Yitzhak-Meir (Isaac) Gitlis, also known as Ivry Gitlis, was a renowned Israeli violinist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. He was born on August 25, 1922, in Haifa, Israel, to Jewish parents who emigrated from Ukraine in 1921.
Gitlis began playing the violin at the age of five, and his talent was soon recognized by his teacher, Mme Velikovsky. He then studied with Mira Ben-Ami, a pupil of Joseph Szigeti, and later with Marcel Chailley in Paris. At the age of eight, he played for Bronisław Huberman, which led to a fundraising campaign to allow him to study in France.
In 1933, Gitlis moved to Paris with his mother, where he continued his studies with Chailley and was introduced to George Enescu and Jacques Thibaud. He entered the Conservatoire de Paris at the age of 11 and graduated in 1935.
