Artistic Legacy

Ms. Ayke Agus was the last accompanist and music collaborator of the great Russian-American violinist Jascha Heifetz.

It seems that from the moment she had joined his master class at USC, Jascha Heifetz expressed a marked interest in Ms. Agus' artistic development. After a chance piano performance in his class, for which she was publicly complimented by the master, Heifetz had asked her to became the regular master class piano accompanist. Later her role extended to also becoming his private piano accompanist and it was under his private tutelage that both her piano and violin career flourished.

As their collaboration continue to deepen, Ms. Agus was able to assist Mr. Heifetz in completing many of his transcriptions for violin and piano, play them with, and for him and thus acquire a unique insight into the great master at work.

From her vantage position of fifteen years spent with Mr. Heifetz, Ms. Agus was able to learn and assimilate much of the master's musical legacy. During countless hours of music-making, he openly discussed with her the art of composition, accompaniment, musical collaboration, chamber music and most other topics pertinent to the performance of music - much beyond what was commonly shared in the master class. He freely demonstrated, sometimes for hours on end, on his violin or on the piano and, owing to his own proficiency at the keyboard, he was also able to advise and enrich her piano playing as well.

Ms. Agus took part in chamber music evenings in which Heifetz's colleague and friend, the great Russian-American cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, as well as other musicians, took part and she often played the piano in those music soirées. It is truly impossible to overestimate the value of such musical encounters nor their lasting impression on a young, developing musician, who was able to watch and absorb first hand the rich musical legacy embodied and revealed by such eminent musicians.

Having enjoyed for years the undivided musical attention of Jascha Heifetz, Ms. Agus is nowadays uniquely equipped and able to impart to others this princely art and legacy of musical collaboration. Through her extensive coaching, privately and academically and through lectures, recitals and master classes, Ms. Agus is able to work with, and pass on, this legacy to the younger generation of musicians. By guiding them through the fine, intricate aspects of musical preparation, presentation and collaboration, Ms. Agus becomes, as she does, a nexus to a pre-eminently rich musical tradition, whose greatest protagonist was Jascha Heifetz.