Bronislaw Huberman

Bronisław Huberman was born in Częstochowa, Poland, to a Jewish family. He was a child prodigy who started playing the violin at the age of four. He studied with Joseph Joachim in Berlin and made his debut at the age of eleven. He soon became one of the most celebrated violinists of his time, performing with renowned orchestras and conductors all over the world. He was praised for his expressive, individualistic, and passionate style of playing. He owned several famous violins, including the Gibson ex-Huberman Stradivarius, which was stolen twice and recovered once. Huberman was also a humanitarian and a visionary. He was deeply concerned about the fate of European Jews under the Nazi regime. He founded the Palestine Symphony Orchestra (later renamed the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra) in 1936, and helped nearly 1,000 Jewish musicians and their families to escape from Europe and settle in Palestine. He also advocated for the idea of a united Europe and gave lectures and wrote articles on this topic. He died of a heart attack in 1947 in Switzerland, where he had taken refuge during World War II. He was buried in Corsier-sur-Vevey, near the grave of Charlie Chaplin. Huberman's life and legacy have inspired many books, documentaries, and festivals. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists and humanitarians of the 20th century.