, Stephane Grappelli was born on this day in 1908. Dying in 1997, aged 89, Mr Grappelli is remembered for his lively, elegant,...

German conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler was born on this day in 1886. Remembered as one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th Century, he served...

Today is Russian violist Yuri Bashmet’s 67th birthday. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost violists – performing regularly with the world’s finest...

Iranian-born Armenian violinist and pedagogue Ivan Galamian was born on this day in 1903. A student of French pedagogue Lucien Capet, he is remembered as...

German violin virtuoso August Wilhelmj died on this day in 1908 – aged 62. Wilhelmj was regarded as one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of...

Russian-born American violin virtuoso Mischa Elman was born on this day in 1891. He is widely regarded as one of the finest violinists of the 20th...

Russian violin virtuoso and pedagogue Andrei Korsakov died on this day in 1991 – aged just 44. A protégé of Boris Belenky and Leonid Kogan, Maestro Korsakov was a former...

American violin virtuoso Michael Rabin died on this day in 1972 – aged just 35. A celebrated child prodigy, he is remembered as one of the...

Czech violinist and pedagogue Otakar Ševčík died on this day in 1934. He served teaching positions at the Prague Conservatory, Russian Music Society and the Vienna Music...

Today is German violinist and pedagogue Ulf Hoelscher’s 78th birthday! A student of Max Rostal, Josef Gingold, Paul Makanowitzky and Ivan Galamian, Professor Hoelscher currently...

Italian violin virtuoso and conductor Rodolfo Lipizer was born on this day in 1895. Dying in 1974, the Rodolfo Lipizer International Violin Competition, held annually...

Today is German violinist and pedagogue Kolja Blacher's 56th birthday. A student of Dorothy DeLay and Sandor Vegh, he is a former Concertmaster of the...

Today is German violinist, VC Artist Tobias Feldmann’s 29th birthday. A graduate of the Hanns Eisler Conservatory of Music in Berlin, where he studied with Professor...

Bulgarian violin virtuoso Vasco Abadjiev was born on this day in 1926. Plagued by the war years and the death of his beloved mother in 1965,...

Russian-born American violin virtuoso Nathan Milstein was born on this day in 1904. A student of Pyotr Stolyarsky, Leopold Auer and Eugène Ysaÿe, he is remembered as one of the...

Today is Soviet-born Israeli cellist Mischa Maisky’s 72nd birthday. A student of Mstislav Rostropovich and Gregor Piatigorsky, he is widely regarded as one of the...

Today is Italian-born American violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg’s birthday. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School, Nadja is a former grand prize...

Famed French cellist Pierre Fournier died on this day in 1986 – aged 79. A student of Paul Bazelaire and Anton Hekking, he is remembered...

Revolutionary French violin pedagogue and composer Lucien Capet was born on this day in 1873. He served a long-term teaching position at the Société Sainte-Cécile de Bordeaux – during...

American violin virtuoso Maud Powell died on this day in 1920 – aged just 52. A student of Henry Schradieck, Charles Dancla and Joseph Joachim,...