Violinist Matthew Raimondi has Died, Aged 96

A member of the New Music Quartet and the Composers String Quartet, Raimondi was fiercely committed to new music

The violinist Matthew Raimondi, who was a new music specialist and premiered a great many new compositions, has passed away at the age of 96.

Raimondi's fascination with new music began early, and at the age of 19, he became a founder member of the New Music Quartet alongside violinist Broadus Erle, violist Walter Trampler, and cellist Claus Adam. Over the next decade, the quartet made premiere recordings on both the Bartók and Columbia labels — of works including Bartók's Third Quartet and Hugo Wolf's Quartet in D minor.

Later, he became a member of the Composers String Quartet (CSQ), which performed works by more than 60 living American composers and undertook international tours. The quartet were particular specialists in the music of Elliott Carter, and sold out a recital of his Second and Third Quartets in 1975, adding a second recital two days later for those who missed out the first time.

Later, the players were named as the dedicatees of Carter's Fourth Quartet, and they gave its premiere performance in 1986. The CSQ also specialized in the music of the American composer Ruth Crawford Seeger.

Raimondi also appeared in David Newman’s Quintet and Tentet, the Julliard Quartet, Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers, and the Yale Quartet. In 1988, he served as a tone judge for The Violin Society of America.

A hugely versatile player, Raimondi could be found appearing in performances and on recordings across multiple genres. He was a skilled jazz player and appeared on records with Louis Armstrong and Wynton Marsalis, but also recorded with artists as varied as Frank Sinatra, Lenny Kravitz, Carly Simon, Stevie Nicks, and Dawn Upshaw.

Alongside his wife Natalie, Raimondi was also the founder of the Mt. Desert Festival of Chamber Music in Northeast Harbor, Maine.

Our condolences to Raimondi's family, friends, and colleagues.