The great violinist Jascha Heifetz passed away on this day in 1987 - his uncompromising discipline and commitment to his musical vision inspires me to this day. It was through his recording that I first discovered Sarasate's iconic piece 'Zigeunerweisen', and it has remained a favourite showpiece of mine ever since. Here's a clip from a performance of it I gave with a group of wonderful musicians for Music & Beyond in late 2021. | Kerson Leong

Happy birthday Pablo de Sarasate! The Spanish violin virtuoso, composer and conductor was born on this day in 1844. Sarasate's musical talent made itself known at a young age after he saw his father struggling to play a complex violin passage. He picked up the instrument and immediately performed it perfectly. 🎻 We're enjoying Junior prizewinner Ludvig Gudim's performance of the virtuosic Zigeunerweisen at the #Austin2014 Junior Finals, performed with the University of Texas Symphony Orchestra.