The collection contains primarily sound recordings of performances of Jascha Heifetz, but it also includes recordings of other artists, some of whom were collaborators with Heifetz, as well as one recording of his teacher, Leopold Auer. There are 920 10" and 12" sound discs, including test pressings, instantaneous discs and commercially released records. Most of the discs are 78 rpm recordings, but there are also a few 33 1/3 rpm discs. In addition to audio discs, the collection contains 1/4" magnetic tape recordings on 88 open reels. 61 of the tapes, made between December 14, 1954 and November 21, 1972, include date information on the boxes. 27 of the tapes are in boxes which are undated; however, recording dates for most of those tapes have been provided in the donor's inventory, which is also included in the collection.

Jascha Heifetz, legendary American violinist, was born in Vilnius on February 2, 1901. His first teacher was his own father, but he also studied with Elias Malkin before being accepted into the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1910. He studied first with Leopold Auer's assistant, Nalbandyan, and then with Auer himself. Heifetz had impressed audiences from the age of six when he performed Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. At the age of ten he performed in St. Petersburg, and his highly successful Berlin debut took place on May 23, 1912. Later that same year he performed with the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Arthur Nikisch. In 1917 Heifetz was offered the opportunity to perform a concert tour of the United States, and on October 27 that year he made his Carnegie Hall debut. In 1925 Heifetz became an American citizen.

26 boxes (16.8 linear ft.): 21 boxes of 10" and 12" sound discs (11.4 linear ft.); 5 boxes of 12" open reel tapes (5.4 linear ft.)

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