{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} [[File:Yfrah Neaman 4.jpg|thumb|Yfrah Neaman]] '''Professor Yfrah Neaman, [[OBE]] FGSM''' (13 February 1923<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2003-01-08 |title=Obituary: Yfrah Neaman |url=http://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/jan/08/guardianobituaries1 |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> &ndash; 4 January 2003), was a violinist and teacher.

== Early life == Neaman was born in [[Sidon]], [[Lebanon]].<ref name=":0" /> He lived in [[Tel Aviv]] until 1932 when he moved to Paris to study at the [[Paris Conservatoire]]. In 1937 at the age of 14 he won the Premier Prix, the youngest ever student to do so. After his studies in Paris, Neaman travelled to London to study with [[Carl Flesch]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=|date=2015-04-07|title=Studying the violin with Carl Flesch|url=https://www.thestrad.com/playing-and-teaching/studying-the-violin-with-carl-flesch/5193.article|access-date=2020-05-09|website=The Strad|language=en}}</ref> and in 1939 returned to France to study with [[Jacques Thibaud]]. Following the German invasion of France in 1940, Neaman settled in London where he continued his studies with [[Max Rostal]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 January 2003 |title=Obituary: Yfrah Neaman |language=en |work=[[The Times]] |url=https://www.thetimes.com/comment/register/article/yfrah-neaman-hw08rcs673k |access-date=2023-01-13 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref>

== Career == [[File:Agate Ego 7 re Yfrah Neaman.pdf|thumb|James Agate's review of Neaman's London debut, 1944]] Once settled in London Neaman met [[Myra Hess|Dame Myra Hess]] and [[Howard Ferguson (composer)|Howard Ferguson]], both of whom became life-long friends. They invited him to play for their National Gallery lunchtime concert series and during the next few years Neaman gave 15 National Gallery concerts.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1995-03-02|title=Wartime at the National Gallery|language=en-GB|pages=106|work=The Radio Times|issue=3711|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/93d5564b55204c36a80a696d442a53cf|access-date=2020-05-09|issn=0033-8060|archive-date=20 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320180257/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/93d5564b55204c36a80a696d442a53cf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Neaman taught at the [[Guildhall School of Music|Guildhall School of Music and Drama]] from 1958 until his death, first as Professor of Violin, then as Head of Advanced Solo Studies. His students included [[Simon Fischer (musician)|Simon Fischer]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Biography |url=https://www.simonfischeronline.com/biography.html |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=SIMON FISCHER ONLINE |language=en}}</ref> In 1998 he was made Emeritus Professor in recognition of his 40 years' service to the School. He gave masterclasses all over the world and as a guest professor had his own class four times a year at the [[Peter Cornelius Conservatory|Peter Cornelius Konservatorium]] in Mainz, Germany, from 1973 until his death. He was also Specialist Consultant to [[Wells Cathedral School|Wells Cathedral Music School]] for over 30 years. He held the Hengrave Summer Course for more than 25 years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/about_the_school/alumni/our_alumni_community/staff_obituaries/person/1025-yfrah-neaman/|title=Yfrah Neaman &#124; Guildhall School of Music & Drama|access-date=30 January 2022|archive-date=30 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130065823/https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/about_the_school/alumni/our_alumni_community/staff_obituaries/person/1025-yfrah-neaman/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Awards == Neaman received many international and UK awards, including the Gutenberg-Plakette of the City of Mainz, Germany, in 1997, the [[Walter Willson Cobbett Medal|Cobbet Medal]] of the Worshipful Company of Musicians in 1997, and the [[Freedom of the City of London]] in 1980. He was appointed an Officer of the [[Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in 1983.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49375/supplement/1|title=The London Gazette|last=|first=|date=10 June 1983|website=www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49375/supplement/1|series=Supplement:49375|publisher=|page=11|access-date=}}</ref>

==Death== Yfrah Neaman died of cancer on January 4, 2003, at age 79 in London, survived by his wife Gillian, son Sam and daughter Rachel.<ref name=":0" />

==See also== *[[List of British Jews]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/jan/08/guardianobituaries1 ''The Guardian'' obituary] * [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/professor-yfrah-neaman-138189.html ''Independent'' obituary] * [https://www.thetimes.com/comment/register/article/yfrah-neaman-hw08rcs673k ''The Times'' obituary] * [http://www.gsmd.ac.uk/about_the_school/alumni/our_alumni_community/staff_obituaries/person/1025-yfrah-neaman/ Guildhall School of Music & Drama obituary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703141447/https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/about_the_school/alumni/our_alumni_community/staff_obituaries/person/1025-yfrah-neaman/ |date=3 July 2020 }} * {{Cite news|date=12 February 1952|title=Yfrah Neaman, Violinist, To Give Community Concert|volume=LIII|page=1|work=[[Montana Kaimin]]|issue=61|url=https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3829&context=studentnewspaper|access-date=16 August 2021}} *[https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/000313137802800404 Yfrah Neaman, 'International Competitions. A Constructive or Destructive Influence'], ''American String Teacher'', vol.28, issue 4, 1 November 1978 *[https://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/events/performers/5ef78fcf-9162-403a-81c4-7de83bdc873e/performances Performances of Yfrah Neaman at BBC Proms] *[https://varnasummerfest.org/en/summer-academy/history History of the Summer Academy – Varna Summer IMF] *[https://www.discogs.com/artist/917044-Yfrah-Neaman Yfrah Neaman Discography]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Neaman, Yfrah}} [[Category:1923 births]] [[Category:2003 deaths]] [[Category:Lebanese Jews]] [[Category:British classical violinists]] [[Category:British people of Lebanese-Jewish descent]] [[Category:British male violinists]] [[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Jewish classical musicians]] [[Category:Violin educators]] [[Category:Jewish British musicians]] [[Category:Jewish violinists]] [[Category:Lebanese emigrants to the United Kingdom]] [[Category:20th-century classical violinists]] [[Category:20th-century British musicians]] [[Category:20th-century British male musicians]] [[Category:Male classical violinists]] [[Category:Lebanese expatriates in Mandatory Palestine]] [[Category:Lebanese expatriates in France]]