Fritz Kreisler

Born in Vienna on February 2, 1875, Fritz Kreisler was a child prodigy who studied at the Vienna Conservatory and later at the Paris Conservatory. He went on to become one of the most admired violinists of his era, celebrated for the sweetness of his sound, his natural phrasing, and the ease with which he connected with audiences.

Kreisler was more than a performer. He also wrote a number of short violin works that became famous in their own right, and for years he presented some of them as newly discovered older pieces before eventually revealing that he had written them himself. That mix of elegance, wit, and craftsmanship helped make his music especially memorable.

After a life that spanned Europe and the United States, he died in New York on January 29, 1962. His recordings and compositions still offer a vivid sense of why he was regarded as one of the great violin masters of his time.