Ida Haendel

The respect held by other musicians for the talents of violinist Ida Haendel was almost as total as her obscurity in the mind of the general public. What commanded this respect was her large tone, assured and dedicated technique, and refreshing musicality. Haendel was born on December 15, 1928, in Chelm, Poland, and took up the violin at the age of three. She won her first competition, the Huberman Prize, when she was five, playing Beethoven's Violin Concerto, and was a finalist at the age of seven in the Wieniawski Competition. She and her parents traveled around Western Eu...