Wilfred Lehmann OAM
A life dedicated to music.
Obituary
Wilfred Lehmann OAM, born on 6 April 1929, passed away peacefully on 5 July 2025, aged 96.
Wilfred dedicated his life to music for which he was honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
His international career as a violinist, conductor and composer spanned seven decades.
Wilfred is survived by his wife Tomiko, children Azumi and Kazuto, grandchildren Ella and Charlie.
Wilfred's Life
Wilfred Lehmann (1929-2025)
The passing of Wilfred Lehmann at the considerable age of 96 sees the demise of one of Australia’s most gifted and highly regarded musicians.
Lehmann’s mother began teaching him the violin aged three: he followed in the musical footsteps of three elder musical sisters. The youngest of these, Bernice, was five years older than Wilfred and well on the way to becoming an extremely accomplished pianist: it was natural that the pair joined forces to become the best and longest lived chamber music duos in the history of Australian music making (their final recital together, in London, was when they were both octogenarians).
His talent was obvious at a very early age, when as a toddler the local Salvation Army brass band commissioned a uniform for their newest conductor. He had won many prizes and much acclaim when, at seventeen, he began taking lessons from Nathan Gutman: the teacher who, by Wilfred’s account, single-handedly transformed him into an international standard virtuoso.
Lehmann moved to England in 1952 and remained there for ten years: his working life encompassed solo concert tours, duo recitals with Bernice from 1956 onwards and first violin duties with various UK orchestras including, as concertmaster, the City Of Birmingham orchestra under the baton of Sir Adrian Boult. In 1958 he won first prize at the Carl Flesch International Violin Competition in London. Concerts in Europe, Japan and Australia followed, and, at the invitation of David Oistrakh, he performed throughout the USSR.
In 1962 Lehmann accepted an offer to lead one of Tokyo’s leading orchestras: hence began a decade in Japan as concertmaster, conductor and recital soloist. He returned to Australia in 1972, accepting a post as concertmaster and assistant conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in Brisbane. This move happily reunited him with his recital duo partner and sister Bernice, who was also domiciled in Brisbane at that time: they recorded extensively for the ABC as well as performing together either as a recital duo or as piano concerto soloist and conductor. Lehmann also began to compose seriously, his first major composition being a full-blooded, multi-movement symphony.
In 1976 Lehmann became concertmaster and assistant conductor of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. He formed the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, was twice conductor in residence at the Sewannee Summer Music Festival (at Tennessee's University of the South) and participated in the Marlboro Music Festival at the invitation of Rudolf Serkin. His musical life in the USA was augmented by more compositions and also, to his own amusement, by a lucrative sideline career as a session musician in the city’s country & western recording industry. He also discovered a new passion: flying, gaining his private pilot’s licence there. In later years, his failing eyesight deprived him of this hobby: undaunted, he carried on flying on his laptop computer via a flight simulator.
In the 1980s Lehmann brought his family back to his homeland, where he featured as conductor, leader or soloist with all of Australia’s major orchestras. He also found time to build his own violin, once he’d decided to sell on the warm-toned Guarneri del Jesu that he’d purchased at the peak of his success in Japan.
His compositions include film music (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), ballet music for the Queensland Ballet Company and set pieces for the Adelaide Violin Competition 1986-66 and the NSW Brass Band Championships 1988. His Bacchanals was chosen to represent Australian compositions at the Paris Rostrum of 1988.
Posterity will judge whether he is remembered best for his vibrant, colourful compositions, his breezy, inspiring conducting or his ability to excite or break hearts with his violin playing. He deserves to be lauded for all three. Australia has produced other composers, other conductors and other violinists, but never all three in one person.
By Felix Rigg (nephew of Wilfred)
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We were so sad to hear the news of Wilfred's passing and will always treasure memories of our shared time in Nashville. I (Alesia) particularly remember Wilfred's worldliness and panache as a member of Nashville's classical music elite. It made such an impression on a young pre-teen girl yet to embark on her own world travels. He and your family were certainly an inspiration!
Kazuto, you weren't even born yet when our family first met yours, but I (still Alesia) did meet you years later when I was living in Japan and visited Sydney. I don't know if you remember me -- you were just a teenager, but I really appreciated Wilfred's and your family's warm welcome.
I realize this isn't the most appropriate venue for asking, but my mother and I are trying to re-establish contact with all of you. Unfortunately, I think the information we have for you is old, so if one of you could reach out to me (yes, Alesia) at bibiclaude2016@gmail.com, my mother and I would love it!
With warm karma and much love from the Rocky Mountains,
Kyoko and Alesia
(P.S. I attach a recent photo of Kyoko, my daughters Bianca and Claudia and me)
While living in Nashville, Tennessee, Wilfred began taking flying lessons with me on April 19th, 1979 at Nashville Jet Center. I was the Chief Flight Instructor and would oversee Wilfred’s initial training on becoming a private pilot.
I had a variety of flight students that included businessmen, high school students, doctors, tax accountants and company executives. But my favorite students to fly with were professional musicians. They had wonderful personalities and were always enthusiastic to start each flying lesson. It was a delight to fly with them. Wilfred was one such student. Other musicians I taught to fly included the fiddle player for country music star Mel Tillis and Dolly Parton’s musical director.
Wilfred and I flew the Beechcraft Sundowner. He learned various procedures and maneuvers with numerous touch-and-go landings. Wilfred was determined to achieve his goals.
It was a beautiful fall day on October 11th, 1979. Wilfred and I walked across the ramp to Sundowner N2077L. With all checklists completed, we flew to Smyrna Airport for some more landings. Little did he know, I was confident he would solo today. After we accomplished several touch-and-go landings, I told Wilfred to turn off the runway and stop. He was a bit bewildered as to what was happening.
I said “I am getting out. You have done a great job and it’s time to solo. Do two touch-and-gos and make the third a full stop and don’t forget to come back and pick me up.” I climbed out of the plane and stood in the grass at the edge of the runway. (Smyrna was an uncontrolled airport and you could do that back in those days.)
Wilfred completed the takeoffs and landings with precision. As he taxied back towards me, I put my hitchhiker thumb out for a ride. I climbed aboard and Wilfred was grinning ear to ear.
Mission accomplished.
Lessons continued with cross-country flights. Wilfred told me he was color blind and it was difficult to distinguish some of the checkpoint landmarks on the ground. He later flew with a pair of binoculars to help him during his flights.
Wilfred and I became good friends. He invited my family to his house for dinner where we met his wife, Tomika, and his daughter, Azumi. Although I left Nashville Jet Center to pursue other aviation opportunities, Wilfred and I stayed in contact with each other. Other flight instructors would continue Wilfred’s flying lessons.
On December 18th, 1981, Wilfred completed his FAA checkride and became a certified private pilot.
Wilfred would later return to Australia were he would have many more flying adventures.
Wilfred and I kept in contact through the years with letters and an occasional phone or video call. Wilfred would send me recordings of his music compositions and we would share our flying escapades. I learned to play the cello and Wilfred wrote a cello duet for me to perform with my instructor, which I will always treasure.
Flying and music were our shared passions. I will always cherish the friendship we held.
Wilfred will be sorrowfully missed.
Jack Sprankle (B-757/767 Capt., Ret.)
The last time I had the privilege to meet Wilfred was in London in 2009. Here are some photos from the day at his sister’s, Bernice.
With fond memories,
Emily
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