Yehudi Menuhin was a legend in his own time. Born in April 1916 in New York of Russian-Jewish parents, he made his extraordinary debut at the age of seven, playing Lalo's notoriously difficult Symphonie espagnole with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. By the time he was eleven he had made historic debuts in Paris and New York, at twelve in Berlin and at thirteen in London, thus launching himself on a career that was to take him all over the world in the ensuing decades, playing with leading conductors and orchestras. Alongside his renown as a great musician, he is equally remembered for his committed humanitarianism, exemplified by his championship of young musicians and his work for international understanding and the many causes close to his synoptic mind and generous spirit. Yehudi Menuhin was made a life peer in 1993 after having received the Order of Merit from H.M. the Queen. Other honours include the Grand Cross of Merit from both Germany and Spain, the Grand Officier de la Legion d'Honneur from France and the Ordre de la Couronne from Belgium.
He was an Honorary Doctor of thirty universities in different countries, including Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews and the Sorbonne.