Jascha Heifetz was a Russian born violinist. Many consider him to be the greatest violinist of all time. Born in Wilno, Russian Empire (present-day Vilnius, Lithuania), he moved as a teenager to the United States, where his Carnegie Hall debut was rapturously received. He was a virtuoso since childhood—Fritz Kreisler, another leading violinist of the twentieth century, said on hearing Heifetz's debut, "We might as well take our fiddles and break them across our knees.
" He had a long and successful performing and recording career; after an injury to his right (bowing) arm, he focused on teaching.
