Heifetz, Jascha (yä`shə hī`fĭts), 1901–87, Russian-American violinist, b. Vilna. He studied first with his father and in 1910 became a pupil of Leopold Auer at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, giving his first public concert the next year. After great success as a child prodigy in Europe, he immigrated to the United States in 1917. Heifetz became an even greater artist in his mature years, combining brilliantly reasoned, tranquil interpretation with unsurpassed virtuoso technique. He arranged a number of works for the violin and commissioned several concertos from contemporary composers.

Heifetz, Jascha

(born Feb. 2, 1901, Vilnius, Lithuania, Russian Empire—died Dec. 10, 1987, Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.) Lithuanian-born U.S. violinist. He studied with his father from age five, performing Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto at age eight. From 1909 to 1914, although it was illegal for a Jew to live in St. Petersburg, he studied there with Leopold Auer (1845–1930). He immigrated to the U.S. in 1917, where for many years he performed in a trio with Artur Rubinstein and Gregor Piatigorsky (1903–76). His impeccable technique and musical flair made him perhaps the world's most famous violinist. He retired in 1972, having taught at the University of Southern California from 1959.

Heifetz, Jascha (1901–87) violinist; born in Vilna, Lithuania. Son of a violinist, he began playing at age three, entered music school the next year, and made his first public appearance at age five. After completing his studies and establishing his reputation in Europe and Russia, he made a triumphant American debut at Carnegie Hall in 1917. Remaining in the country, he became a U.S. citizen in 1925 and bought houses in Connecticut and California. For the rest of his long career the almost supernatural perfection of his playing made him generally considered the greatest violinist of his time as well as one of the most popular. In the 1950s he gradually reduced his public appearances but continued to play and record into the 1970s, meanwhile teaching at the University of Southern California.