The career of Leopold Auer (1845-1930) spanned two centuries. Not only did this gifted musician create memorable performances of his own, he also taught some of the world's most renowned violinists, including Jascha Heifetz.

Auer's life in Russia extended from the rule of the czars until the early days of the 1917 Bolshevik revolution. The last 13 years of his life were spent in the United States, where he continued performing and teaching. The man whose acquaintances included most of the celebrated musicians of 19th century Europe, from Johann Strauss to Clara and Robert Schumann and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, ended his life believing that the future of music would be in America.

A Talented Prodigy

Leopold Auer was born in the small Hungarian town of Veszprem on June 7, 1845. His father's skill as a house painter, both of exterior work and interior (when the craft of painting walls was an artist's...