Origins & Early Life

Mischa Elman (Russian: Мойше Шевель-Шлёмович Эльман; January 20, 1891 – April 5, 1967) was a Russian-American violinist famed for his passionate style, beautiful tone, and impeccable artistry and musicality. Moses or Moishe Elman was born to a Jewish family in Talnoye, Umansky Uyezd, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire (today Talne, Ukraine). His grandfather Yosele Elman was a klezmer, a Jewish professional traditional musician who played the violin, and his father Shevel-Shloime Iosifovich Elman was a melamed and amateur violinist. It became apparent when Mischa was very young that he had perfect pitch, but his father hesitated about a career as a musician, since musicians were not very high on the social scale.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He finally gave in, and gave Mischa a miniature violin, on which he soon learned several tunes by himself. Soon thereafter, he was taken to Odessa, where he studied at the Imperial Academy of Music. Pablo de Sarasate gave him a recommendation, stating that he could become one of the great talents of Europe. He auditioned for Leopold Auer at the age of 11, playing the Wieniawski Concerto No. 2 and 24th Caprice by Paganini.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Auer was so impressed that he had Elman...

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• 1891 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1891
• January 20 (01-20) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on January 20
• 1967 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1967
• April 5 (04-05) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on April 5