{{Multiple issues| {{Notability|1=Biographies|date=March 2026}} {{BLP sources|date=March 2026}} }} '''Desmond Cecil, CMG''' (born 19 October 1941) is a Swiss violinist, British diplomat (CMG); civil nuclear adviser to the UK, Russian, French Governments, and pro bono European Arts Charity trustee/supporter.
==Early life and education== He studied at [[Headington]] County Primary School, [[Magdalen College School, Oxford]], [[The Queen’s College, Oxford]] (MA), violin/viola with Prof. [[Max Rostal]] in [[Bern]], Switzerland<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-23 |title=Desmond Cecil: My time with violinist Max Rostal |url=https://www.thestrad.com/playing-hub/desmond-cecil-my-time-with-violinist-max-rostal/12002.article |website=The Strad}}</ref> and Sascha Lasserson in London, oboe with Prof. [[Joy Boughton]] in London.
==Career== From 1965-70 he worked as a professional violinist/oboist in Switzerland, including as leader of the [[Neuchâtel]] Printemps Orchestra and violin professor at the [[Herzogenbuchsee]] State Academy. A fluent multi-linguist, from 1970-95 he was a British senior diplomat, with postings in Bonn, Geneva (Press), and Vienna (Chargé) for the [[Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office|Foreign and Commonwealth Office]]. Here, he was promoted to under-secretary level and was awarded the [[Order of St Michael and St George|CMG]] by Her Majesty Queen [[Elizabeth II]]. From 1995 he worked in the civil nuclear industry, including as Senior Advisor to British Nuclear Fuels (now known as [[Great British Energy – Nuclear]]) on nuclear environment projects in [[Russia]], for which he was formally thanked by the Russian government<ref>https://pushkin-house.squarespace.com/blog/the-wandering-civil-servant-of-stradivarius</ref>, Senior Vice-President/Expert Chair to [[Areva]] (France), and on the Board of the UK [[Nuclear Industry Association]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Desmond Hugh Cecil |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/DT57YLNC-BbszAqEvlCU92yAQjc/appointments |website=Companies House, Government of the United Kingdom}} </ref>
From 1995 – present he has worked pro bono for arts charities,<ref name=":0" /> including the Council of the [[Royal Philharmonic Society]], the Trust/Council of the [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Desmond Cecil CMG |url=https://lpo.org.uk/people/desmond-cecil-cmg/ |website=London Philharmonic Orchestra}}</ref> the Board of Voices for Hospices, the Queen’s College Oxford Development Committee, chairing the UK Friends of the Leipzig [[Mendelssohn Foundation]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=UK Friends of the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Foundation |url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/about-the-register-of-charities/-/charity-details/4020994/trustees?_uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet_organisationNumber=4020994 |website=Charity Commission for England and Wales}}</ref> and as International Representative of the [[Menuhin Festival Gstaad|Gstaad Menuhin Festival]] (formerly known as the Menuhin Festival Gstaad)<ref>https://www.classical-music.uk/features/article/family-matters-at-the-2026-menuhin-festival-gstaad</ref>. Former Chairman and Trustee of the [[Athenaeum Club, London]].
==Books published== *''A Violin by Antonio Stradivari 1724'' (self-published monograph)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cecil |first=Desmond |url=https://www.thestradshop.com/store/dcecil/product/a-violin-by-antonio-stradivari-1724-limited-edition-monograph/ |title=A Violin By Antonio Stradivari 1724 |date=2017 |isbn=978-0-9955944-0-1}}</ref> *''The Wandering Civil Servant of Stradivarius''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cecil |first=Desmond |url=https://quartetbooks.co.uk/shop/the-wandering-civil-servant-of-stradivarius/ |title=The Wandering Civil Servant of Stradivarius |date=2021 |publisher=Quartet Books |isbn=9780704374812}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-07 |title=The Wandering Civil Servant of Stradivarius |url=https://diplomatmagazine.com/the-wandering-civil-servant-of-stradivarius |website=The Diplomat}}</ref>
==Honours== *1995 Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael & St. George (CMG)<ref>{{Cite web |date=1995-12-30 |title=Supplement to the London Gazette |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/54255/supplement/3/data.pdf |website=London Gazette}}</ref> *2001 Official Congratulation from Russian [[Ministry of Atomic Energy]] *2012 Distinguished Friend of Oxford University Award<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=Distinguished Friends of Oxford |url=https://www.alumni.ox.ac.uk/engage/distinguished-friends-of-oxford |website=Oxford Alumni, University of Oxford}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cecil, Desmond}} [[Category:1941 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Swiss violinists]] [[Category:Alumni of the Queen's College, Oxford]]