Soviet violin virtuoso Julian Sitkovetsky died on this day in 1958, aged just 32 – from lung cancer.
The father of violinist and conductor Dmitry Sitkovetsky, he was a former prize winner at the Queen Elisabeth and Wieniawski International Violin Competitions.
David Oistrakh famously quoted ‘… he had broad, firm, focused tone in all registers, flawless intonation, a rapid even trill, a swift, perfectly controlled staccato, strong, immaculate harmonics, and even, clear sautillé …. had he lived, he would have eclipsed myself and Kogan’
