The best violinists over the centuries
- Itzhak Perlman
- Famous for: Schindler’s List and Tchaikovsky.
- Why he's a legend: Known for his "golden tone”, incredible warmth, and expressive tone. In the theme from Schindler's List, he played the original for the film.
- Jascha Heifetz
- Famous for: Paganini Caprices and Brahms.
- Why he's a legend: Often called the "Greatest of All Time." Heifetz played with an extremely fast speed and very detailed precision. His recordings from the mid-20th century are still the highest standard for technical perfection.
- Hilary Hahn
- Famous for: Bach Solo Partitas and Mozart.
- Why she's a legend: A modern violinist known for her sharp precision and absolute clarity. Her Bach recordings are considered some of the best ever made.
- Janine Jansen
- Famous for: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
- Why she's a legend: Jansen turned Vivaldi very modern. Her recording of The Four Seasons uses a smaller chamber group, making it sound more precise.
- David Oistrakh
- Famous for: Shostakovich and Sibelius.
- Why he's a legend: He was close friends with Shostakovich, who actually wrote his violin concertos specifically for Oistrakh to premiere. His sound is massive, powerful, and deeply emotional.
- Midori
- Famous for: Paganini and Saint-Saëns.
- Why she's a legend: A child prodigy who became a global icon. She is famous for an incident where she broke two strings during a performance and simply kept swapping violins with the concertmaster without missing a beat.
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