The collection contains primarily sound recordings of performances of Jascha Heifetz, but it also includes recordings of other artists, some of whom were collaborators with Heifetz, as well as one recording of his teacher, Leopold Auer. There are 924 recordings on 10" and 12" sound discs, including test pressings, instantaneous discs and commercially released records. Most of the discs are 78 rpm recordings, but there are also a few 33 1/2 rpm 12" discs. In addition to audio discs, the collection contains 88 recordings on magnetic tape which consist of 1/4" tape on 10" reels. 61 of the tapes were made between December 14, 1954 and November 21, 1972. 27 of the tapes are undated. The collection also includes a computer-generated inventory of the collection prepared by the donor.

Jascha Heifetz, legendary American violinist, was born in Vilnius on February 2, 1901. His first teacher was his own father, but he also studied with Elias Malkin before being accepted into the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1910. He studied first with Leopold Auer’s assistant, Nalbandyan, and then with Auer himself. Heifetz had impressed audiences from the age of six when he performed Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. At the age of ten he performed in St. Petersburg, and his highly successful Berlin debut took place on May 23, 1912. Later that same year he performed with the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Arthur Nikisch. In 1917 Heifetz was offered the opportunity to perform a concert tour of the United States, and on October 27 that year he made his Carnegie Hall debut. In 1925 Heifetz became an American citizen.

27 box(es) 22 boxes of 10" and 12" sound discs; 5 boxes of 12" open reel tapes

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