A BOLTON-born music maestro who led the Halle orchestra for a record 29 years will be buried in Manchester next week.

Violinist Martin Milner, aged 73, died at his home in Withington after a long illness and will be mourned by leading members of the music community.

He is survived by his wife Diane, a principal double bass player herself, their three sons and six children from two previous marriages.

His youngest child was born in 1965 but over the past few years Mr Milner suffered problems with his health.

He first picked up a violin when he was six years old but it was when he won the Bolton Musical Festival at the age of 10 that his father -- a headteacher at Caste Hill School and organiser of the Bolton Youth Orchestra -- realised the extent of his talent.

After expert tuition the young man went on to lead the Bolton School and Youth Orchestras before studying music in Manchester and becoming a soloist at the Halle under Sir John Barbirolli at the age of 19.

He took over the top job at the Halle in 1958 but, despite playing with the world's top musicians, he never forgot his Bolton roots and frequently returned to the town.

In 1991 he became an honorary fellow at Bolton Institute of Higher Education and met up with famous Bolton entrepreneur and personal friend, Ernest Hall.

A spokesman for the Halle said the orchestra and management were upset by the news of his death.

His funeral will be at Manchester Crematorium at 11 am on June 30.