Few instruments rival the violin for expressive range and sheer versatility.
With its ability to soar, weep, dance, or whisper, the violin has been central to music-making for centuries—equally at home in the refined counterpoint of Bach, the modernist fire of Bartók, and the passionate improvisations of gypsy, klezmer, and jazz traditions. Its human voice-like tone and dynamic agility have made it a favourite of composers and performers alike.
Across genres and generations, the greatest violinists have pushed the instrument to its emotional and technical limits. They’ve redefined what’s possible with four strings and a bow, combining dazzling virtuosity with unforgettable artistry. Whether performing classical concertos, chamber music, or folk music-influenced showpieces, these musicians have left indelible marks on the world stage.
This list celebrates 21 of the finest violinists ever to draw a bow. It spans eras, styles, and nationalities—from the golden-age legends who shaped early recordings to contemporary masters who bring fresh energy to the concert hall. Some are household names; others are cult heroes beloved by connoisseurs. All have helped define the violin’s place in music history.
So, who made the cut—and why? Read on to explore the finest fiddle players of all time.
Best violinist: our top 21
We asked 100 of today’s best players to tell us the violinists who have inspired them most. Each had three choices, with the stipulation that they must have heard them either on disc or live. We then totted up the results to produce the following Top 21 of the greatest violinists of the recorded era…
You may also enjoy our list of the greatest violin concertos of all time.
21. Christian Ferras
A former child prodigy, Frenchman Christian Ferras (1933-82) rose swiftly to the top ranks in the 1950s and ’60s, admired for his tonal purity and artistry. Signed by Karajan to record the violin repertoire, his career was later derailed by depression and alcoholism. Despite a brief, brilliant comeback, Ferras died tragically young. His performances—from Beethoven to Honegger—still resonate with insight, grace, and a rare emotional immediacy that captivated listeners worldwide.
20. Janine Jansen
Janine Jansen’s rich, expressive tone and electrifying performances have made her a star, especially in Baroque and Romantic repertoire. Her recording of Vivaldi's Four Seasons sold over 250,000 copies, and she continues to top charts with recordings of Bach and Tchaikovsky. A passionate chamber musician, she regularly collaborates with stars like Mischa Maisky and Martha Argerich. Jansen also performs on some of the world’s finest Stradivarius violins, deepening her singular musical voice.
19. Maxim Vengerov
We've got a few child prodigies in our list, but few so surely deserve the label as Maxim Vengerov. He made his solo debut at age five, and won the prestigious Wieniawski Competition as a teenager. Vengerov’s virtuosic technique, expressive and dramatic stage presence, and profound musicality have set him apart since his early career. Vengerov's performances of Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Shostakovich concertos remain benchmarks, praised for their intensity and depth.
18. Bronisław Huberman
Polish violinist Bronisław Huberman (1882-1947) became a dominant musical figure worldwide, particularly after 1920, performing the concertos of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Paganini and Tchaikovsky, sonatas and solos by Beethoven, Sarasate and Wieniawski, salon pieces and violin/piano arrangements (notably of Schubert songs).
His interpretations were renowned for their striking individuality, artistry and integrity, even if his technique and style were somewhat retrospective, unpredictable and subjects of deprecatory criticism by some fellow violinists. As such, he may be a controversial choice in our list of greatest violinists. Huberman opposed the Nazi regime and was instrumental in forming the Palestine Symphony (later Israel Philharmonic) Orchestra in 1936.
17. Leonid Kogan
Working somewhat in the shadow of his compatriot David Oistrakh, Leonid Kogan (1924-82) was notable for his immaculate technique and intonation. That, and a purity of sound that saw vibrato kept to a minimum. As a chamber musician, in particular, he was in his element. He formed a notable trio with pianist Emil Gilels and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. Kogan died aged just 58 on a train on the way to a concert engagement. He had already, though, cemented his place as one of the greatest violinists of his era.
16. Ivry Gitlis
One of the most charismatic and underestimated violinists of his times, Ivry Gitlis (1922-2019) was as expert in jazz, pop and gypsy styles as in Classical, Romantic and contemporary repertoire. His performances sometimes seem eccentric and undisciplined - but they're full of character and inward feeling, emphasising individual expression and musical intuition.
Gitlis toured widely from the 1950s, performing Berg, Bartók, Sibelius and Stravinsky, championing new music by Maderna, Xenakis and others, and even participating in projects with John Lennon and The Rolling Stones.
Best violinist: the top 15
15. Adolf Busch
Adolf Busch became revered not only as a solo violinist and composer but also as founder of the Busch Chamber Players and the Marlboro Festival, Vermont. He was also the moving spirit behind three distinguished chamber ensembles. These were the Busch Quartet, a duo with pianist (and his future son-in-law) Rudolf Serkin, and the Busch Trio with his cellist brother, Hermann, and Serkin.
Busch’s playing was disciplined, precise and authoritative. His tone was pure and sonorous and he consistently exploited technical adroitness to musical ends, incorporating portamento tastefully, varying vibrato subtly, and bowing with finesse. He became renowned for his interpretations of Beethoven and Brahms concertos, also championing works by Reger, Suter and Busoni; and his chamber ensembles established their pre-eminence in works by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and Brahms.
14. Pinchas Zukerman
Israeli musician Pinchas Zukerman first reached wide international prominence in the musical circle of friends around Daniel Barenboim and Jacqueline du Pré in the 1960s and ’70s.
His personal sound – intense, passionate and strong-centred – is easy to spot. It alsoenhances a wide range of repertoire, perhaps strongest in the heartlands of the great Romantic concertos as well as those of Beethoven and Mozart.
The complete opposite of a temperamental maestro, Arthur Grumiaux was at his happiest playing chamber music with friends and colleagues, most notably the great Romanian pianist Clara Haskil – he was never the same after she suffered a fatal fall at a railway station.
For Grumiaux, purity was paramount. His bowing action and left-hand facility were near-flawless, resulting in a unique, golden sound that can be savoured on his classic recordings of Bach and Mozart. Truly a candidate for best violinist of all time.
12. Itzhak Perlman
No virtuoso in history has made playing the violin appear as nonchalant as Itzhak Perlman. By the time the polio-stricken 13 year-old made his sensational American television debut playing the finale of Mendelssohn’s E minor Concerto on Ed Sullivan’s Caravan of Stars, the essentials were already in place – the almost carefree bowing style, the large left hand that effortlessly negotiated the violin almost without the need to change position, a sumptuous sound and a joyous stage presence that radiated warmth and enthusiasm.
11. Isaac Stern
A towering figure among 20th-century violinists, Isaac Stern (1920-2001) combined searing virtuosity with deep musical insight. His 1950s–60s recordings, especially with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, pulse with intensity. Whether playing Lalo, Sibelius, Bruch, or Tchaikovsky, Stern brought each work vividly to life. With every performance, he unearthed the music’s expressive core, delivering it with an awe-struck sense of discovery that remains unmatched.
Best violinist of all time: the top 10
10. Ginette Neveu
The first woman in our list of greatest violinists: and what a performer.
Ginette Neveu’s tragic death in a plane crash at the age of 30 deprived the musical world of a violinist who had made a tremendous impact with the power and beauty of her tone. Her emotional intensity makes her recordings of Chausson’s Poème and the Sibelius Violin Concerto some of the finest, and best loved, in the catalogue.
Ginette Neveu made her public debut at just seven, and at 15 she took first prize at the Wieniawski Competition. David Oistrakh pulled in in second place. Among many highlights in a remarkable but far-too-short career, she gave the world premiere of Poulenc’s Violin Sonata.
Her playing was characterised by an ability to combine that vast intensity with fulsome and precise tone. Her sound (and her appearance too, according to some) was often thought of as virtually ‘masculine’. It was said that when her body was recovered, she was still clutching her Stradivarius in her arms.
9. Joseph Szigeti
A Hungarian child prodigy, Szigeti became a key figure in 20th-century violin playing. His intellectual depth, shaped by studies with Ferruccio Busoni, and a close friendship with Béla Bartók, greatly influenced his style. The pair met in a Swiss sanatorium and later made landmark recordings of Bartók’s violin works. With Benny Goodman, they also recorded Contrasts, cementing Szigeti’s reputation for musical insight and artistic collaboration.
8. Hilary Hahn
Hilary Hahn is renowned for her precision, expressive depth, and versatility across traditional and contemporary repertoire. A child prodigy, she debuted at 11 and recorded her first album at 16.
Equally masterful in Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, Hahn also champions modern composers like Jennifer Higdon, whose Pulitzer-winning concerto she premiered. With multiple Grammy Awards, Hahn’s artistry continues to captivate global audiences and shape the future of violin performance.
7. Gidon Kremer
Gidon Kremer values music that communicates emotionally rather than merely impresses intellectually. A master of both Beethoven and Berg, he plays with idiomatic fluency and striking sincerity. His collaborations, including with pianist Martha Argerich, reveal a deep musical integrity. Trained by David Oistrakh, Kremer inherited his mentor’s lyrical tone and expressive depth, securing his place as one of the greatest and most individual violinists of the modern era.
6. Anne-Sophie Mutter
A trailblazer in modern violin performance, Anne-Sophie Mutter is celebrated for her golden tone, expressive power, and adventurous spirit. Discovered by Herbert von Karajan at 13, she quickly rose to fame, mastering core Classical and Romantic concertos while also championing contemporary music. Her collaborations with composers like John Williams, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Sofia Gubaidulina have expanded the violin repertoire and cemented her status as one of the most influential violinists of her era.
5. Nathan Milstein
Modest and deeply dedicated, Nathan Milstein was the quintessential violinist’s violinist. Eschewing fame, he focused solely on mastering his instrument, producing a uniquely refined tone through long, gentle bow strokes and pinpoint intonation. A chance meeting with pianist Vladimir Horowitz led to a three-year collaboration and emigration to North America. While Horowitz dazzled, Milstein seduced with elegance, excelling equally in Glazunov, Saint-Saëns, Bach, and Mozart through unmatched tonal purity and grace.
4. Yehudi Menuhin
Next in our search for the best violinist of all time is a name who will be familiar to many. Born in New York, the son of Jewish immigrants from Belarus, Yehudi Menuhin enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame as a child prodigy. He went on to become one of the few violinists who can be viewed as truly iconic.
His work was frequently groundbreaking, in ways that ranged from recording Elgar’s Violin Concerto under the baton of the composer in 1932 to playing jazz with Stéphane Grappelli and collaborating with Ravi Shankar. He gave a number of significant world premieres, including that of Bartók’s Solo Sonata and the Walton Violin Sonata. Another vital moment was when, in 1945, he and Benjamin Britten travelled to the liberated concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen and played to the survivors and Allied soldiers in shocking circumstances that are said to have affected Menuhin for years.
In 1962 he founded the Yehudi Menuhin School, whose alumni include Nigel Kennedy and Tasmin Little.
3. Fritz Kreisler
Born in Vienna in 1875, Fritz Kreisler was a unique violinist whose sound captured the essence of the Viennese Romantic style. Despite being rejected by the Vienna Philharmonic’s leader early on, he pursued a remarkable career.
Kreisler’s famous miniatures—often disguised as Baroque pastiches—such as Liebeslied and Schöne Rosmarin remain beloved encore pieces. Though sometimes seen as a salon player, he collaborated with greats like Sergey Rachmaninov and recorded major concertos. He premiered Elgar’s Violin Concerto in 1910, making modifications to the work, though no recording of this remains from him.
2. Jascha Heifetz
“Born in Russia, first lessons at three, debut at seven, American debut in 1917—that’s all there is to say,” Jascha Heifetz once said, understating his extraordinary rise. In truth, relentless practice was the key to his brilliance: “If I don’t practise one day, I know it… three days, the public knows it!” His Carnegie Hall debut stunned audiences—not just for its virtuosity, but for a modern, razor-sharp clarity that redefined violin playing.
While Heifetz excelled in Bach and Beethoven, his heart lay in the Romantic repertoire, which he claimed was “so overloaded with sentiment that all you have to do is play the notes.” Though he avoided most contemporary works, his commanding technique and musical insight made him, for many, the greatest violinist of all time.
Best violinist: the greatest of them all
1. David Oistrakh
David Oistrakh’s passion for the violin began at age three with a toy instrument and was shaped early by klezmer music introduced by his father. At five, he began studying with Pyotr Stolyarsky, a modest violinist but exceptional teacher who also mentored Nathan Milstein. Stolyarsky’s strict routine and emphasis on long, expressive bowing laid the foundation for Oistrakh’s signature legato style.
By the 1930s, Oistrakh’s warm personality and musical insight had earned him a place among Soviet musical elites. His 1937 victory at the Ysaÿe Competition confirmed his status as the USSR’s leading violinist. He collaborated with major composers like Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and Khachaturian, inspiring landmark works tailored to his expressive strengths.
Renowned for his seamless legato, precise technique, and deep musicality, Oistrakh played with striking sonority and emotional nuance. Whether exploring Debussy’s veiled subtleties or Shostakovich’s intensity, he shaped each tone with thought and care. As Yehudi Menuhin observed, Oistrakh “dramatise[d] with discretion.” His artistry transcended technique, leaving listeners immersed in pure, expressive sound—his true musical voice.
Words by Julian Haylock, Jessica Duchen, Robin Stowell, Daniel Jaffé, Jeremy Pound and Rebecca Franks
Greatest violinists of all time: how did we get our results?
Who were the 100 violinists that took part in our poll? And whom did they each nominate? Click here to see the voting in full.