American musician known as one of the most exquisite violinists in history. He was a prodigy who began to play at age three and made a formal debut on 3/12/1924, playing de Beriot’s “Scene de Ballet” at a San Francisco Symphony young people’s concert. On 3/12/1926, at age nine, he had his official San Francisco Symphonie debut and the following year, made a triumphant Carnegie Hall debut on 11/25/1927. His astonishing youthful virtuosity grew into one of the great musical talents of the 20th century. A musical genius, Menuhin was a profound artist who has played with all of the world’s great symphonic orchestras. He was almost 13, 4/29/1929, when Albert Einstein followed him backstage after a concert in Berlin to embrace him, saying “Now I know there is a God in heaven!”
Born in New York of Russian Jewish emigrant parents who moved to San Francisco when he was two, he was both an American citizen and a British subject, and was made a baron – Lord Menuhin of Stoke d’Abernon – in 1993. Prior to that, he had been Knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1965.
Menuhin was health-conscious and an early advocate of organic farming and alternative medicine; he also practiced yoga. During his later years he used hearing aids on both ears.
He married Nola in 1938; they had a son and a daughter and later divorced. He married a second time to a British ballerina, with whom he had two sons. A citizen of the world in every sense, he advocated peace and human rights. He was awarded the 1950 Nehru Peace Prize for International Understanding.
Undamaged by the praise and honors throughout his lifetime, he encouraged young musicians at his school in England and foundation in Belgium, and was honored with awards not only for his musicianship but as a humanitarian. During WW II, Menuhin gave some 500 concerts for U.S. and Allied troops and to raise Red Cross funds. In his 70s, when he could no longer play the violin to his satisfaction, he switched to conducting which he liked as it was joyful exercise.
Scheduled to conduct the Warsaw Symphony Orchestra in Berlin, he was forced to cancel when he became ill. Taken to Berlin’s Martin Luther Hospital, he died of pneumonia and heart failure on 3/12/1999.
Link to Wikipedia biography