Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987), Russian-American

For many people, Heifetz was not only the greatest violinist of the twentieth century but of all time. He set new standards of excellence that later generations still attempt to emulate. Born in Vilnius, he was an international superstar from his earliest years. Between his legendary New York debut in 1917 and his first appearance in London in 1920 he had sold 70,000 recordings in the UK alone. The latter occasion prompted George Bernard Shaw to write to him saying he was worried that, “If you provoke a jealous God by playing with such superhuman perfection, you will die young. I earnestly advise you to play something badly every night before going to bed, instead of saying your prayers. No mortal should presume to play so faultlessly.” For several decades, Heifetz was the highest paid musician of his generation. He retired in 1972. Some will tell you that his playing was cold and unemotional. Point them to his recordings of concertos by Tchaikovsky, Wieniawski, Vieuxtemps, Korngold, Walton, Vitali’s Chaconne, Chausson’s Poème and Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy. Cold? More like white hot!

Reference:

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/classical-features/best-violinists/