Raymond Cohen was an outstanding violinist and an admired musician whose career spanned every aspect of music-making.
He was born in 1919 in Manchester, the son the Harry and Rebecca Cohen, both amateur musicians; his father gave him violin lessons from the age of 3. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School and at 13 started studying with Henry Holst, the former leader of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Holst continued to be his teacher after he won the Brodsky Scholarship to the Royal Manchester College of Music at 15. While still at college, aged 16, he became the youngest member of the Hallé Orchestra.
In 1940 he caused a sensation by performing in one concert three concertos, by Bach, Mendelssohn and Brahms, with the Hallé. But his solo career was soon interrupted by war service in the Royal Signals band. Nevertheless, in 1945, still in army uniform, he won the first Carl Flesch International Violin Competition. This achievement led to concerts all over Britain and Europe, playing as soloist with conductors including Sir John Barbirolli, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Paul Kletski, Rudolf Kempe, Pierre Monteux and Sir Thomas Beecham.
He was also in demand as leader of numerous chamber orchestras including the Goldsborough Orchestra, later named the English Chamber Orchestra. At that time the orchestra’s players included the members of the recently formed Amadeus Quartet along with many other renowned musicians.
In 1953 Cohen married the pianist Anthya Rael. They formed the Cohen Rael Duo and performed together until the end of his life. They had two children, Gillian, a violinist, and Robert, a cellist. Robert later joined his parents to form the Cohen Trio.
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In 1959 Beecham invited Cohen to become concertmaster of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he held for nearly seven years, although he continued with his solo career.
After leaving the orchestra, Cohen’s solo career took him to Russia, the United States, South Africa, New Zealand, India, Israel and much of Europe. He appeared as guest leader of the Philharmonia, the London Symphony Orchestra and various BBC orchestras.
Cohen gave the first performances in Britain of the Kabalevsky violin concerto and the Shostakovich violin and piano sonata, and the first performance of the Nikos Skalkottas violin concerto in the composer’s native Greece at the Athens Festival. He loved “light” music and jazz, and led Frank Sinatra’s orchestra in London and on tours in Europe, Iran and Egypt. He also led orchestras in the music for a number of films including Sleuth and many of the James Bond films, and for TV series such as Brideshead Revisited and Yes Minister.
He recorded for Pye, Delyse, CRD and Meridian among others. He was also an inspiring teacher, with a professorship at the Royal College of Music.
He is survived by his wife Anthya and their daughter and son.
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Raymond Cohen, musician, was born on July 27, 1919. He died on January 28, 2011, aged 91