US new music violinist dies at 96

Matthew Raimondi died in Bar Harbor, Maine, at the age of 96 on Saturday, October 19. He is survived by his wife, Natalie, and daughter, Diana, and scores of friends and fellow musicians with whom he worked in New York City for more than 50 years.

With his wife, he founded the Mt. Desert Festival of Chamber Music in Northeast Harbor, Maine, in 1963. The festival will celebrate its 62nd season in summer 2025. In addition to anchoring the festival until 1996, he served as first violinist of the Composers String Quartet for more than 30 years and was a member of the New Music Quartet in the 1950s. He worked closely with such prominent figures in twentieth-century music as Igor Stravinsky, Elliott Carter, John Cage, Luigi Dallapiccola, Milton Babbitt, Morton Feldman, and many others. He was involved in countless first performances. He also worked with many popular music stars such as Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Wynton Marsalis, James Brown, and others. A graduate of Columbia University and Juilliard, he taught at Columbia, Juilliard, the New England Conservatory, Vassar College, Oberlin College, and the Aspen Music Festival. As soloist and chamber musician, he performed throughout the world.

photo: Composers String Quartet 1980s; Jean Dane, violist; Matthew Raimondi, violinist; Mark Shuman, cellist; Anahid Ajemian, violinist.