Nigel Kennedy

While in England, John developed a relationship with an English pianist, Scylla Stoner, with whom he eventually toured in 1952 as part of the Llewellyn-Kennedy Piano Trio (with the violinist Ernest Llewellyn; Stoner was billed as "Scylla Kennedy" after she and John married).

But they ultimately divorced, and John returned to Australia.

Kennedy was born in Brighton.

A child prodigy, as a 10-year-old he picked out Fats Waller tunes on the piano after hearing his stepfather's jazz records.

At the age of 7, he became a pupil at the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music.

He later studied at the Juilliard School in New York City with Dorothy DeLay.

While there he helped to pay for his studies by busking with fellow student and cellist Thomas Demenga.

At the age of 16, Kennedy was invited by jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli to appear with him at New York's Carnegie Hall.

Nigel Kennedy (born 28 December 1956) is an English violinist and violist.

His early career was primarily spent performing classical music, and has since expanded into jazz, klezmer, and other music genres.

Kennedy's grandfather was Lauri Kennedy, principal cellist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and his grandmother was Dorothy Kennedy, a pianist.

Lauri and Dorothy Kennedy were Australian, while their son, the cellist John Kennedy, was born in England.

After graduating from the Royal Academy of Music in London, at age 22, John joined the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, later becoming the principal cellist of Sir Thomas Beecham's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

He made his recording debut in 1984 with Elgar's Violin Concerto.

His subsequent recording of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons with the English Chamber Orchestra in 1989 sold over two million copies and earned a place as one of the best-selling of all classical recordings.

The album remained at the top of the UK classical charts for over a year, with total sales of over three million units.

He returned to the international concert platform in the mid-1990s.

Kennedy's autobiography, Always Playing, was published in 1991.

In 1992, Kennedy announced the end of his career in classical music.

Around this time, he recorded the album Music in Colours with Stephen Duffy.

In other music genres, Kennedy recorded a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Fire" for the 1993 album Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix.

The same year, he made an appearance on Robert Plant's solo album Fate of Nations on the track "Calling to you".

In 1997, he received an award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music at the BRIT Awards, and in 2001 received the 'Male Artist of the Year' award.

In 1999, Sony Classical released The Kennedy Experience, which featured improvisational recordings based on Hendrix compositions.

In 2000, he recorded Riders on the Storm: The Doors Concerto (with Jaz Coleman), a violin-based orchestral version of Doors songs, including "Strange Days", "L.A. Woman", "The End", and "Riders on the Storm".

On 27 November 2000, Kennedy joined rock group The Who at the Royal Albert Hall to play the violin solo in the song "Baba O'Riley", released three years later on the album Live at the Royal Albert Hall.

Kennedy also played on several tracks – including "Experiment IV" – by British singer-songwriter Kate Bush, who was a guest on Kennedy's episode of This Is Your Life.

He was featured on two of Sarah Brightman's songs for her 2003 album Harem.

He has explored Klezmer music with the Polish jazz band Kroke.

In late 2005, Kennedy recorded his first album for the Blue Note jazz label, released as Blue Note Sessions, with Ron Carter on double bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums and saxophonist Joe Lovano.

Kennedy returned to the 2008 Proms after an absence of 21 years, performing Elgar's Violin Concerto and a late-night Prom with the Nigel Kennedy Quintet.

He was appointed artistic director of the Polish Chamber Orchestra and in 2010, founded the Orchestra of Life, an ensemble of mainly Polish musicians.

In August 2013, he again returned to the Proms performing The Four Seasons at a concert featuring Kennedy with a group of young Palestinian musicians, the Palestine Strings from the Edward Said Conservatory of Music, and the Orchestra of Life.

According to Michael Church of The Independent, in the first movement "Spring", Kennedy "swerved off-course with a flurry of bird-tweets followed by a jazz riff from his bassist; the staccato chords of the next movement were decorated by a microtonal Arabic riff from one of the guest players".

Near the end of the concert, the BBC removed the violinist's attribution of apartheid to Israel from the television broadcast on BBC4.

The comments were broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

A representative of the Corporation said they did not "fall within the editorial remit of the Proms as a classical music festival."

Kennedy said:

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's a bit facile to say it but we all know from experiencing this night of music tonight, that given equality, and getting rid of apartheid, gives a beautiful chance for amazing things to happen."

Kennedy objected to the removal of his remarks from the broadcast.