John Ronayne:JOHN RONAYNE, who has died aged aged 77, was an outstanding violinist, initially in Ireland and subsequently in London. He toured Russia withthe London Philharmonic and was leader of the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Orchestra.
For the first 18 years of his life, John Ronayne lived in two rooms in Capel Street with his parents and two sisters. His father, a van-driver at Eason's and keen amateur violinist, bought him a little tin fiddle from Woolworths when he was aged four.
His enthusiasm for the instrument soon waned, but a year or two later he asked his father to teach him to play. Money was short, but his father bought him a quarter-sized violin and taught him initially before enrolling him for lessons at the Municipal School of Music at the age of seven.
His teacher was Michael McNamara, a genial man who had a wonderful way with children.
John progressed quickly and soon became leader of the junior orchestra, displaying at an early age the leadership qualities which were to define his later career.
He won many prizes at the annual Feis Ceoil and, playing in the little concerts organised by McNamara, built the confidence every performer needs.
He was educated by the Christian Brothers at Mary's Place, where only Irish was spoken. Homework was done at the kitchen table, with the radio blaring and a stream of people coming and going. He kept up his Irish and enjoyed exploring the history and rich culture of his native land.
One day, by chance, John picked up a copy of Dubliners and became a lifelong devotee of James Joyce. His only recreation, a weekly visit to the cinema, also nurtured an abiding interest in film and film-making. His first job at 16 was playing interval music in a piano trio at the Gate Theatre, while continuing his education at the Dalton Tutorial School.
John MacKenzie, his violin teacher at the time, introduced him to recordings of the great Lithuanian-born violinist Jascha Heifetz, who became his idol and inspiration.
In 1948 John Ronayne joined the Radio Éireann Light Orchestra as second violin, and in the following year moved to the symphony orchestra.
When the well-known violinist and teacher Max Rostal came from London to perform with the orchestra, John played to him. The outcome was a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music in London, covering tuition fees only.
The prospect was daunting but characteristically, he took a gamble and resigned from the symphony orchestra.
His first teacher in London was Reginald Morley who helped him to get work as an extra with orchestras as well as dance bands.
After a year he joined Max Rostal's master class where, above all, he learned instrumental discipline. During this time he met the pianist Elgin Strub who came from a distinguished German musical family. They married in 1955, forming a musical as well as a domestic partnership.
Hearing that the London Philharmonic Orchestra was to be the first western orchestra to tour Russia since the end of the war, he joined as an extra to see and experience Moscow, the place that had produced so many world class violinists, including Jascha Heifetz.
Then, in 1958, he was offered the co-leadership of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Thomas Beecham.
In 1963, Tibor Paul offered him the leadership of the RTÉSO. By this time there were three children and the whole family moved to Dublin. In the following two years, he gave many first performances in Dublin including violin concertos by Prokofieff and Richard Strauss and, together with his wife, works by Schönberg, Webern and Pfitzner.
It was a happy time, but an invitation to become leader of the Bavarian Radio Orchestra in Munich seemed too good to miss, so the family moved to Munich. After a year's trial period Ronayne was offered the position "for life", but he was only 34, and for life sounded very final.
Regretfully, the family returned to London and, after a brief spell with the RPO, he decided to join the session world.
There he met great performers from other musical fields: Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, the Beatles, Sammy Davis jnr and, especially, Frank Sinatra, with whom he toured to Milan, Tehran, Tokyo - and The Point in Dublin,
He admired Sinatra's professionalism, always a top priority in Ronayne's assessment of performers, and his phrasing which, he discovered, had been developed through listening to recordings of Heifetz!
Ronayne hung up his violin 10 years ago without regret. He had travelled the world and experienced the greatest conductors, including Klemperer, Beecham, Stokowski and Kempe. He retired happily to enjoy his books, his collection of records and videos, and time to talk to his friends.
He was much admired in the profession and his sense of humour and witty sayings made him a popular colleague. He leaves his wife of 54 years, a daughter, two sons and four grandsons.
John Ronayne: born October 16th, 1931; died June 28th, 2009.