Menuhin, Yehudi << MEHN yoo ihn, yuh HOO dee >> (1916-1999), was an American-born violinist who had spectacular success as a child prodigy. He promoted the works of contemporary composers and revived neglected, but valuable, music of the past. He combined the classical musical style of his early training with jazz and with the music of India and other countries.
Menuhin was born on April 22, 1916, in New York City. At the age of 7, he appeared as a violin soloist with the San Francisco Orchestra. Menuhin was active in training young musicians, most significantly at a school in Surrey, England, he founded in 1963. He also gained acclaim as a conductor. His essays and speeches on music and other subjects were collected in Theme and Variations (1972). He also wrote an autobiography, Unfinished Journey (1977), which was later revised as Unfinished Journey: Twenty Years Later (1997). Menuhin became a British citizen in 1985, was knighted that year, and was made a baron in 1993. He died on March 12, 1999.
