His most well-known works include the Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream (1826), the Italian Symphony (1833), the Violin Concerto in E minor (1844), and the Elijah oratorio (1846), alongside his heartfelt Songs without Words (1829-1845) for piano, totaling a prolific output despite his tragic, short life. 

Born on February 3, 1809, in Hamburg, Mendelssohn studied composition and piano early with his mother (Lea Mendelssohn Bartholdy) and French pianist Marie Bigot. Composer Carl Friedrich Zelter in Berlin was a crucial mentor, who provided Mendelssohn with rigorous training in composition and helped cement Mendelssohn’s admiration for J.S. Bach’s music. Mendelssohn studied at the Humboldt University of Berlin, where from 1826 to 1829 he wrote, composed, and attended lectures by German philosopher Friedrich Hegel. Hegel influenced Mendelssohn’s vision on Romanticism, the mind and spirit. 

Mendelssohn enjoyed a fruitful yet short-lived professional career, with his works being performed throughout Europe and America. He is best known for his violin concertos, his symphonies, and his religious oratorios.

Later in life, he was involved in founding the Leipzig Conservatory in 1843, Germany’s first university-level music school, serving as the director of its conservatory and the founder of Gewandhousorchester, the oldest civic symphony in the world. 

On November 4th, 1847, Felix Mendelssohn died unexpectedly at the age of 38 after a series of strokes, worsened by overwork and the grief of both his mother and his sister, Fanny Mendelssohn. Despite his short life, he had a prolific career, reviving a strong interest in Bach and influencing a burgeoning early Romanticism in Classical Music.

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American violin virtuoso Maud Powell died at age 52 in 1920 — the year the 19th Amendment was ratified — leaving a significant mark on American music.

Born on August 22, 1867, in Peru, Illinois, she emerged as a prodigious talent in the American heartland. Raised in a progressive environment with connections to the suffrage movement, she is remembered as one of the first female American violinists in history to achieve international rank.

She studied with William Lewis in Chicago, then traveled to Europe to continue studying with masterful pedagogues Henry Schradieck, Charles Dancla, and Joseph Joachim.

Undeterred by gender biases, she approached Theodore Thomas, the leading conductor of the New York Philharmonic, securing her place with a debut performance in 1885. Critic Henry E. Krehbiel lauded her as a "marvellously gifted woman" and a born artist.

Powell revolutionized the violin recital, embarking on extensive concert tours across the United States, including the Far West. She showcased her artistry with the New York Philharmonic and represented America at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, advocating for women in violin performance. Powell's influence extended through her recordings, notably the 1907 recording of Drdla's Souvenir, exemplifying her commitment to championing American, black, and women composers.

Touring globally, Powell collaborated with eminent conductors and premiered the Sibelius Violin Concerto in America in 1906, describing it as a "gigantic rugged thing" and a musical epic. Powell introduced numerous other violin concertos to American audiences, including Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Saint-Saens' 3rd Violin Concerto, Lalo's Symphony Espagnole, and Bruch's 1st Violin Concerto.

Powell's legacy transcends her musical prowess; she inspired women's participation in orchestras and music clubs.

The New York Symphony paid homage to her as a "supreme and unforgettable artist," recognizing her contributions to both music and societal inspiration.

MAUD POWELL | COLERIDGE-TAYLOR/POWELL | DEEP RIVER

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Since November 2023, she has served as Professor of Violin Studies at Kronberg Academy.

Collaborating with pianist Martha Argerich and cellist Mischa Maisky, she engages in trio performances across Europe and maintains a fruitful recital partnership with pianist Denis Kozhukhin.

Janine Jansen plays the Shumsky-Rode Stradivarius from 1715, generously loaned by a European benefactor.

JANINE JANSEN | TCHAIKOVSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO | PAAVO JARVI & FRANKFURT RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | 2013

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Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26, is widely enjoyed as a beloved concerto in the solo violin repertoire. Recognized alongside his Scottish Fantasy, it stands out as one of his most acclaimed works. The concerto's enduring popularity is underscored by its frequent recordings.

The concerto was completed in 1866 and a performance was given on April 24, 1866 by Otto von Königslow, with Bruch conducting. The concerto then underwent significant revisions with the assistance of renowned violinist Joseph Joachim, culminating in the concerto familiar to audiences today, in 1867. The first performance of the revised concerto was given by Hungarian virtuoso Joseph Joachim in Bremen, conducted by Karl Martin Rheinthaler, on January 7, 1868.

Bruch also composed two more violin concertos, but neither has gained as much attention as his first, which continues to be very popular as a staple of the violin repertoire and loved by audiences. This was a source of great frustration for Bruch, who wrote to Simrock, who published the first concerto:

“Nothing compares to the laziness, stupidity and dullness of many German violinists. Every fortnight another one comes to me wanting to play the first concerto. I have now become rude; and have told them: ‘I cannot listen to this concerto any more – did I perhaps write just this one? Go away and once and for all play the other concertos, which are just as good, if not better.”

 

In 1903, during his visit to Naples, local violinists congregated near his residence to pay tribute to him. Bruch expressed dissatisfaction, stating:

“On the corner of the Via Toledo they stand there, ready to break out with my first violin concerto as soon as I allow myself to be seen. (They can all go to the devil! As if I had not written other equally good concertos!)”

KERSON LEONG | BRUCH | VIOLIN CONCERTO NO.1 IN G MINOR | KASPAR ZEHNDER & ORCHESTRE SYMPHONIQUE BIENNE SOLEURE | 2019

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Max Bruch composed over 200 works, including two violin concertos, the "Scottish Fantasy" for Violin and Orchestra, "Romance" for Viola and Orchestra, and "Kol Nidrei" for Cello and Orchestra.

Born on January 6, 1838, in Cologne, Bruch studied composition with Heinrich Breidenstein and Ferdinand Hiller. Greatly influenced by the works of Mendelssohn and Schumann, his first symphony received its premiere when he was just 14 years old.

Bruch enjoyed a fruitful professional career, with his works being performed throughout Europe and America. He is best known for his violin and cello concerti, and his secular oratorios.

Throughout his life, he also found an important source of his music in folk songs, on which many of his melodies are based.

Later in life, he was involved with the Liverpool Philharmonic Society from 1880 to 1883 and served as a teacher at the Royal Academy of Arts in Berlin from 1892, where Vaughan Williams was among his pupils. He retired from his post in 1911. Bruch died on October 2, 1920, in Berlin.

MAX BRUCH | VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 1 IN G MINOR | ITZHAK PERLMAN | TOKYO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | 1991

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The first performance took place on October 27, 1853, in Leipzig, featuring Wieniawski as the soloist, accompanied by the Gewandhaus Orchestra.

The concerto was dedicated to the Prussian king, Frederick William IV, who honored the composer with the Great Golden Medal of Arts and Sciences a year later.

Replete with technical difficulties, Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 1 in F sharp stands as a remarkable composition due to the technical challenges it requires of its soloist. The work shows clear influences from Niccolò Paganini, Karol Lipiński, Henri Vieuxtemps, and Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst.

The concerto was also ahead of its time in terms of its use of harmony, foreshadowing later composers like Bruckner. Impressively, it was written when Wieniawski was seventeen.

Also of note, is Wieniawski introduction of the cadenza as an essential and integral part of the concerto.

He started composing his Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor a few years later in 1856. The Violin Concerto No. 2 is considered more mature, yet technically less demanding than the first. Due to its technical complexity, the Concerto in F sharp minor wasn't widely performed until the latter half of the 20th century.

VC ARTIST SOYOUNG YOON | WIENIAWSKI | VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 1 IN F SHARP MINOR, OP. 14 | MAREK PIJAROWSKI & THE POZNAŃ PHILHARMONIC | 2011 WIENIAWSKI INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION | 1ST PRIZE 

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The son of a skilled haberdasher and amateur musician, Jean-Marie Leclair was born in Lyon on May 10, 1697.

He was one of six siblings, five of whom also became musicians. He is often called “the elder” to distinguish him from a younger brother who was also named Jean-Marie.

Nothing is known of Elder Jean-Marie Leclair's teachers, though we do know that he performed both as a dancer and a violinist. His debut must have taken place early in his life, because at age nineteen he wedded his first of three wives, Marie-Rose Casthanie, a ballerina of the Lyon Opera.

Throughout his career, Leclair became one of the most travelled French musician of his day, pursing a virtuoso career in France and abroad, in Holland and Spain. His many positions include at the Teatro Regio of Turin (Reun) as premier danseur and ballet master, a regular performer at the Concert Spirituel (France’s first public concert venue) and as he the Premier Symphoniste du Roy.

Leclair published only instrumental music, which includes thirteen opuses of sonatas, violin concerti, and duo and trio sonatas. Although this was considered a modest output for this time period, the high technical and musical level of his writing won him the title of “Corelly de la France.”

Stylistically and formally, however, his twelve concerti – opus 7 number 3 bears the inscription "solos may be performed by the flute or the oboe” – followed closer in Vivaldi’s footsteps. Even though they were not the first of their kind written in France, they represent a significant advance over the adaptations previously essayed by such composers as Jaques Aubert and Boismortier.

On October 22, 1764 – the same year that saw the passing of Locatelli and Rameau – Leclair was found stabbed to death. His murderer, despite a thorough investigation, was never prosecuted. It is believed that the murderer was almost certainly Guillaume-Francois Vial, Leclair’s nephew who unsuccessfully “persecuted his uncle in order that he might cause him to enter into the service of the Duc de Gramont.”

Leclair’s death had a powerful impact; a commentator was to write that the murderers were “monsters who belonged neither to their country nor the century.”

VC ARTISTS NATHAN MELTZER & KEVIN ZHU | LECLAIR | SONATA FOR TWO VIOLINS IN E MINOR | PRESTO

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Luminary Canadian pianist Glenn Gould died, from a stroke, on this day in 1982 – aged just 50.

Gould was a child prodigy and was later regarded as a musical phenomenon in adulthood.

His mother taught him piano, and as a baby, it is said that he hummed instead of crying, and wiggled his fingers as if playing a keyboard, prompting his doctor to predict he would "either be a physician or a pianist." Gould reportedly learned to read music before he could read words, and by age three, he developed perfect pitch.

At age 10, he started his studies at the Toronto Conservatory of Music in Toronto, (later becoming The Royal Conservatory of Music), where he studied piano with Alberto Guerrero.

In 1946, at 13 years old, Gould made his Canadian debut, performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. His American début came in 1955, and the release a year later of his first Columbia recording, of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, which marked the beginning of a spectacular career of touring and concert performances until the age of 31. Despite having stopped giving concerts at the age of 31, he is widely remembered as one of the finest pianists of the 20th Century.

Of note, is Gould's tour to the Soviet Union in 1957, the first North American to perform there since the Second World War.

He is particularly regarded for his interpretations of the keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach. He shone as a pianist because of his impressive technical skill and ability to express the intricate counterpoint of Bach's compositions.

Known for his eccentricity, but strong and convincing performances, Gould could be heard speaking or quietly singing along with his playing.

During and past his lifetime, Gould won many awards, including three Juno Awards and four Grammy Awards, although he only accepted one of each.

Dying in 1982, aged just 50, he is widely regarded as one of the most celebrated classical pianists of the 20th Century.

The first few bars of Bach’s Goldberg Variations are carved into his grave’s headstone.

GLENN GOULD | BACH | GOLDBERG VARIATIONS | 1981

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Russian-American classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz was born on this day in 1903 - 121 years ago.

Russian-American classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz had already established himself in Russia before turning 20. His fame grew when he left for Germany in 1925, where he quickly gained recognition as a sensational new talent, leading to performances in England and France.

His American debut was in 1928, and in 1945 he became a naturalized citizen. Known as the most virtuosic of virtuosos, every concert he gave was a momentous occasion.

In 1953, Horowitz stepped back from the intense public scrutiny surrounding him and largely avoided the spotlight. Instead, over the next 12 years, he recorded music and focused on studying new compositions.

His comeback was in 1965 at Carnegie Hall, this marked the beginning of a limited number of public recitals in the following years, primarily on Sunday afternoons at Carnegie. In the 1980s, he began to accept short trips outside the United States, traveling to Europe and Japan.

Dying in 1989, he is remembered as one of the greatest piano virtuosi of all time.

VLADIMIR HOROWITZ | KLAVIERABEND RECITAL | WORKS OF SCHUBERT, MOZART, LISZT, CHOPIN AND SCHUMANN

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Canadian pianist Glenn Gould was a child prodigy and was later regarded as a musical phenomenon in adulthood. His mother taught him piano, and as a baby, it is said that he hummed instead of crying, and wiggled his fingers as if playing a keyboard, prompting his doctor to predict he would "either be a physician or a pianist." Gould reportedly learned to read music before he could read words, and by age three, he developed perfect pitch.

At age 10, he started his studies at the Toronto Conservatory of Music in Toronto, (later becoming The Royal Conservatory of Music), where he studied piano with Alberto Guerrero.

In 1946, at 13 years old, Gould made his Canadian debut, performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. His American début came in 1955, and the release a year later of his first Columbia recording, of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, which marked the beginning of a spectacular career of touring and concert performances until the age of 31.

Of note, is Gould's tour to the Soviet Union in 1957, the first North American to perform there since the Second World War.

He is particularly noted for his interpretations of the keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach. He shone as a pianist because of his impressive technical skill and ability to express the intricate counterpoint of Bach's compositions.

Known for his eccentricity, but strong and convincing performances, Gould could be heard speaking or quietly singing along with his playing.

During and past his lifetime, Gould won many awards, including three Juno Awards and four Grammy Awards, although he only accepted one of each.

Dying in 1982, aged just 50, he is widely regarded as one of the most celebrated classical pianists of the 20th Century.

GLENN GOULD | BACH | KEYBOARD CONCERTO NO. 1 IN D MINOR BWV. 1052 | LEONARD BERNSTEIN & THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

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Isaac Stern was born to Solomon and Clara Stern in Kremenets, Poland (now Ukraine), into a Jewish family. When he was 14 months old, his family fled with him from the Russian Revolution, settling in San Francisco in 1921.

Both parents were musical; his mother, a former student at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, began teaching him piano at six and later switched to violin when he turned eight.

In 1928, Stern’s parents enrolled him at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied until 1931 before briefly continuing his studies in New York with Louis Persinger. He returned to the San Francisco Conservatory for five years of instruction with Naoum Blinder, the concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony, whom he credited as his greatest influence.

Stern's debut was on February 18, 1936, at the age of 15, performing Saint-Saëns' Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor with the San Francisco Symphony, conducted by Pierre Monteux. Two years later, he performed Brahms' Violin Concerto with the San Francisco Symphony which catapulted his career into action.

In 1940, Stern teamed up with pianist Alexander Zakin, a fruitful collaboration of 37 years. Within the music community, Stern gained recognition not only for his recordings but also for championing new talent, he is credited with discovering Yo-Yo Ma, Pinchas Zukerman, and Itzhak Perlman.

In 1951, Stern toured the Soviet Union, the first American violinist to do so, although, in 1967, Stern vowed not to return to the USSR until the Soviet regime allowed artists to enter and leave the country freely.

Stern earned widespread recognition for his accomplishments, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, six GRAMMY Awards, and induction into the French Legion of Honour. The Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall is named in his honor, a testament to his efforts to save the venue from being demolished in the 1960s.

Stern's instrument of choice was the Ysaÿe Guarnerius, a violin crafted by the Cremonese luthier Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù. This particular violin had previously been played by the renowned violinist and composer Eugène Ysaÿe.

ISAAC STERN | SIBELIUS | VIOLIN CONCERTO IN D MINOR | ANDRÉ PRÉVIN & THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | 1971

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At the heart of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius's compositions are his seven symphonies, which, along with his other major compositions, are frequently performed and recorded in Finland and around the world.

His other notable pieces include Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, Valse triste, his Violin Concerto, the choral symphony Kullervo, and The Swan of Tuonela from the Lemminkäinen Suite. His oeuvre also encompasses works inspired by nature, Nordic mythology, and the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, as well as over a hundred songs for voice and piano, incidental music for various plays, the one-act opera The Maiden in the Tower, chamber music, piano works, Masonic ritual music, and 21 publications of choral music.

Sibelius was prolific until the mid-1920s, but after completing his Seventh Symphony (1924), the incidental music for The Tempest (1926), and the tone poem Tapiola (1926), he ceased to produce major works for the last 30 years of his life—a period often referred to as the "silence of Järvenpää," named after his home.

Although he is thought to have stopped composing entirely, he made attempts to continue, including unfinished efforts on an eighth symphony. In his later years, he created Masonic music and revised some earlier works, while maintaining an active, though sometimes critical, interest in contemporary music. This "silence" has puzzled many scholars, but Sibelius himself believed he had composed enough.

Sibelius's image appeared on the Finnish 100 mark note until 2002, when the euro was introduced. Since 2011, Finland has observed a flag-flying day on his birthday, 8 December, known as the Day of Finnish Music.

In 2015, various special concerts and events were organized to celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth, particularly in Helsinki.

CHRISTIAN FERRAS | SIBELIUS VIOLIN CONCERTO 2ND MOVEMENT | ZUBIN MEHTA & ORCHESTRA NATIONAL DE ORTF | 1965

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French violinist virtuoso Zino Francescatti died on this day 33 years ago, aged 89.

Both Francescatti's parents were violinists. They initiated Zino's violin studies when he was three and together, they worked through a rigorous routine of Ševčík, Kreutzer, and Gaviniès. Of note is that Zino's father, Fortunato Francescatti studied with Paganini’s only known pupil, Camillo Sivori.

By age five, Zino had already amassed considerable performance experience. His concerto debut came when he was ten, performing Beethoven's Violin Concerto with orchestra. The audience reception was so enthusiastic that his father, who had previously sheltered his son from international audiences, was forced to admit that Zino was indeed ready for an international performance career.

When he was 20, Francescatti moved to Paris, where the older French violinist Jacques Thibaud saw him perform at the Conservatoire. Thibaud then promoted him and helped Zino develop his career.

An encounter with Maurice Ravel proved equally rewarding; they forged a friendship and toured Britain together in 1926, performing Ravel’s latest compositions, including the Berceuse and Tzigane.

Francescatti was dedicated to promoting contemporary music, often featuring works by modern composers such as Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Milhaud, Walton, Bernstein, and Hindemith. He gained acclaim for his interpretations of Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1, which audiences felt connected him directly to the composer. This performance won over a New York audience in 1939, leading Francescatti to settle in the city shortly afterward.

Throughout his career, he performed with the world's most renowned orchestras and was known for his warm, effortless playing.

For much of his life, Francescatti performed on the 1727 'Hart' Stradivarius.

ZINO FRANCESCATTI | BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO | JEAN FOURNET & NETHERLANDS RADIO PHILHARMONIC | 1973

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German conductor, pianist, and composer Bruno Walter was born on this day in 1876.

Fleeing Nazi Germany in 1933, he sought refuge in France and became a naturalized citizen in 1938, before ultimately settling in the United States in 1939.

Walter's association with Gustav Mahler was profound; he played a pivotal role in establishing Mahler's music in the classical repertoire.

Throughout his illustrious career, Walter held prominent positions with esteemed orchestras and opera houses including the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Salzburg Festival, Vienna State Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Staatsoper Unter den Linden, and Deutsche Oper Berlin, among others.

He is renowned for his recordings that hold both historical and artistic significance.

MAHLER | SYMPHONY NO. 4 | BRUNO WALTER & THE CONCERTGEBOUW ORCHESTRA

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Revered as one of the preeminent conductors of the early to mid-20th century, he is primarily remembered for his extensive collaboration with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Stokowski's conducting style was distinctive for its lack of a baton, favoring instead a free-hand technique, and for his ability to draw out a lush, sumptuous sound from the orchestras under his direction.

Throughout his illustrious career, Stokowski held prominent positions as music director with various prestigious orchestras, including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the NBC Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, and the Symphony of the Air, among others.

He also founded several orchestras, such as the All-American Youth Orchestra, the New York City Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra, and the American Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to his classical pursuits, Stokowski made significant contributions to the world of cinema, conducting music for and appearing in numerous Hollywood films, most notably Disney's Fantasia.

He was also a lifelong supporter of contemporary composers, often premiering their new works during his remarkable six-decade conducting career. Despite making his conducting debut in 1909, Stokowski remained active until the end of his life, making his final public appearance in 1975. He continued recording music until June 1977, only a few months before his passing at the age of 95.

STOKOWSKI & THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC | BEETHOVEN FIFTH SYMPHONY & SCHUBERT EIGHTH SYMPHONY | 1969

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