Nigel Kennedy

Nigel Kennedy, born in 1956, British concert violinist, one of the most popular classical musicians in Britain. Kennedy is known for appearing in unusually informal attire during his solo performances of classical music (see Music, Western), as well as for his forays into jazz and rock music. Born in Brighton, England, Kennedy studied the violin at the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music in Surrey, England, and, beginning in 1972, at the Juilliard School of Performing Arts in New York City. He made his debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall in London in 1977. He has since toured around the world with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Symphony, the Manchester, England-based Hallé Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

Kennedy's performances of concertos by English composer Sir Edward Elgar and by German composer Felix Mendelssohn are particularly admired. He has regularly played jazz with French jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli, including concerts at the Edinburgh Festival, in Scotland, in 1974, and Carnegie Hall, in New York City, in 1976. His recording of the Four Seasons by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi topped the music charts in Britain for over a year. Kennedy has been senior vice president of Aston Villa Football (soccer) Club since 1990, and in 1991 published Always Playing, his autobiography.