HAENDEL, IDA

HAENDEL, IDA (1928– ), violinist. Born in Chelm, Haendel studied as a child prodigy with Michaełowicz in Warsaw, and in 1933 won the conservatory gold medal and the first Huberman Prize with Beethoven's Violin Concerto. She then pursued her training in Paris and London with Flesch and Enesco, making her London debut in 1937. Her wartime activities included many concerts for Allied troops, National Gallery appearances, and a performance of Dvořàk's Concerto at the composer's centenary Prom. She began her international concert career after World War II and came to be regarded as one of the leading soloists of her generation. She made tours in America, Russia, Europe, South America, and Asia. In 1973 she was the first Western soloist (with the London Philharmonic) invited to perform in China. Haendel's virtuoso technique won her admirers in both the concerto and recital repertoires. Among her first performances were Dallapiccola's Tartinianaseconda, (1957) and Alan Pettersson's Violin Concerto no.2 (1980), which was dedicated to her. Haendel was awarded the Sibelius Medal (1982), created a CBE (1991), and appointed Fellow of the Royal College of Music (2000). She published her autobiography, Woman with Violin (1970), and her career was the subject of a CBC-TV documentary (1988). -ADD. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Grove online; MGG2. (Naama Ramot (2nd ed.)