Who was the first famous violinist?

The first famous violinist was Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770). Born in Pirano, in the Republic of Venice, Tartini started playing the violin at a young age. He studied with the violinist Gasparo Visconti and made his public debut in 1716. Tartini quickly became one of the most renowned violinists of his time, and his fame spread throughout Europe. He wrote many books and treatises on violin playing and composed over 400 works for the violin, including "The Devil's Trill" (Sonata in G Minor), one of the most challenging and famous works for the instrument.

Tartini played the "Salabue", a Stradivarius violin.