Virtuosi

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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 (1933 – 2014) Italian conductor. One of the most celebrated and respected conductors of the 20th century, particularly in the music of Gustav Mahler.
• Sir John Barbirolli (1899 – 1970), né Giovanni Battista Barbirolli, was a British conductor and cellist.
• Daniel Barenboim (b. 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
• Sir Thomas Beecham (1879 –1961) was an English conductor and impresario who founded both the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras.
• Leonard Bernstein (1918 – 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 (1877 – 1939) Austrian-American conductor particularly associated with the operas of Wagner.
• Karl Böhm (temporary)
• Pierre Boulez (1925 – 2016) French composer and conductor.
• Fritz Busch (1890 – 1951) German conductor.
• Eleazar de Carvalho (1912 – 1996) Brazilian conductor and composer.
• Sergiu Celibidache (1912 – 1996) Romanian conductor, composer, and teacher. His career in music spanned over five decades, including principal conductor for the Munich Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic and several European orchestras. Later in life, he taught at Mainz University in Germany and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, PA. Celibidache is regarded as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century.
• Wilhelm Furtwängler (1886 – 1954) German conductor and composer. He is considered to be one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century.
• Carlo Maria Giulini (1914 – 2005) Leading Italian conductor of his generation and had a dazzling career in his native country and in Vienna, London, Chicago and Los Angeles.
• Isaac Karabtchevsky (temporary)
• Herbert von Karajan (1908 – 1989) Austrian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 35 years. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century.
• Otto Klemperer (1885 – 1973) was a German conductor and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the leading[citation needed] conductors of the 20th century.
• Serge Alexandrovich Koussevitzky Серге́й Алекса́ндрович Кусеви́цкий;(1874 – 1951) was a Russian-born conductor, composer and double-bassist, known for his long tenure as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949.
• Rafael Jeroným Kubelík (1914 – 1996) was a Czech-born conductor and composer. He was music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1950–53), of The Royal Opera, Covent Garden (1955–58), and of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (1961–79), and was a frequent guest conductor for leading orchestras in Europe and America.
• James Levine (b. 1943) American conductor and pianist. Primarily known for his tenure as Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, a position he held for 40 years (1976 to 2016), currently its Emeritus Music Director.
• Lorin Varencove Maazel (1930 – 2014) was an American conductor, violinist and composer. He was music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic (NYP), among other posts.
• Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911) Austrian late-Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation.
• Kurt Masur (1927 – 2015) Orchestra Conductor for the NY Philharmonic from 1991 to 2002.
• Zubin Mehta (b. 1936) World famous Indian conductor of western classical music.
• Riccardo Muti (b. 1941) Italian conductor. Muti has been a prolific recording artist and has received dozens of honors, titles, awards and prizes. He is particularly associated with the music of Giuseppe Verdi.
• John Neschling (temporary)
• Eugene Ormandy (1899 – 1985) Hungarian-born conductor and violinist, best known for his association with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as its music director.
• Seiji Ozawa (b. 1935) Chinese-born Japanese conductor known for his advocacy of modern composers and for his work with the San Francisco Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, and the Boston Symphony Orchestras.
• André Previn (1929 – 1919) German-born American pianist, conductor, and composer.
• Artur Rodzinski (1892 – 1958) Polish conductor of opera and symphonic music.
• Claudio Santoro (temporary)
• Sir Georg Solti, KBE (1912 – 1997) was an orchestral and operatic conductor, best known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-serving music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
• Leopold Stokowski (1882 – 1997) British-born American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style.
• Arturo Toscanini (1867 – 1957) Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century.
• Bruno Walter (1876 – 1962) was a German-born conductor, pianist, and composer. Left Germany in 1933 to escape the Third Reich, and settles in the United States in 1939. He is widely considered one of the great conductors of the 20th century.

Great instrumentalists

Virtuosi Cellists

• Pablo Casals (Dec. 29, 1876 – Oct. 22, 1973) Spanish cellist and conductor from Catalonia. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time. He is perhaps best remembered for the recordings of the Bach Cello Suites he made from 1936 to 1939. Pablo Casals: Bach Cello Solo Nr.1, BWV 1007 (8.1954); Pau Casals - El cant dels ocells (at the White House); Pablo Casals - Kol nidrei Op 47 - Max Bruch; Pablo Casals - The Swan
• 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: Elgar Concerto - Part 1.avi; Max Bruch Kol Nidrei Op. 47; Silent Woods (Dvorak); Franck sonata A major - part 1 & 2.
• Steven Isserlis CBE (b. 1958) British cellist. He is distinguished for his diverse repertoire, distinctive sound deployed with his use of gut strings and command of phrasing. Joseph Haydn: Symphony in D major, no. 6 'Le Matin'. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Allegro from Cello Concerto in A major. Robert Schumann: Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129.
• Yo-Yo Ma (b. Oct. 7, 1955) Chinese American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. The Swan Saint-Saens; Bach, Cello Suites 1-6
• Gregor Piatigorsky (Apr. 17, 1903 - Aug. 6, 1976) Russian-born American cellist. Chopin Sonata (2nd movement); "Cello Concerto " Dvorak (1. Mov.); Bourees #1 & #2 from the C-Major Suite by Bach; Gregor Piatigorsky - Tchaikovsky Waltz.
• Mstislav Rostropovich (Mar. 27, 1927 - Apr. 27, 2007) Russian cellist and conductor. Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1; Dvorak Cello Concerto Part I, with Carlo Maria Giulini and the London Philharmonic Orchestra; *Bach Cello Suite 1 V. Menuets; *Prokofiev Sinfonia concertante, in E minor, Op. 125, National Orchestra of Monte-Carlo, Ollu Kamu.

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 (Jan. 7, 1922 – May 20, 2000) French flautist. Personally "credited with returning to the flute the popularity as a solo classical instrument it had not held since the 18th century." Mozart Flute Concerto No 1 in G - Sydney Symphony Orchestra; J.S. Bach Flute Sonatas BWV 1030, 1031, 1033, 1034, 1039; Maple Leaf Rag; Bolling Suite for Flute & Jazz Piano Trio (with Claude Bolling)

Virtuosi Pianists

• Géza Anda (temp.)
• Martha Argerich (b. 1941) Argentine pianist, considered one of the greatest pianists of the second half of the 20th century.
• Claudio Arrau (1903 - 1991) Chilean pianist known for his interpretations of a vast repertoire spanning the baroque to 20th-century composers, especially Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt and Brahms. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century.
• Vladimir Ashkenazy (temp.)
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714 – 1788) German musician, pianist and composer. He was a crucial composer in the transition between the Baroque and Classical periods,
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 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.
• Dave Bruebeck (temp.)
• van Cliburn
• Chick_Corea (temp.)
• Ernő Dohnányi (temp.)
• Bracha Eden (temp.)
• Nelson Freire (temporary)
• Emil Gilels
• Leopold Godowsky (1870 – 1938) was a famed Polish-American pianist, composer, and teacher. He has been described as "a pianist for pianists".
• Glenn Gould
• Vladimir Horowitz
• José Iturbi (temp.)
• Wilhelm Kempff (temp.)
• Jacques Klein (temporary)
• James Levine
• Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886) was a 19th century Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist and teacher.
• Radu Lupu (temp.)
• João Carlos Martins (temporary)
• Hephzibah Menuhin-Hauser (1920 – 1981) American-Jewish pianist and human rights campaigner. She was sister to the violinist Lord Menuhin (Yehudi Menuhin) and to the pianist, painter, and poet Yaltah Menuhin.
• Yaltah Menuhin-Rolfe-Ryce (1921 – 2001); Beethoven's Waldstein, 1st Movement, Mozart, Unfinished Sonata in G Major, K. 357/497a: II. Andante, Mozart: Fantasy No. 2 in F Minor, K. 594.
• Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) A prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music. He is among the most enduringly popular of classical composers.
• Arthur Moreira Lima (temporary)
• Guiomar Novaes (1894 - 1979) Brazilian pianist noted for individuality of tone and phrasing, singing line, and a subtle and nuanced approach to her interpretations. She is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century.
• Ignaz Jan Paderewsi (temp.)
• Murray Perahia (b. 1947) American concert pianist and conductor..
• Oscar Peterson (temp.)
• Ivo Pogorelić (temp.)
• Maurizio Pollini (temp.)
• Roland Pöntinen
• Sergei Rachmaninoff
• Sviatoslov Richter Ukrainian pianist
• Anton Rubinstein (temp.)
• Arthur Rubinstein (1887 – 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 (1882 – 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 (1797 – 1828) Austrian composer. Ave Maria - Luciano Pavarotti
• Clara Schumann (1819 – 1896)
• Alexander Scriabin (temp.)
• Hazel Scott (1920 - 1981) American pianist. Watch
• Rudolf Serkin (temp.)
• Alexander Tamir (temp.)
• Maria Tipo, Italian master pianist
• Arie Vardi (temp.)

Great Organists

• Sir Walter Parratt (1841-1924)

Virtuosi Sitarists

• Ravi Shankar (1920 - 2012) A world-renowned musician, composer, performer, and scholar of classical Indian music. He was one of the leading cultural figures of the twentieth century whose accomplishments place him as the leading figure of an important musical tradition.

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 CBE (15 December 1928 – 1 July 2020) [was a Polish-British-Canadian violinist. Haendel was a child prodigy, her career spanning over seven decades. She also became an influential teacher. Listen: Ida Haendel plays Sibelius Violin Concerto Zubin Mehta NY Phil Nov 15, 1985 Live; Ida Haendel plays Mendelssohn violin concerto op. 64 with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Conductor - Elli Jaffe. Ida Haendel plays Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major - Franz-Paul Decker/Radio Orchestra of Canada
• 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
• Ruggiero Ricci (temp.)
• Gil Shaham (temp.)
• Toscha Seidel
• Isaac Stern
• Joseph Szigeti (temp.)
• Jacques Thibaud (temp.)
• Pinchas Zukerman

Virtuosi Guitarists

• Abel Carlevaro

Great vocalists

• Jussi Björling
• 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
• Boris Christoff
• Giuseppe di Stefano
• Plácido Domingo
• Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
• Nicolai Ghiaurov
• Beniamino Gigli
• Tito Gobbi
• Marilyn Horne (temporary)
• Janis Joplin (Jan. 19, 1943 – Oct. 4, 1970)
• Mario Lanza (Jan. 31, 1921 – Oct. 7, 1959)
• Sergei Lemeshev
• Jessye Norman
• 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). French singer and cultural icon who became universally regarded as France's greatest popular singer. "Non, je ne regrette rien"'; [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfmguyDRBwU "Padam Padam"; "Milord"; "Ne me quitte pas"; "Autumn Leaves" (Les Feuilles Mortes)
• Leontyne Price (b. 1927) American great soprano. "Panis Angelicus" (Franck); "Un Bel Di" from Madama Butterfly (Puccini); "Summertime" from Forgy and Bess
• Anna Sarnoff (Jun. 27, 1932 – Mar. 9, 2006)
• Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
• 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
• Martti Talvela , Verdi Requiem Confutatis , Wagner Fl. Holländer Mögst du mein kind...
• Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
• Renata Tebaldi
• 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).
• Shirley Verrett