Mischa Elman, one of the legendary Russian-born Jewish violinists who enchanted concert audiences throughout the world for more than 60 years, died yesterday afternoon at his Manhattan home at the age of 76, Death was attributed to a heart attack. Funeral services will be held here tomorrow.
Born in Talnoye, in the Ukraine in 1891, the grandson of a Russian violinist of some repute, the boy began study of the violin at the age of four. At the age of nine, he was accepted in the Leopold Auer violin class at the St, Petersburg Conservatory. He made his professional debut at the age of 13 in Berlin and was an instant success.
He continued his extraordinary career as a child and youth prodigy with an appearance in London in 1905 and already was then ranked among the world’s leading violinists at the age of 15, He made his first appearance in the United States in New York in 1908, with the Russian Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Elman gave scores of concerts thereafter. He was a particular favorite of American audiences. He became an American citizen in 1923, Recalling his sufferings as a child in Russia, he gave concerts in 25 American cities in 1939 for the benefit of refugees from Nazism.
Although he had limited his concertizing in recent years, he remained active. He spent three days in March at the State University of North Carolina, giving concerts and conducting a master class for violin students. He made an extended tour of Europe last year. After returning from Europe in January he toured the west coast. His last New York appearance was at Carnegie Hall on January 17.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
