Ida is unique, adorable, incorrigible and irresistible. Her artistry is extraordinary, her personality equally so. She represents a bastion of fanatical devotion to music and to the violin, a beacon of unshakeable integrity. She is also charming, funny and (in the best sense) wicked. In short – she is a treasure! I first met her many years ago at a memorable recital she gave at the Wigmore Hall, and we have been firm friends ever since; we also collaborated in a performance of the Beethoven Triple concerto with Martha Argerich, and on a public interview (which she controlled effortlessly, while I sat there feeling stunned) at the Wigmore. My friendship with her has been, and continues to be, one of the great pleasures of my musical and personal life.