ON THIS DAY

Sergei Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major premiered on this day in 1923 – 95 years ago. The first performance was given by...

Johannes Brahms’ Double Concerto in A Minor Op. 102 for violin, cello and orchestra premiered on this day in 1887 – 131 years ago. The...

Today is violinist, VC Artist Josef Spacek’s 32nd birthday. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School, where he studied with Ida Kavafian, Jaime Laredo...

Today is Russian violin virtuoso Viktor Tretyakov’s 72nd birthday. A student of Yuri Yankelevich, he is a former Grand Prize winner at the Tchaikovsky International...

Belgian violin virtuoso and pianist Arthur Grumiaux died on this day in 1986 – aged 65. A student of Alfred Dubois and George Enescu, he is remembered as...

Antonín Dvořák's Violin Concerto in A Minor Op. 53 was premiered on this day in 1883. The concerto was inspired and dedicated to Hungarian virtuoso Joseph...

Italian-British violin virtuoso Gioconda de Vito died on this day in 1994. Ms de Vito was a former 1st prize winner at the Vienna International Violin Competition, and is remembered...

American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein died on this day in 1990 – aged 72. He is remembered as one of the most prodigiously talented...

Italian operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti was born on this day in 1935 – 83 years ago. Maestro Pavarotti is remembered as one of the finest tenors of...

English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams was born on this day in 1872. He is remembered as one of Britain's most influential composers of all time – with...

Austrian composer Anton Bruckner died on this day in 1896. Bruckner's signature works include 9 symphonies, a string quartet, a string quintet - and a...

Today is American violinist Rachel Barton Pine’s birthday. Rachel is a former prize winner at the Bach, Szigeti, Kreisler, Montreal, Paganini and Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competitions. Her...

Today is Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin’s 47th birthday. He is widely regarded as one of today's foremost virtuosi musicians of the 20th and 21st centuries.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0U73NRSIkw&autohide=1 EVGENY...

Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Verdi was born on this day 1813 – 205 years ago. Verdi is remembered as one of the most influential composers of...

Dutch violinist Theo Olof died on this day in 2012 - aged 88. A student of Oskar Back, Mr Olof was former prize winner at...

French composer Camille Saint-Saëns was born on this day in 1835. Dying in 1921, his signature works include The Carnival of the Animals, Danse Macabre, Samson and Delilah, his...

Moravian-Jewish violinist and composer Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst died on this day in 1865. He is remembered as one of the greatest violin virtuosi of all...

Today is violinist, VC Artist Charles Yang’s 30th birthday! A graduate of The Juilliard School, Charles is very quickly building an impressive online following –...

French violin maker Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume was born on this day in 1798. Widely regarded as one of the eminent stringed instrument makers of all time, Vuillaume's...

Today is French-born Chinese-American cellist Yo-Yo Ma's 63rd birthday! He is widely regarded as one of the pre-eminent virtuosi string soloists of all time.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN184Ytzmpc&showinfo=0&autohide=1 YO-YO MA...

Hungarian violinist and composer Zoltán Székely died on this day in 2001 – aged 97. He is remembered for having given the world premiere of...

German violin virtuoso Georg Kulenkampff sadly died on this day in 1948 – aged 50 from encephalitis. He gave the premiere performance of the Robert...

Canadian pianist Glenn Gould died, from a stroke, on this day in 1982 – aged just 50. Despite having stopped giving concerts at the age...

Polish composer and pianist Karol Szymanowski was born on this day in 1882. Remembered as one of the eminent Polish composers of the 20th Century,...

German composer Max Bruch died on this day in 1920 – aged 82. Despite his 1st Violin Concerto being one of the most frequently performed...

Today is Dutch violin virtuoso Rudolf Koelman’s 59th birthday. A student of Jan Bor, Herman Krebbers and Jascha Heifetz, Rudolf is a former Concertmaster of...

Russian-American classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz was born on this day in 1903 - 115 years ago. Dying in 1989, he is remembered as one of...

Today is Brazilian-born American cellist and pedagogue Aldo Parisot's 100th Birthday! A graduate of Yale University, Mr Parisot joined the music school teaching faculty in 1958...

Soviet violin virtuoso David Oistrakh was born on this day in 1908 – 110 years ago. Dying in 1974, he is widely remembered as one...

Soviet violinist Elizabeth Gilels was born on this day in 1919. A student of Pyotr Stolyarsky, Ms Gilels was a former prize winner at the Ysaye International Violin...

French violinist Jacques Thibaud was born on this day in 1880 – 138 years ago. He is remembered as one of the pre-eminent soloists...

Australian violinist Richard Pollett tragically died in a cycling accident on this day in 2011 – aged 25. A graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium and the Conservatorio...

Today is Russian-born American violin virtuoso and conductor Dmitry Sitkovetsky’s 64th birthday. The son of the late Julian Sitkovetsky, he has performed and recorded extensively...

Hungarian composer and pianist Béla Bartók died on this day in 1945 – aged 64. Remembered as one of the most influential composers of the 20th Century, Bartok made...

American composer and pianist George Gershwin was born on this day in 1898 – 120 years ago. Dying in 1937, aged just 38, Gershwin's signature works include Rhapsody in Blue,...

Today is Italian violinist Salvatore Accardo’s 76th birthday. A former 1st prize winner at the Geneva and Paganini International Violin Competitions - Maestro Accardo is...

Soviet Russian composer and piano virtuoso Dmitri Shostakovich was born on this day in 1906. One of the prominent figures of 20th Century Music, his...

Today is internationally renowned Dutch cellist Pieter Wispelwey’s 56th birthday! A student of Paul Katz and William Pleeth, he is widely regarded as one of...

Belgian composer Andre Gretry died on this day in 1813 – 205 years ago. Although known primarily as an operatic composer, Gretry holds a notable place in the violin...

French violinist, composer and pedagogue Jacques Mazas was born on this day in 1782 - 236 years ago. A student of Pierre Baillot, Mazas is remembered in history for his...

Eminent Soviet teacher Yuri Yankelevich died on this day in 1973 - aged 64. A student of Leopold Auer, Maestro Yankelevich served a long term...

Polish-born American virtuoso Isaac Stern died on this day in 2001 – aged 81. He is remembered as one of the eminent violinists for the...

Polish-born Mexican violin virtuoso, diplomat, pedagogue and philanthropist Henryk Szeryng was born on this day in 1918 – 100 years ago. A student of Maurice...

German violinist August Wilhelmj was born on this day in 1845 – 173 years ago. A student of Ferdinand David, Wilhelmj was widely regarded as...

Today is French-born American violinist Arnaud Sussmann’s 34th birthday. A graduate of the Paris Conservatoire and The Juilliard School, where he studied with Boris Garlitsky and...

Tchaikovsky's violin showpiece, Valse-Scherzo Op. 34 premiered on this day in 1878 – 140 years ago. The first performance was given by Polish violin virtuoso, Stanislaw Barcewicz. The Valse-Scherzo is...

Canadian violin virtuoso Kathleen Parlow was born on this day in 1890. Ms Parlow is remembered as one of the eminent female soloists of the...

Spanish violinist and composer Pablo de Sarasate died on this day in 1908, from chronic bronchitis - aged 64. Remembered as one of the eminent...

German conductor Kurt Sanderling was born on this day in 1912 – 106 years ago. Dying in 2011, Maestro Sanderling served principal conducting positions...

Today is Korean violin virtuoso VC Young Artist SooBeen Lee’s 18th birthday. Praised for her eloquent music making, maturity and effortless virtuosity, SooBeen is a former...