Top 17 Best Violinists in the World
The history of playing the violin is filled with successful people, savants and geniuses. While there are certainly many great violinists that we have never heard of, here are a few that we know have had a huge influence on the instrument.
1. Nicolo Paganini
Born: October 27, 1782
Died: May 27, 1840
Nicolo Paganini, born in 1782 in Genoa, has become a benchmark in violin technique. He started learning the mandolin from his father and switched to violin when he was 7 years old. His talent was discovered early on by his tutors and it is said that he overcame them very quickly.
Although he played for Napoleon's sister, he was not widely known until performing at La Scala in 1813. He was honored by Pope Leo XII and today he is celebrated for setting violin as a solo instrument.
2. Joseph Joachim
Born: June 28, 1831
Died: August 15, 1907
In 1831, Joseph Joachim arrived in the Kingdom of Hungary. His family moved to Budapest and he started learning to play the violin at the age of 5 with Stanislaw Serwaczynski, who was considered the best violinist in the region at the time. With many talents, he was accepted into the Vienna Conservatory and was taught by Joseph Bohm.
At the age of twelve, he performed at the Philharmonic Society in London under the direction of Felix Mendelssohn. In the end, King Georg of Hanover paid him a handsome salary so that he could play and conduct at state concerts. Joseph Joachim died in 1907.
3. Pablo de Sarasate
Born: March 10, 1844
Died: August 15, 1907
Pablo de Sarasota was the son of an Artillery bandleader and was destined to become a respected violinist. Legend has it that the first time he picked up his father's dusty violin, he was able to play a perfect piece of music. After going through a series of lessons, he was accepted into the court of Madrid when he developed into a musician. He was sent to the Paris Conservatory at the age of 12.
Pablo became one of Europe's favorite violinists in the late 19th century, favored by Bizet, Saint-Saens and even music critic and playwright George Bernard Shaw. After his death, the works of Saint-Saens, Lalo and Bruch were dedicated to him.
4. Eugène Ysaÿe
Born: July 16, 1858
Died: May 12, 1931
Eugene Ysaye, a Belgian violinist, is considered a legend and a mystery. Rumor has it that the violin he plays is of supernatural origin and has been passed down from generation to generation in his family. Whether this is true or not, there is no denying great interest and admiration for him, and his works are still loved to this day.
Before becoming famous, he played with the Berlin Philharmonic, even before they became a famous symphony. His play became legendary and contributed to the development of modern violin technique. Growing up, he became an important teacher and conductor, after turning down the opportunity to participate in the New York Philharmonic, he became musical director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 1922.
5. Fritz Kreisler
Born: February 2, 1875
Died: January 29, 1962
Fritz Kreisler was born in Austria, he is the most famous and unique violinist of all time. He studied at the Vienna Conservatory under the composer Anton Bruckner and was also tutored in Paris by Delibes and Massart.
Frustrated by the Vienna Philharmonic's refusal to acknowledge him, he took a brief break from performing. By 1910, however, he had regained his place and performed the premiere of Elgar's Violin Concerto. His last public performance was in 1947. In addition to being a virtuoso musician, he is also known as a composer for musicals and even musical scores. films, such as one for the 1936 film The King Steps Out.
6. Jascha Heifetz
Born: February 2, 1901
Died: December 10, 1987
Jascha Heifetz, a Jewish-American violinist born in Lithuania in 1901, came to the United States as a teenager. He learned to play the violin at the age of two and performed throughout Europe and Russia before settling in San Francisco in 1917. His debut at Carnegie Hall was a huge hit. senior Fritz Kreisler had to comment that "We could also take our guitars and break them on our knees"
Sadly, in the last years of his life, physical illness forced him to cut back on his performances and focus instead on teaching and social activities.
7. David Oistrakh
Born: September 30, 1908
Died: October 24, 1974
Born in 1908 in Ukraine, David Oistrakh is celebrated around the world for his extraordinary technique and tone. He started playing at the age of one and trained at the Odessa Conservatory, which is highly regarded for the quality of his music education.
During the early days of the Soviet Union, he performed solo violin throughout the states, including Eastern Europe. He later taught himself and won the precious Eugene Ysaye Prize. In the 50s, he was one of the few Soviet artists allowed to tour both the UK and the US. After his death, an asteroid named 42516 Oistrakh was named in honor of his cause.
8. Stephane Grappelli
Born: January 26, 1908
Died: December 1, 1997
Stephane Grappelli, a pioneer of jazz violin, was born in Paris in 1908. When he was only 5 years old, his mother died and during the First World War he was raised by the famous American dancer. , Isadora Duncan. It was with her that he began to enjoy French impressionist music.
The following years he experienced hardship and poverty while living in an orphanage. However, he eventually became known as a key collaborator with Django Reinhardt. In the 1960s, he became a sought-after violinist and collaborated with artists such as Pink Floyd, Paul Simon and Yehudi Menuhin.
9. Yehudi Menuhin
Born: April 22, 1916
Died: March 12, 1999
Born in 1916 to a Lithuanian Jewish family in New York, Yehudi Menuhin became one of the notable violinists of the 20th century. He spent his teenage years playing in Germany, even in Germany. even when the Nazi party began to rise. He has been famous since he was only 20 years old and is a master of musical instruments.
In 1945, he and composer Benjamin Britten went to several concentration camps to perform for Holocaust survivors. He also started in classical music and collaborated with jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli.
10. Papa John Creach
Born: May 28, 1917
Died: February 22, 1994
Papa John Creach has a story unlike any other violinist. He was born in 1917 in Pennsylvania and started playing violin in Chicago bars at the age of 18. As a troubadour, he had to learn many different styles, including classical music. In 1943, he was an early advocate for the use of electric violins. He was an early advocate of the electric violin in 1943.
Creach has collaborated with many jazz and blues greats such as Louis Armstrong, T-Bone Walker and Nat King Cole. He rose to fame in the 1960s and joined the psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane, and later Starship.
11. Itzhak Perlman
Born: August 31, 1945
Itzhak Perlman was born in 1945 in Tel Aviv, he has overcome many great difficulties to become one of the most loved and recognized violinists in the world. Although disabled by polio, he taught himself the violin from his early years.
He rose to stardom in 1958 when he appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and has since become a prominent figure. He has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
12. Nigel Kennedy
Born: December 28, 1956
Coming from a prominent musical family, Nigel Kennedy is one of the most diverse and highly regarded violinists in the world. Despite abandoning the traditional classical image, she was accepted into the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music at the age of seven, and then the world-renowned Juilliard School in York.
He appeared alongside renowned jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli at Carnegie Hall at the age of 16. His recording with the British Chamber Orchestra of The Four Seasons has topped the UK classical charts for over a year. However, he is best known for his diverse recordings of pop and experimental music.
13. Anne-Sophie Mutter
Born: June 29, 1963
A regular soloist with the famous Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Anne-Sophie Mutter was introduced to music when she started playing the piano at the age of 5. After graduating with a degree in violin, she quickly became a virtuoso and played in her first concert with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra at the age of 13.
She is a much sought-after musician and played under Daniel Barenboim with the British Chamber Orchestra in 1977. As an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music, she headed the research department. the school's international violin. She received numerous awards and continues to collaborate with her ex-husband, pianist Andre Previn.
14. Joshua Bell
Born: December 9, 1967
Joshua Bell is a native of Indiana who started playing the violin at the age of 4. At the age of 14, he gave an impressive performance as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He debuted at Carnegie Hall at the age of 17 and has since performed regularly at famous stages around the world with the most important orchestras.
In addition, he is a respected music scholar and regularly contributes to film soundtracks, including the film The Red Violin. In 2007, he made headlines when he played the violin anonymously as a street musician at the Washington Metro Station.
15. Midori Goto
Born: October 25, 1971
Japanese-American violinist Midori is one of the most famous violinists of modern times. Greatly inspired by her mother, Setsu Goto, also a professional violinist. At the age of three, Midori began to learn to play the violin and performed on stage for the first time at the age of six with one of Paganini's 24 Caprices under the guidance of her mother. At the age of eleven, she had her first gig with the New York Philharmonic. Midori is also a PhD professor and has taught at many top universities and performed around the world.
16. Hilary Hahn
Born: November 27, 1979
Hilary Hahn is one of today's most notable violinists. She started playing at the age of 3 and made her international debut at 16 with the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Then, in 1996, she performed for the first time at Carnegie Hall as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
In addition to participating with famous orchestras around the world, she is also passionate about popular music and has collaborated with singers, songwriters and composers. Hilary Hahn is best known for her ability to play Bach's works and has achieved much success in performing classical music.
17. Sarah Chang
Born: December 10, 1980
Sarah Chang was born in 1980 to Korean immigrants Myoung-Jun and Min-Soo Chang. Both were active participants in the classical music scene in Philadelphia, Sarah was exposed to the violin from an early age. She performed Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 and was accepted into the Juilliard School at the age of 5.
Her debut album was recorded at the age of 10, and as a teenager, she participated in about 150 performances a year. For her outstanding achievements, Newsweek has ranked her as one of the 8 highest achieving women in the United States.
See more:
Top 5 Best Violins For Beginners
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