Born in 1934 into a musical family, Desmond Bradley was playing from a very young age with great encouragement from his parents, who were both professional musicians. By the age of seven years, he already had under his belt performances on local radio in his home town of Melbourne, Australia. In an effort to continue his rise, the good people of Australia kindly raised enough money for him to move to Paris at the age of 16 years to study with George Enescu. Upon completing these studies, and having moved to London, he began to make his mark by entering the scene and competing in the most prestigious competitions, including the 1959 Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition.

Having given his debut recital at London’s Wigmore Hall on 1st December 1953, the first of 6 Wigmore Hall recitals, Desmond Bradley went on to have a very successful career as soloist and concert master in London and elsewhere. His achievements include a self-funded recording and performances of Paganini’s 24 Caprices in the mid-to-late 1960s , later released on EMI Classics, and the composition of three symphonies, a violin concerto and numerous other works. He died in 1992, after battling a long illness, leaving behind his wife and three sons.