(Born; Vienna, 2 Feb 1875; Died; New York, 29 Jan 1962). American violinist and composer of Austrian birth. After study at the Vienna Conservatory and the Paris Conservatoire he toured the USA (1888-9). Real recognition came in 1899, after a concert with the Berlin PO under Nikisch. His London début was in 1902 and in 1910 he gave the première of Elgar's Concerto. He lived in Berlin, 1924-34, and in 1939 settled in the USA, becoming an American citizen in 1943. His last concert was in 1947. Kreisler played with grace, elegance and a sweet, golden tone with a pronounced vibrato. His repertory included brief pieces of his own, some of them semi-pastiche pieces which he initially ascribed to composers such as Tartini and Pugnani, some of them sugary Viennese morsels, all beautifully written to display brilliant, subtle and expressive violin playing.
(c)Groves Dictionaries, MacMillan Publishers Limited, UK