Didier Lockwood (11 February 1956 – 18 February 2018) was a French jazz violinist. He played in the progressive rock/jazz fusion band Magma in the 1970s and was known for his use of electric amplification and experimentation on different sounds on the electric violin.
In 1979, Lockwood released his first album as a leader,
New World,
and recorded more than 20 albums.
In 1994, he moved to New York City for two years. During that time he recorded two albums,
New York Rendez Vous and
Storyboard. Lockwood’s influences include violinist
Jean-Luc Ponty. He started playing electric violin after hearing Ponty on the album
King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa.
Another important influence was Frenchman
Stéphane Grappelli. In 2000, Lockwood recorded a tribute album to Grappelli.