Born in Vilna, he moved as a teenager to the United States, where his Carnegie Hall debut was rapturously received. He kept his violin case very near to him at virtually all times.
The brochure declared of Heifetz's recording of the Schubert Ave Maria, "Nothing more exquisite can be imagined than the tone of that spiritual ecstasy." Lithuanian violinist widely considered to be one of the greatest violinists of all time. In 1949, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of musicology from Northwestern University, and in 1957 he was given memberhsip in the prestigious French Legion of Honor. Upon his death, Schonberg whimsically dubbed Heifetz the "great stone face," and paid tribute in an obituary to the "playing machine." Following a significant performance in St. Petersburg under Auer's direction, Heifetz went on to perform in Germany with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1911. Facial expressions and other mannerisms were superfluous to a competent violinist, or so Ruvin Heifetz instructed. Many consider him to be the greatest violinist of all time. His sailboat, which he named the "Serenade," was one of his joys. Also during the Great Depression and war years Heifetz composed contemporary tunes in keeping with the times. Although scores of recordings remain as a testament to his great talent, his death in Los Angeles, at the age of 86, left the world of music in mourning over the loss of his "silken bow. On one occasion, when the adolescent Heifetz was on tour in Berlin, he had the honor to meet one of his contemporaries, violinist Fritz Kreisler. In time, film directors of his day came to accept that Heifetz was not an actor but was indeed the world's greatest violinist.The Heifetz discography grew lengthy over the years. Some years earlier, during the 1940s, Heifetz and Bay performed a variety of contemporary favorites including "Deep River," "White Christmas," "Claire de Lune," and "Humoresque."
Even in his rare cinema appearances, Heifetz emoted only through his instrument and rarely flinched. In 1922, when he returned to Carnegie Hall for a series of four concerts, a melee ensued among would-be spectators who were unable to obtain tickets for the sold-out performances. A shoulder operation in 1975 brought an end to the recording sessions, but he expressed no regret and continued to teach, primarily at USC, despite severe arthritic pain. Despite his initial reluctance to hear Heifetz, Auer acknowledged the boy's genius and accepted Heifetz as a private student. He first created an international stir when he toured Europe during his early adolescence. Heifetz established his permanent residence in California and enjoyed an affluent lifestyle.
Within a year, young Heifetz had learned seven different finger positions and was able to play the Kayser etudes, an advanced series of exercises. Ruvin Heifetz, a violinist and concertmaster of the Vilna Symphony Orchestra, introduced his son to the violin at the age of three. Audiences marveled at Heifetz's ability to remain motionless during a performance, except for the exaggerated ebb of his bow arm and the delicate glide of his fingers on the strings. Conductor Erich Leinsdorf called Heifetz "nonpareil. He was one of three children—and the only son—of Ruvin (Rubin) and Anna Heifetz. They had one son, Joseph (called Jay), and divorced in 1963.Heifetz performed with a Tononi violin until an appreciative admirer loaned him a Stradivarius.