Menuhin, Yehudi, Baron Menuhin

US-born violinist and conductor. His solo repertoire extended from Vivaldi to George Enescu. He recorded the Elgar Violin Concerto in 1932 with the composer conducting, and commissioned the Sonata for violin solo in 1944 from an ailing Bartók. He appeared in concert with sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, and with jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli. In March 1997 he was awarded Germany's highest honour, the Great Order of Merit. He first played in Berlin in 1928, and was the first Jewish artist to play with the Berlin Philharmonic after World War II. He was also noted for his humanitarian activities.

He made his debut with an orchestra at the age of 11 in New York. A child prodigy, he achieved great depth of interpretation, and was often accompanied on the piano by his sister Hephzibah (1921–1981). In 1959 he moved to London, becoming a British subject in 1985. He founded the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music, Stoke d'Abernon, Surrey, in 1963.