# Heimo Haitto > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Heimo_Haitto > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Heimo_Haitto.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heimo_Haitto > Source revision: 1337450841 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Heimo Verneri Haitto**[1] (22 May 1925 – 9 June 1999) was a [Finnish](/source/Finland)-[American](/source/United_States) classical violinist who played in several U.S. symphony orchestras. A child prodigy, he was characterized as “Finland’s Jascha Heifetz”.[2] ## Career Heimo Haitto was born in [Viipuri](/source/Vyborg), [Finland](/source/Finland),[3] to a family in which the father, a locomotive driver, was an amateur violinist. The son started to play violin as well, and the Russian-born pedagogue [Boris Sirpo](/source/Boris_Sirpo) (1893–1967) took him not only as a student but as a foster son and raised him in [Viipuri](/source/Vyborg). In 1939, the 13-year-old Haitto made his début with the [Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra](/source/Helsinki_Philharmonic_Orchestra), and later that year he won the [British Council](/source/British_Council) music prize.[3][4] The young violinist become famous, and his story inspired a fictional film, *Pikku pelimanni* (The Little Player) of 1939, in which Haitto played the leading role. During the [Winter War](/source/Winter_War), Haitto partook a [Red Cross](/source/Red_Cross) concert tour which also visited the United States for the benefit of Finland.[5] Haitto played at [Carnegie Hall](/source/Carnegie_Hall) with Sir [John Barbirolli](/source/John_Barbirolli), among other venues, and appeared in the 1941 film *[The Hard-Boiled Canary](/source/The_Hard-Boiled_Canary)*.[3][6] In 1942 Haitto and Sirpo settled down in [Portland, Oregon](/source/Portland,_Oregon), and Haitto studied with [Ivan Galamian](/source/Ivan_Galamian) in 1943–1945. Haitto was known for his virtuosity: he played the compositions of [Niccolò Paganini](/source/Niccol%C3%B2_Paganini) in a faultless way, and he loved the music of [J. S. Bach](/source/J._S._Bach). In 1945 Haitto became U.S. citizen and he married the cellist Beverly Le Beck, a wealthy heiress. They moved to [Hollywood](/source/Hollywood,_Los_Angeles) and Haitto worked with the film industry, then he joined the [Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra](/source/Los_Angeles_Philharmonic_Orchestra) and played there till 1956. From the 1940s to 1960s, he also toured Finland and was awakened to Christianity in 1956. He played shorter periods also as a [leader](/source/Leader_(orchestra)) in the [Metropolitan Opera](/source/Metropolitan_Opera) orchestra and [Hawaii Symphony](/source/Hawaii_Symphony). Haitto and Le Beck had two children, Nick and Kaarina. After that, Haitto and his family moved to [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland) and then [Mexico](/source/Mexico), where he got the position of the leader in the [Bellas Artes symphony orchestra](/source/National_Symphony_Orchestra_(Mexico)), but ultimately his wife filed for a divorce because of his alcoholism and gambling. A dramatic change followed: Haitto left his family altogether, abandoned the violin and started to live as a vagabond in the U.S. and in [Canada](/source/Canada). The wandering life lasted till mid-1970s, when Haitto met the journalist Eva Vastari and they were married in [Las Vegas](/source/Las_Vegas) in 1976. Haitto started to work as a musician again: he toured with his wife, accompanying her poetry recitals, first in the U.S., then they settled in Finland. He played in the Savonlinna Orchestra and the Joensuu Orchestra and taught at Savonlinna Conservatoire. He wrote two volumes of memoirs, remembering his wandering years. Another film about his life followed in 1985: *[Da Capo](/source/Da_Capo_(film))* by [Pirjo Honkasalo](/source/Pirjo_Honkasalo) and [Pekka Lehto](/source/Pekka_Lehto). ## Death and legacy In the 1990s, Haitto suffered from hearing problems and he wasn't able to play anymore. He spent his last years in [Marbella](/source/Marbella), [Spain](/source/Spain), with his wife, and died in 1999. He was buried in Marbella, but five years later his remains were moved to [Helsinki](/source/Helsinki)'s [Hietaniemi cemetery](/source/Hietaniemi_cemetery). Haitto made several EP, LP and tape recordings. Most of his recordings he did for Finnish Broadcasting Company [Yleisradio](/source/Yleisradio). In 2013, some archival radio recordings of [Yleisradio](/source/Yleisradio) from 1964 were released on a CD. Haitto plays the [Violin Concerto](/source/Violin_Concerto_(Sibelius)) and six Humoresques by [Jean Sibelius](/source/Jean_Sibelius). ## Discography - Heimo Haitto Plays Sibelius (Violin Concerto and Six Humoresques). RSO/Paavo Berglund. Finlandia Classics (2013) - Heimo Haitto Live in Concert (Paganini/Vieuxtemps). RSO/Arvid Jansons and Ari Angervo. Finlandia Classics (2015) - Heimo Haitto - Chaconne and Other Favourites. Finlandia Classics (2016) ## Literature - Haitto, Heimo: *Maailmalla.* Helsinki: Kirjayhtymä, 1976. ISBN 951-26-1264-X - Haitto, Heimo – Vastari, Eva: *Viuluniekka kulkurina: Heimo Haiton vaellusvuodet Yhdysvalloissa 1965–76.* Helsinki: Tammi, 1994. ISBN 951-31-0402-8 ## References 1. ["Heimo Haitto"](https://www.kansallisbiografia.fi/english/person/4391). *Kansallisbiografia*. The National Biography of Finland. Retrieved 16 September 2025. 1. ["Music: Finnish Fiddler"](https://time.com/archive/6785898/music-finnish-fiddler/). *Time*. 1940. Retrieved 16 September 2025. 1. ["Finnish Artist in Sault Monday"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108006071/heimo-haitto-1925-1999/). *The Sault Star*. March 13, 1941. p. 15. Retrieved August 21, 2022. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com) 1. ["Two Loves: Fiddle and Football"](http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/4636008). *The Mail Magazine*. 15 July 1939. p. 11. 1. Harrison, Paul (2 Aug 1940). ["Finnish Refugee, Boy Prodigy Of Violin, Stars With Other Talent"](https://books.google.com/books?id=i6UuAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Heimo+Haitto%22&pg=PA35&article_id=4057,559373). *Ottawa Citizen*. p. 14. Retrieved 8 Jul 2022. 1. ["Now Showing. Ironwood"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108006318/heimo-haitto-1925-1999/). *The Ironwood Times*. March 12, 1941. p. 10. Retrieved August 21, 2022. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com) ## External links - [Haitto, Heimo (1925–1999)](http://www.kansallisbiografia.fi/english/person/8136) at *The National Biography of Finland* (in English) - [Necrology in *Helsingin Sanomat*](https://www.hs.fi/muistot/art-2000002624871.html) (in Finnish) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Heimo Haitto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heimo_Haitto) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heimo_Haitto?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.