Famous American Violinists

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 1 
Yo-Yo Ma
(American Grammy-Award Winning Cellist )
Yo-Yo Ma
6
Birthdate: October 7, 1955
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris, France
French-born Chinese cellist Yo-Yo Ma was a child prodigy and later won 18 Grammys for his works. The Juilliard and Harvard alumnus has experimented with various types of music, including Brazilian and Chinese music. Named to Time 100 in 2020, he is also a U.N. Messenger of Peace.
 2 
Hilary Hahn
(Violinist, Musician)
Hilary Hahn
10
Birthdate: November 27, 1979
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lexington
 3 
Yehudi Menuhin
(American Violinist and Conductor Who is Considered One of the Great Violinists of the 20th Century)
Yehudi Menuhin
4
Birthdate: April 22, 1916
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: March 12, 1999

Grammy Award-winning legendary 20th-century violinist Yehudi Menuhin was born to Lithuanian Jews in the US. Starting his training in the violin at age 4, he later studied music in Paris. He also experimented with fusion, collaborating with jazz and Indian classical musicians. He later launched the Yehudi Menuhin School.

 4 
Lindsey Stirling
(Composer Known for Her Choreographed Violin Performances)
Lindsey Stirling
8
Birthdate: September 21, 1986
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Santa Ana, California, United States
Distingusihed as a modern-day dancing violinist, Lindsey Stirling began her musical journey in 2006 on America's Got Talent. With over 12 million YouTube subscribers, she presents choreographed violin performances, in live and music videos on her official channel. She has proved her prowess in a variety of music styles, rock to electronic dance music and classical to pop. 
 5 
Jascha Heifetz
(Former Violinist remembered for his performances at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall)
Jascha Heifetz
8
Birthdate: February 2, 1901
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Vilnius, Lithuania
Died: December 10, 1987
 6 
Joshua Bell
(Violinist)
Joshua Bell
6
Birthdate: December 9, 1967
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bloomington, Indiana, USA
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 7 
Paz Lenchantin
(Bass Guitarist, Vocalist and Violinist of the Alternative Rock Band 'Pixies')
Paz Lenchantin
4
Birthdate: December 12, 1973
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Mar del Plata, Argentina
Argentine-born American musician and Pixies member Paz Lenchantin was born to a classical pianist father and had started training in the violin and other instruments as a child. The camera-shy artist is known for her eccentricities, such as buying a truck and driving it around Louisville. 
 8 
Isaac Stern
(American violinist)
Isaac Stern
3
Birthdate: July 21, 1920
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Krzemieniec, Ukraine
Died: September 22, 2001
 9 
Itzhak Perlman
(Israeli-American Violinist, Conductor, and Music Teacher)
Itzhak Perlman
0
Birthdate: August 31, 1945
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
A bout of polio at age 4 left Itzhak Perlman’s legs paralyzed but could not deter his spirit. The Juilliard alumnus has won 16 Grammys and the coveted Leventritt Prize for his phenomenal compositions. He has also served as a conductor for Detroit Symphony and orchestras. 
 10 
Don Moen
(Singer-songwriter, Singer, Composer, Radio personality, Record producer, Violinist, Pianist)
Don Moen
3
Birthdate: June 29, 1950
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Minneapolis
 11 
David Gates
(Singer-songwriter)
David Gates
4
Birthdate: December 11, 1940
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
 12 
Robby Steinhardt
(Musician)
Robby Steinhardt
3
Birthdate: May 25, 1950
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: July 17, 2021
 13 
Nate Mendel
(Musician)
Nate Mendel
4
Birthdate: December 2, 1968
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 14 
Sarah Chang
(Musician)
Sarah Chang
7
Birthdate: December 10, 1980
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Philadelphia
 15 
Fritz Kreisler
(One of the Greatest Violinists of All Time - Known for His Sweet Tone and Expressive Phrasing)
Fritz Kreisler
0
Birthdate: February 2, 1875
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: January 29, 1962

Born to a doctor in Austria, Fritz Kreisler was a music prodigy. However, after being rejected by the Vienna Philharmonic, he had started studying medicine. He had also studied art and been part of the Austrian army, though he is chiefly remembered for his violin pieces such as Viennese Caprice.

 16 
Andrew Bird
(Musician)
Andrew Bird
4
Birthdate: July 11, 1973
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Illinois, USA
 17 
Sammy Cahn
(Lyricist)
Sammy Cahn
3
Birthdate: June 18, 1913
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.
Died: January 15, 1993
 18 
Zitkala-Sa
(Writer)
Zitkala-Sa
4
Birthdate: February 22, 1876
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Yankton Reservation, South Dakota, United States
Died: January 26, 1938
 19 
Nathaniel Ayers
(Musician)
Nathaniel Ayers
5
Birthdate: January 31, 1951
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States
 20 
Emilie Autumn
(American Singer-Songwriter, Poet and Violinist)
Emilie Autumn
3
Birthdate: September 22, 1979
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Malibu, California, United States
 21 
Lucia Micarelli
(American Violinist, Singer and Actress)
Lucia Micarelli
5
Birthdate: July 9, 1983
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Queens, New York, United States
 22 
Gil Shaham
(Musician)
Gil Shaham
2
Birthdate: February 19, 1971
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Urbana
 23 
Marin Alsop
(Conductor)
Marin Alsop
3
Birthdate: October 16, 1956
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
 24 
Kishi Bashi
(Musician)
Kishi Bashi
0
Birthdate: November 4, 1975
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
 25 
Paul Whiteman
(Bandleader)
Paul Whiteman
3
Birthdate: March 28, 1890
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, United States
Died: December 29, 1967
 26 
Harry Partch
(Composer)
Harry Partch
3
Birthdate: June 24, 1901
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Oakland, California, United States
Died: September 3, 1974
 27 
Nathan Milstein
(Russian-Born American Violinist Known for His Interpretations of Bach)
Nathan Milstein
2
Birthdate: January 13, 1904
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Odesa, Ukraine
Died: December 21, 1992
 28 
Janet Hsieh
(Taiwanese-American Television Personality, Violinist and Model)
Janet Hsieh
3
Birthdate: January 20, 1980
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, United States
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 29 
Ida Haendel
(Violinist)
Ida Haendel
2
Birthdate: December 15, 1923
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Chełm, Poland
Died: July 1, 2020
 30 
Lorin Maazel
(Conductor)
Lorin Maazel
3
Birthdate: March 6, 1930
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Died: July 13, 2014
 31 
Efrem Zimbalist
(Composer, Conductor, Music educator, Violinist, University teacher)
Efrem Zimbalist
8
Birthdate: April 21, 1889
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Rostov-on-Don
Died: February 22, 1985
 32 
Eugene Ormandy
(American Conductor and Violinist Best Known for His Association with the 'Philadelphia Orchestra', as Its Music Director)
Eugene Ormandy
3
Birthdate: November 18, 1899
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: March 12, 1985

Born in Hungary, Eugene Ormandy was inspired by his amateur violinist father to take up violin lessons as a child. By age 17, he was himself a professor of violin. After moving to the US, he would initially compose for silent films. He later received 2 Grammy Awards and was also knighted.

 33 
Joey Castillo
(Drummer of the hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age from 2002 to 2012.)
Joey Castillo
0
Birthdate: March 30, 1966
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Gardena, California Gardena, California, United States
 34 
Rachel Barton
(American Violinist)
Rachel Barton
5
Birthdate: October 11, 1974
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
 35 
Alan Gilbert
(Conductor)
Alan Gilbert
3
Birthdate: February 23, 1967
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York City, New York
 36 
Vassar Clements
(Fiddler)
Vassar Clements
2
Birthdate: April 25, 1928
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kinard, Florida, United States
Died: August 16, 2005
 37 
Roscoe Ates
(Actor, Singer)
Roscoe Ates
0
Birthdate: January 20, 1895
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Grange, Mississippi, United States
Died: March 1, 1962
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 38 
Eszter Balint
(Singer)
Eszter Balint
2
Birthdate: July 7, 1966
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary

The daughter of theater personality Stephan Balint, Hungarian-born violinist and performer Eszter Balint grew up with her father’s Squat Theatre troupe in New York. Apart from her critically acclaimed albums, such as Flicker, she is also known for her appearances in films and series such as Shadows and Fog and Louie.

 39 
Mike Seeger
(Musician)
Mike Seeger
2
Birthdate: August 15, 1933
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: August 7, 2009
 40 
Jenny Oaks Baker
(Violinist)
Jenny Oaks Baker
2
Birthdate: May 27, 1975
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Provo
 41 
Karen Briggs
(violinist)
Karen Briggs
2
Birthdate: August 12, 1963
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Manhattan
 42 
Ivan Galamian
(Teacher)
Ivan Galamian
2
Birthdate: January 23, 1903
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tabrīz, Iran
Died: April 14, 1981
 43 
Olga Breeskin
(Violinist, Actress)
Olga Breeskin
0
Birthdate: September 22, 1951
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
 44 
Kim Kashkashian
(musician, music educator, university teacher)
Kim Kashkashian
2
Birthdate: August 31, 1952
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Detroit
 45 
Dorothy DeLay
(Violin Instructor)
Dorothy DeLay
2
Birthdate: March 31, 1917
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Medicine Lodge, Kansas, United States
Died: March 24, 2002
 46 
Mischa Elman
(Russian-born American Musician and Violinist)
Mischa Elman
2
Birthdate: January 20, 1891
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Talnoye, Ukraine
Died: April 5, 1967
 47 
Robert Russell Bennett
(Composer)
Robert Russell Bennett
2
Birthdate: June 15, 1894
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kansas City, Kansas, United States
Died: August 18, 1981
 48 
Tammy Rogers
(Singer-songwriter, Musician)
Tammy Rogers
2
Birthdate: 1966 AD
Birthplace: Tennessee, United States
 49 
William J. Kirkpatrick
(Musician, Writer)
William J. Kirkpatrick
1
Birthdate: February 27, 1838
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Duncannon, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: September 20, 1921
 50 
Ruggiero Ricci
(Violinist)
Ruggiero Ricci
2
Birthdate: July 24, 1918
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: San Bruno, California, United States
Died: August 6, 2012