Mischa Mischakoff

He led the string sections of the St. Petersburg Conservatory Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Bolshoi Theatre, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, then, after his arrival in the United States, the New York Symphony under Walter Damrosch (1924–1927), the Philadelphia Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski (1927–1930), the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Frederick Stock (1930–1937), the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini (1937–1952), the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Paul Paray (1952–1968), as well as, in retirement, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Mischakoff also led the Mischakoff String Quartet in the various cities where he lived, and between 1940 and 1952 he taught at the Juilliard School in New York. He then taught at Wayne State University in Detroit between 1952 and about 1980. Mischakoff died on February 1, 1981, in Petoskey, Michigan. He owned four Stradivari violins, on which he appeared as soloist and recitalist, as well as a number of other fine violins by old and contemporary makers.

• Name — Mischa Mischakoff • Native Name — Міша Мішаков • Birth Name — Mykhailo Isaakovych Fishberg • Born — 16 April 1895 • Birthplace — Proskuriv, Russian Empire (now Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine) • Died — 1 February 1981 • Place of death — Petoskey, Michigan, US • Occupation — Violinist

Mischakoff was survived by his wife, Hortense, their two sons, Paul and Matthew and their daughter, Anne Mischakoff Heiles. Anne played in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with her father. She later wrote his biography, published in 2006.