| Biography | Elman was born in Russia. His grandfather was a klezmer, a Jewish folk musician, who also played the violin. He studied at the Imperial Academy of Music and the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
In 1903, Elman began to play concerts in the homes of wealthy patrons of the arts, and he made his Berlin debut in 1904, creating a great sensation. His London debut in 1905 included the British premiere of Alexander Glazunov's Violin Concerto in A minor. He played in Carnegie Hall in 1908, making a great impression on his American audience. He toured Australia in 1914.
The Elman family moved to the United States, and Mischa became a citizen in 1923. In 1917, he was elected to honorary membership in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity. He sometimes performed in as many as 107 concerts in a 29-week season. In 1943, he gave the premiere of Bohuslav Martinu's second concerto, which was written for him. Sales of his records exceeded two million. Elman died on April 5, 1967 in New York City.
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