French orchestral and operatic conductor Georges Prêtre was born on this day in 1924. Throughout his seven-decade career, he led many of the world’s finest orchestras —

American violinist Erick Friedman was born on this day in 1939. A student of Ivan Galamian, Nathan Milstein and Jascha Heifetz, he is remembered as one of the most gifted violinists of the 20th Century. He tragically retired from the concert stage at age just 45, after sustaining an arm injury in a car accident, but went on to serve an influential teaching career on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music, Southern Methodist University and Yale School of Music. He sadly passed away from cancer in 2004 - aged just 64.

ERICK FRIEDMAN | BRUCH VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 1 | 3RD MVT | PRETRE | FRENCH NATIONAL ORCHESTRA | 1964

Never-before-uploaded 1983 archival performance of the American violinist Erick Freidman and pianist Laurent Petitgirard performing Bloch’s ‘Nigun’ from Baal Shem.   ERICK FRIEDMAN & LAURENT PETITGIRARD | BLOCH

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 one