On Sun 4th July 1880

Birth of Jan Kubelik, Violinist and Composer

Jan Kubelík (July 5, 1880 – December 5, 1940) was a Czech violinist and composer. He was born in Michle (now part of Prague) and studied at the Prague Conservatoire with Otakar Ševčík. As a child, he used to practice 10 to 12 hours a day, or "until my fingers started to bleed." After 1898, he toured as a soloist, soon becoming renowned for his great virtuosity and flawless intonation.

He made a number of recordings; wrote music, including six violin concertos; and continued to perform in public until his death. However, from the 1920s, with the advent of Jascha Heifetz, his career dwindled somewhat. Although his playing was perfect in the technical sense, it was often criticized for an alleged lack of emotional depth.

He played the 1715 Stradivarius "Emperor." In 1903 his portrait was painted by Philip de Laszlo.He died in Prague. Rafael Kubelík, the conductor, was his son. Jan Kubelik also made an appearance in Robert Ludlum's The Janson Directive. Carl Sandburg featured Jan Kubelík in his Chicago Poems, 1916.