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Thursday, May 4, 2017

Former London Sinfonietta leader Nona Liddell has died aged 89 ..

Nona Liddell (9 June 1927 – 18 April 2017) was a British violinist. She was a soloist, leader of chamber music ensembles, and a teacher. For many years she was leader of the London Sinfonietta. Nona Liddell's first solo appearance was in 1947 at the Proms, playing Vaughan Williams's The Lark Ascending with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Adrian Boult. It was the first of six appearances at the Proms; in 1983 she gave the Proms premiere of Kurt Weill's Violin Concerto, with the London Sinfonietta, a work which they also recorded. From 1957 to 1973 she was leader of the English String Quartet, and she later led the Richards Piano Quartet and London Piano Quartet. In the 1950s and 1960s she played with the English Chamber Orchestra, playing works by Benjamin Britten at the Aldeburgh Festival. She first worked with the London Sinfonietta in 1969, and was appointed leader in 1970, remaining until 1994; she often appeared with them as a soloist. She was leader of the Monteverdi Orchestra from 1973 to 1979, and appeared as guest leader of other orchestras. WIKIPEDIA VIDEO: Kenneth Leighton: Violin Concerto [Brian Priestman-BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra-Nona Liddell, violin].