He has been called "God's Fiddler" and "a nonpareil of violinists." Even as a child, his playing prompted the virtuoso violinist Fritz Kreisler to remark, "We might as well take our fiddles and smash them across our knees." Jascha Heifetz will forever remain in the collective memory one of the great violinists of the twentieth century. Fluid yet arrestingly precise, expressive within the bounds of impeccable taste, Heifetz's controlled playing even today sets a standard for aspiring violinists. But even with his legendary musical discipline, Heifetz still knew how to let loose. In the video above, he mugs for what appears to be a room full of students by mocking the screeches and scratches of a bad audition. Even when playing badly, Heifetz was great.
Jennifer Hambrick unites her extensive backgrounds in the arts and media and her deep roots in Columbus to bring inspiring music to central Ohio as Classical 101’s midday host. Jennifer performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago before earning a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.