Barry Griffiths

Barry Griffiths OBE (20 May 1939 – 17 September 2020) was an English violinist. During his career he was leader of three well known orchestras.

Life Griffiths was born in Birmingham in 1939, the only son of Frank Griffiths, a butcher, and his wife Margaret; they were both amateur musicians, and encouraged him to play piano and violin. He was the first leader of the Midland Youth Orchestra (founded in 1956), and went on to study at the Royal Manchester College of Music.

He joined the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra (now the BBC Philharmonic), in the 2nd violin section, in 1964, and was appointed its leader in 1972. He retired from the ENO in 2004; during retirement he conducted student orchestras, particularly the Lydian Orchestra in Kent.

He married in 1964 Angela Caldwell; they had eight children.