Efrem Zimbalist

Efrem Zimbalist was a Russian-American Jewish violinist, composer and teacher, a leading virtuoso of the early twentieth century and a distinguished pupil of Leopold Auer in St. Petersburg. Born to a Jewish family in Rostov-on-Don, he made a celebrated international concert career and later directed the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, shaping American musical education. He was the father of the actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr.