ON THIS DAY

Virtuoso Jascha Heifetz died on this day in 1987 – aged 86. A protege of Leopold Auer, he is remembered as arguably the greatest violinist...

Today is Korean-American violin virtuoso Sarah Chang's birthday. A recognised child protégé of Dorothy DeLay and The Juilliard School, Sarah made her professional debut with...

Today is American violin virtuoso Joshua Bell's 51st birthday! A student of legendary Russian pedagogue Josef Gingold, Joshua serves as Music Director of the Academy...

Finnish composer Jean Sibelius was born on this day in 1865 – 153 years ago. Sibelius' signature works include 7 symphonies, Finlandia, the Karelia Suite,...

Today is Lithuanian-born Austrian violin virtuoso and conductor Julian Rachlin’s 44rd birthday. A protégé of Boris Kuschnir and Pinchas Zukerman, he is widely regarded as one...

Romanian-born American violinist Sergiu Luca died on this day in 2010 – 8 years ago. A student of Ivan Galamian, Mr Luca was a founding member of...

Today is Japanese violinist, VC Young Artist Ayana Tsuji’s 21st birthday. A student of Professor Koichiro Harada, at the Tokyo College of Music, Ayana is...

Polish-American violinist Piotr Janowski died on this day in 2008 – aged 57. A student of Ivan Galamian, Zino Francescatti, Henryk Szeryng and Jascha Heifetz, Mr Janowski was a former 1st...

Arnold Schönberg Violin Concerto Op. 36 premiered on this day in 1940. The first performance was given by Ukrainian-born American virtuoso Louis Krasner with The Philadelphia Orchestra...

Today is American cellist David Finckel’s 67th birthday. He served as a long-time member of the famed Emerson String Quartet from 1979 to 2013 - and currently...

German composer Karl Amadeus Hartmann died on this day in 1963 - aged 58. Despite being largely overlooked in many English-speaking countries, he is often...

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died on this day in 1791 – aged just 35. Mozart’s exact cause of death is not known, however reports indicate he had...

Czech violinist and composer Jan Kubelik died on this day in 1940 – aged 60. A student of Otakar Sevcik, he is remembered as one of the pre-eminent...

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 premiered on this day in 1881 – 137 years ago. The first performance was given by Russian...

Italian luthier Nicola Amati was born on this day in 1596 – 422 years ago. The grandson of Andrea Amati, the founder of the Amati family of...

Norwegian composer Christian Sinding died on this day in 1941. His signature works include 4 symphonies, an opera, Frühlingsrauschen for piano, 3 violin concertos - and his much-popular...

English conductor Sir John Barbirolli was born on this day in 1899 – 119 years ago. Remembered as one of the finest conductors of the...

American-born Greek soprano Maria Callas was born on this day in 1923 – 95 years ago. Dying in 1977, aged just 53, she is remembered...

Sergei Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor Op. 63 premiered on this day in 1935. The first performance was given by French violin...

Legendary Hungarian-Israeli violin pedagogue Ilona Fehér was born on this day in 1901 – 117 years ago. Remembered as one of the last representatives of the Central European Violin...

Legendary Soviet pedagogue Pyotr Stolyarsky was born on this day in 1871. Mr Stolyarsky is remembered in history as the founder of 'The Odessa School' and 'The...

French jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli died on this day in 1997 – aged 89. Mr Grappelli’s lively, elegant style captivated audiences for more than half a century –...

Tchaikovsky's 'Variations on a Rococo Theme' Op. 33 for Cello and Orchestra premiered on this day in 1877. The first performance was given by German virtuoso Wilhelm Fitzenhagen in Moscow...

Austro-Hungarian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold died on this day in 1957 – aged 62. Remembered as one of the founders of film music, he was...

Henryk Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor Op. 22 premiered on this day in 1862. The first performance was given by the composer...

Today is American violinist, VC Young Artist Kevin Zhu’s 18th birthday. A student of Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin at The Juilliard School, Kevin shot to international fame, aged just 11, after claiming...

Today is Russian-born British violin virtuoso Viktoria Mullova’s birthday. A protégé of Soviet legend Leonid Kogan, Ms Mullova is a former Grand Prize winner at...

Robert Schumann’s Violin Concerto in D Minor premiered on this day in 1937 – 80 years after the composer's death. The first performance was given...

Sergei Prokofiev’s Cello Concerto in E minor Op. 58 premiered on this day in 1938. The first performance was given by Alexander Melik-Pashayev with the...

Latvian-born violin virtuoso Philippe Hirschhorn died on this day in 1996, from a brain tumor – aged just 50. A former Grand Prize winner at...

French violinist and composer Pierre Rode died on this day in 1830 – 188 years ago. A student of Giovanni Battista Viotti, Rode is remembered as one of...

Today is American violinist, VC Artist Benjamin Beilman’s 29th birthday! A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Kronberg Academy, where he studied...

Soviet composer Alfred Schnittke was born on this day in 1934. A prolific composer, his output included 9 symphonies, 6 concerti grossi, 3 operas, 3 ballets,...

Today is classical, jazz and bluegrass double bass virtuoso and composer Edgar Meyer’s 58th birthday. A musician of great diversity, his collaborations have spanned a...

Today is Austrian violinist and conductor Thomas Zehetmair’s 57th birthday. He is a founding member of the Zehetmair Quartet – and has served guest conducting...

Soviet violin virtuoso Oleg Kagan was born on this day in 1946. A student of Boris Kuznetsov and David Oistrakh, he is a former major...

Italian violinist Franco Gulli died on this day in 2001 - aged 75. A student of Arrigo Serato and Joseph Szigeti, Maestro Gulli served a long-term...

Scottish-born violin virtuoso Henri Temianka was born on this day in 1906. A student of Jules Boucherit and Carl Flesch, he was awarded 3rd prize...

Austrian composer Franz Schubert died on this day in 1828 – 190 years ago. Despite dying aged just 31, he was tremendously prolific - outputting 9...

Hungarian-born violinist and conductor Eugene Ormandy was born on this day in 1899. Dying in 1985, Maestro Ormandy is remembered as one of the eminent...

Today is VC Artist, violinist Alexandra Conunova’s 29th birthday! A graduate of the Hannover University of Music and the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne, Alexandra is a...

New York-based luthier René A. Morel died on this day in 2011, following an ongoing battle with cancer – aged 79. Highly respected by leading international string...

Russian violinist Toscha Seidel died on this day in 1962 – aged 62. A protégé of Leopold Auer, Mr Seidel is remembered as one of...

Today is German-Japanese concert violinist Arabella Steinbacher’s birthday! A student of Ana Chumachenco, Dorothy DeLay and Anne-Sophie Mutter, Arabella is a former 1st prize winner at the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition, Hannover. She...

Soviet violinist Leonid Borisovich Kogan was born on this day in 1924 – 94 years ago. Dying in 1982, aged just 58 from a heart...

Italian composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini died on this day in 1868 – aged 76. One of the most popular opera composers in history, his signature...

Russian Romantic composer, doctor and chemist Alexander Borodin was born on this day in 1833. A member of 'The Five', his signature works include 3...

Beloved children's tv show Sesame Street began on this day - 49 years ago. The recipient of 8 Grammy Awards and 153 Emmy Awards, a...

Edward Elgar's Violin Concerto in B minor Op. 61 premiered on this day in 1910. The first performance was given by Fritz Kreisler - with...

Austrian-born American violinist and pedagogue Felix Galimir died on this day in 1999 – aged 89. A student of Adolf Bak, Simon Pullman and Carl...