Background
He grew up in Saint St. Petersburg, then moved with his family to New York City as a boy.
He grew up in Saint St. Petersburg, then moved with his family to New York City as a boy.
He founded the Musical Art Quartet from 1927-1933. Later he taught at Juilliard. Among his pupils were Julius Hegyi and Zvi Zeitlin.
In the 1950s Jacobsen served as concertmaster in the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Alfred Wallenstein.
He played the Red Diamond Stradivarius violin (see the story about its loss and restoration at ). Jacobsen is one of the subjects of George Gershwin"s 1922 song "Mischa, Jascha, Toscha, Sascha".