Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999) was one of the most celebrated violinists of the twentieth century. From his debut at the age of 8 until his death at 82, he was renowned for his talent as a violinist and conductor.

Menuhin was born April 22, 1916 to Moshe and Maratha Menuhin, Jewish immigrants from Russia, who had met in Palestine. Mehuhin was born in New York, but moved to San Francisco when he was nine months old. Moshe Menuhin supported his family by teaching Hebrew. Maratha Menuhin was an overbearing mother who was very protective of her son. She and her husband taught Menuhin and his two younger sisters, Hephzibah and Yaltah, at home.

A Child Prodigy

Menuhin first demonstrated his interest in music at the age of two, when he accompanied his parents to a San Francisco Symphony Orchestra concert. The toddler listened intently to the music without making a sound. When he...