Musician and teacher; Born November 12, 1943; Died November 17, 2007.
Nigel Murray, who has died aged 64, spent 16 years as director of music at St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh and was one of the most gifted and admired musicians in Scotland.
He grew up in Aberdeen with music all around him. His father, David Murray, was director of music at St Machar's Cathedral in Aberdeen, head of music at a city school and had worked at Haddo House with Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears.
Nigel studied at the Royal College of Music in London with Leonard Hirsh, and also with Wolfgang Schneiderhan in Lucerne and Franco Gulli in Italy. After his professional career as a player was affected by an arm injury, he took a BSc in psychology at Edinburgh University. He later studied with Eli Goren and with Norbert Brainin, leader of the Amadeus String Quartet. After graduating he played with many of the UK's most prestigious orchestras, including the Academy of St Martin in The Fields, the Yehudi Menuhin Festival Orchestra, the Bath Festival orchestra, the London Mozart Players and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1973 he came north to St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh, where he undertook violin teaching, as well as coaching chamber music and conducting the orchestra - he had studied conducting in St Petersburg - and spent some years teaching violin in both the senior department of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama as well as privately. He became director of music at St Mary's Music School in 1980 and remained in that position until 1996, when he became director of the Lochaber Music School.
At his thanksgiving service in Edinburgh's Stockbridge Church, his favourite psalm 121 was sung with fervour, led from the organ by his nephew, Graeme Stevenson. There was J S Bach - the slow movement of the concerto for two violins played by two friends and former colleagues, partnered at the piano by Steven Osborne.
A bitter blow to him was the death earlier this year of his beloved twin sister, Lorna. In their final months, both Lorna and Nigel were cared for with love by their sister, Linda. By Russell Reid
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