[1] Because of Brainin's Jewish origin, he was driven out of Vienna after Hitler's Anschluss of 1938, as were Amadeus violinist Siegmund Nissel and violist Peter Schidlof.

Like many Jewish refugees, they had the misfortune of being confined by the British as "enemy aliens" after reaching the UK.

Finally Schidlof and Nissel were released, and the three were able to study with violin pedagogue Max Rostal, who taught them free of charge.

[citation needed] Brainin won the 1946 Carl Flesch International Violin Competition, which Rostal co-founded.

In 1992, he performed a benefit concert in Washington, D.C. for then-jailed presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche.