Virtuosi

Great Conductors, Instrumentalists or Vocalists, who pursued a career as soloists, and whose technical accomplishments were so pronounced as to dazzle the public.

Great conductors

• Claudio Abbado (temporary)
• John Barbirolli (temporary)
• Daniel Barenboim (born Nov. 15, 1942) Argentine-born Israeli pianist and conductor. Celibidache Barenboim Tchaikovsky Piano concerto no. 1 MVT 1C, Daniel Barenboim, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Johannes Brahms: Concerto for violin, cello and orchestra in A
• Thomas Beecham (temporary)
• Leonard Bernstein (Aug. 25, 1918 – Oct. 14, 1990) American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. Candide Overture: Leonard Bernstein conducting, Symphonic Dances - Part 1 (from West Side Story), Symphonic Dances - Part 2 (from West Side Story).
• Arthur Bodanzky (Dec. 16, 1877 – Nov. 23, 1939) Austrian-American conductor particularly associated with the operas of Wagner.
• Carl Bohm (temporary)
• Fritz Busch (temporary)
• Eleazar de Carvalho (temporary)
• Sergiu Celibidache (temporary)
• Carlo Maria Giulini (temporary)
• Isaac Karabtchevsky (temporary)
• Herbert von Karajan (temporary)
• Otto Klemperer (temporary)
• Serge Koussevitzky (temporary)
• Rafael Kubelik (temporary_1)
• James Levine (temporary)
• Lorin Maazel (temp.)
• Kurt Masur (temporary)
• Zubin Mehta (born Apr. 29, 1936) World famous Indian conductor of western classical music.
• Riccardo Muti (temp.)
• John Neschling (temporary)
• Eugene Ormandy (temp.)
• Seiji Ozawa (temp.)
• André Previn (born Apr. 6, 1929) German-born American pianist, conductor, and composer.
• Artur Rodzinski (Jan. 1, 1892 – Nov. 27, 1958) Polish conductor of opera and symphonic music.
• Claudio Santoro (temporary)
• Georg Solti (temp.)
• Leopold Stokowski (Apr. 18, 1882 – Sept. 13, 1997) British-born American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style.
• Arturo Toscanini (March 25, 1867 – January 16, 1957) Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century.
• Bruno Walter (temp.)

Great instrumentalists

Virtuosi Cellists

• Pablo Casals (temp.)
• Jacqueline du Pré (Jan. 26, 1945 – Oct. 19, 1987) British cellist, acknowledged as one of the greatest players of the instrument. She is particularly associated with Elgar's Cello Concerto in E Minor. Listen: Jacqueline Du Pre plays Elgar Concerto - Part 1.avi; Jacqueline du Pré plays Max Bruch Kol Nidrei Op. 47; Jacqueline du Pre plays Silent Woods (Dvorak); Jacqueline du Pre plays Franck sonata A major - part 1 & 2.
• Steven Isserlis (temp.)
• Yo-Yo Ma (b. Oct. 7, 1955) Chinese American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. Yo-Yo Ma The Swan Saint-Saens, Yo-Yo Ma - Bach, Cello Suites 1-6
• Gregor Piatigorsky (temp.)
• Mstislav Rostropovich (temp.)

Virtuosi Clarinetists

• Naftile Brandwein (temp.)
• Stanley Drucker (temp.)
• Sharom Kam (temp.)
• Eli Eban (temp.)
• Suzanne Stephens (temp.)

Virtuosi Flautists

• James Galway (temp.)
• Jean-Pierre Rampal (temp.)

Virtuosi Pianists

• Géza Anda (temp.)
• Vladimir Ashkenazy (temp.)
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (Mar. 8, 1714 – Dec. 14, 1788) German musician, pianist and composer. He was a crucial composer in the transition between the Baroque and Classical periods,
• Johann Sebastian Bach (Mar. 31, 1685 – Jul. 28, 1750) German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity.
• Daniel Barenboim (born 1942)
• Dave Bruebeck (temp.)
• [http://www.geni.com/people/David-Shapera/1849)
• van Cliburn (temp.)
• Chick_Corea (temp.)
• Ernő Dohnányi (temp.)
• Bracha Eden (temp.)
• Nelson Freire (temporary)
• Emil Gilels (temp.)
• Glenn Gould (temp.)
• Hazel Scott Watch (11/6/1920 - 2/10/1981)
• Vladimir Horowitz (temp.)
• José Iturbi (temp.)
• Wilhelm Kempff (temp.)
• Jacques Klein (temporary)
• James Levine (temp.)
• Franz Liszt (Oct. 22, 1811 – Jul. 31, 1886)
• Radu Lupu (temp.)
• João Carlos Martins (temporary)
• Hephzibah Menuhin-Hauser (May 20, 1920 – Jan. 1, 1981)
• Yaltah Menuhin-Rolfe-Ryce (Oct. 7, 1921 – Sep. 6, 2001)
• Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (temp.)
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756 – Dec. 5, 1791)
• Arthur Moreira Lima (temporary)
• Guiomar Novaes (Feb. 28, 1894 - Mar. 7, 1979)
• Ignaz Jan Paderewsi (temp.)
• Murray Perahia (temp.)
• Oscar Peterson (temp.)
• Ivo Pogorelić (temp.)
• Maurizio Pollini (temp.)
• Sergei Rachmaninoff (temp.)
• Sviatoslov Richter (temp.)
• Anton Rubinstein (temp.)
• Arthur Rubinstein (Jan. 28, 1887 – Dec. 20, 1982) Polish-American pianist of Jewish descent. Received international acclaim for his performances of the music of a variety of composers (many regard him as the greatest Chopin interpreter of the century). He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century. Chopin - Heroic Polonaise Op. 53 - Arthur Rubinstein, Arthur Rubinstein plays Liszt etude "La campanella"
• Domenico Scarlatti (temp)
• Artur Schnabel (Apr. 17, 1882 – Aug. 15, 1951) Austrian classical pianist, composed and teacher. Artur Schnabel plays Beethoven Sonata #32 in C min Op. 111, Artur Schnabel plays Beethoven Piano Sonata No.24, 25 & 26
• Franz Schubert (Jan. 31, 1797 – Nov. 19, 1828) Austrian composer. Ave Maria - Luciano Pavarotti
• Clara Schumann (Sep. 13, 1819 – May 20, 1896)
• Alexander Scriabin (temp.)
• Rudolf Serkin (temp.)
• Alexander Tamir (temp.)
• Arie Vardi (temp.)

Virtuosi Sitarists

• Ravi Shankar (1920 - 2012)

Virtuosi Trumpeters

• Herb Alpert (temp.)
• Louis Armstrong (temp.)
• Bix Beiderbecke (temp.)
• Dizzy Gillespie (temp.)
• Bobby Hackett (temp.)
• Joe "King" Oliver (temp.)
• Doc Severinsen (temp.)

Virtuosi Violinists

• Sarah Chang (temp.)
• Mischa Elman (Jan. 20, 1891 – Apr. 5, 1967) Russia-born violinist, famed for his passionate style and beautiful tone. Listen: Mischa Elman plays "Violin Concerto No. 2", Bruch (2. Mov.); Mischa Elman plays Vivaldi's Concerto In G Minor, Op.12 No.1; Mischa Elman plays Tchaikovsky Concerto Mvt 3; Mischa Elman plays Tchaikovsky Melodie, Op. 42, No. 3.
• Ivry Gitlis (temp.)
• Ida Haendel (temp.)
• Bronislaw Huberman (Dec. 19, 1882 – Jun. 16, 1947) One of the towering figures among violinists of his generation. Listen: Bronislaw Huberman plays Paganini: La campanella, 1923; Bronislaw Huberman plays Chopin Nocturne Op.9 No.2; Bronislaw Huberman plays Tchaikovsky Concerto (1928) - part 1.
• Jascha Heifetz (Feb. 2, 1901 – Dec. 10, 1987) He is widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time. Listen: Jascha Heifetz plays Paganini Caprice No. 24; Jascha Heifetz plays Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35: I. Allegro moderato; Jascha Heifetz plays Rondo (from Serenade No. 7 "Haffner", K. 250) by Mozart; Jascha Heifetz plays Sarasate, Zigeunerweisen Op. 20, "Gypsy Airs".
• Leonid Kogan (temp.)
• Fritz Kreisler (Feb. 2, 1875 – Jan. 29, 1962) Fritz Kreisler plays Liebesfreud by him, Caprice Viennois, Kreisler plays Hungarian Rondo by Haydn, Kreisler Plays Smetana Bohemian Fantasie
• Gidon Kremer (born February 27, 1947) is a violinist and conductor of Jewish-German and Latvian-Swedish origin. Listen: Gidon Kremer plays Astor Piazzolla Tango Etude No.3; Gidon Kremer plays Vivaldi's Four Seasons - Spring (I. Allegro); Gidon Kremer plays Bach, Chaconne.
• Yehudi Menuhin (Apr. 22, 1919 – Mar. 12, 1999). Listen: Yehudi Menuhin plays Bach Chaconne (Part 1); Yehudi Menuhin plays Paganini Concerto for Violin no 1 in D major, Op. 6: 3rd movement; Yehudi Menuhin plays Mendelssohn violin concerto (excerpt); Yehudi Menuhin plays Beethoven violin concerto (excerpt).
• Nathan Milstein (temp.)
• Shlomo Mintz (temp.)
• David Oistrakh (Sept. 30, 1908 – Oct. 24, 1974) Renowned Soviet classical violinist. David Oistrakh plays Tchaikovsky Concerto (1st Mov.) Part 1, David Oistrakh Beethoven Violin Concerto Mvt. 1 Part 1
• Igor Oistrakh (b. 1931) Ukrainian violinist. Igor Oistrakh (violin) plays SAINT-SAENS Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Igor Oistrakh: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in G minor, Op. 26 - Movement 1 (Bruch)
• Niccolò Paganini (Oct. 27, 1782 – May 27, 1840) Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique.
• Itzhak Perlman (temp.)
• Ruggiero Ricci (temp.)
• Gil Shaham (temp.)
• Toscha Seidel
• Isaac Stern (temp.)
• Joseph Szigeti (temp.)
• Jacques Thibaud (temp.)
• Pinchas Zukerman (temp.)

Great vocalists

• Maria Callas (Dec. 2, 1923 – Sep. 16, 1977)
• José Carreras (b. Dec. 5, 1946) Jose Carreras - Amore Perduto, Jose Carreras - Ave Maria 1980
• Enrico Caruso - Listen (Feb. 25, 1873 – Aug. 2, 1921)
• Lina (Natalina) Cavalieri - Listen (Dec. 25, 1874 – Jul. 2, 1944)
• Fedeor Chaliapin (temporary)
• Plácido Domingo (temporary_1)
• Giuseppe di Stefano (temporary)
• Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (temporary)
• Beniamino Gilli (temporary)
• Marilyn Horne (temporary)
• Janis Joplin (Jan. 19, 1943 – Oct. 4, 1970)
• Mario Lanza (Jan. 31, 1921 – Oct. 7, 1959)
• Sergei Lemeshev (temporary)
• Jessye Norman (temporary)
• Luciano Pavarotti (Oct. 12, 1935 - Sept. 6, 2007)
• Jan Peerce (Jacob Pincus Perelmuth) (Jun. 3, 1904 – Dec. 15, 1984) American opera tenor singer. Jan Peerce:Shma Yisroel - שמע ישראל, Jan Peerce - "Nessun dorma" - Turandot (Puccini)
• Edith Piaf (Dec. 19, 1915 – Oct. 11, 1963)
• Leontyne Price (temporary)
• Anna Sarnoff (Jun. 27, 1932 – Mar. 9, 2006)
• Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf temp (1915 – 2006)
• Beverly Sills, born Belle Miriam Silverman (May 25, 1929 – Jul. 2, 2007) American operatic soprano. In her prime she was the only real rival to Joan Sutherland as the leading bel canto stylist. Beverly Sills - Una Voce Poco Fa!! (1976), Beverly Sills - Dunque io son! - Il Barbiere Di Siviglia.
• Dame Joan Sutherland (temporary)
• Dame Kiri Te Kanawa (temporary)
• Renata Tebaldi (temporary)
• Richard Tucker (Aug. 28, 1913 – Jan. 8, 1975) American Tenor, one of the great voices of the Metropolitan Opera and one of the finest Jewish cantors ever. Richard Tucker sings the Kol Nidre כל נדרי, Richard Tucker - No, Pagliaccio non son (Live).