(-Auguste), Belgian violinist, conductor, and composer; b. Liège, July 16, 1858; d. Brussels, May 12, 1931. At the age of four Ysae began to study violin with his father, a theater conductor. At seven, he was enrolled at the Liège Conservatory as a pupil of Desire Heynberg, winning second prize in 1867. In 1869 he lef the conservatory in a dispute with his mentor, but was readmitted in 1872 as a pupil of Rodolphe Massart, winning first prize in 1873 and the silver medal in 1874. He then continued his training on scholarship at the Brussels Conservatory with Adam Tadeusz Wieniawski, and later completed his studies with HENRI VIEUXTEMPS in Paris from 1876 to 1879.

In 1879 YsaŸe became concertmaster of Bilse's orchestra in Berlin. He appeared as a soloist at Pauline Lucca's concerts in Cologne and Aachen. In Germany he met ANTON RUBINSTEIN, who took him to Russia, where he spent two winters. He also toured in Norway. In 1883 he settled in Paris, where he met CÉSAR FRANCK, V INCENT D'INDY, and other contemporary composers, and gave successful concerts.

YsaŸe formed a duo with the pianist Raoul Pugno and started a long series of concerts with him, establishing a new standard of excellence. In 1886 he married Louise Bourdeau. Franck dedicated his violin SONATA to them as a wedding present, and YsaŸe's interpretation made it famous. From 1886 to 1898 he was a professor at the Brussels Conservatory. In 1886 he also organized the YsaŸe Quartet (with Crickboom, Léon Van Hout, and Joseph Jacob).

In 1889 YsaŸe made successful appearances in England. In 1894 he made his U.S. debut, playing LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN'S Violin Concerto with the NY. Philharmonic and creating a sensation by his virtuosity. He revisited the U.S. many times, with undiminished acclaim. He began his conducting career in 1894 and established in Brussels his own orchestra, the Société des Concerts YsaŸe.

When the Germans invaded Belgium in 1914, YsaŸe fled to London, where he remained during World War I. In 1918 he made his debut as conductor with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and also led the Cincinnati May Festival. He was offered a permanent position as conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, which he held from 1918 to 1922. He then returned to Belgium and resumed leadership of the Société des Concerts YsaŸe. After the death of his first wife, he married an American pupil, Jeannette Dincin, in 1927.

YsaŸe's style of playing is best described as heroic, but his art was equally convincing in the expression of moods of exquisite delicacy and tenderness. His frequent employment of TEMPO RUBATO produced an effect of elasticity without distorting the melodic line. He was known for an unorthodox bow grip, which excluded the little finger.

YsaŸe's works include eight violin CONCERTOS, six sonatas for solo violin (1924), and other solo violin pieces, nine symphonic poems and concertolike works for violin and orchestra, Poème nocturne for violin, cello, and strings, Les Harmonies du soir for string quartet and string orchestra, Méditation for cello and string orchestra (c.1900), Trio de concert for two violins, viola, and orchestra, Amitié for two violins and orchestra, solo cello sonata, duo-violin sonata, and other CHAMBER MUSIC.

At the age of 70 YsaŸe began the composition of an opera in the Walloon dialect, Piér li Houïeu (Peter the Miner), which was produced in Liège in 1931. The composer was suffering at the time from diabetes, which had necessitated the amputation of his left foot. He began the composition of a second Walloon opera, L'Avierge di Piér but had no time to complete it. In 1937 Queen Elisabeth of Belgium inaugurated the annual Prix International Eugene YsaŸe in Brussels (its first winner was David Oistrakh).

YsaŸe's younger brother, Théophile (b. Venders, March 22, 1865; d. Nice, March 24, 1918), was a pianist and composer who participated in the Société des Concerts YsaŸe as a rehearsal conductor.