He is more at home at the helm of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra or playing lead violin on film soundtracks, but for the next five months David Juritz will be playing in less glamorous surroundings.

The 49-year-old violinist is to leave behind the comfort of classical recital rooms in favour of a 60,000-mile (97,000km) busking trip covering 25 countries.

Juritz, who is regarded as one of the world’s finest violinists, is making the trip to raise £500,000 for charities that bring music to poor children.

He will begin his journey tomorrow at Turnham Green Tube station, West London, with nothing but an empty wallet, a rucksack and his 18th-century violin.

Although he is confident he can raise a substantial amount through busking, Juritz hopes to attract sponsorship to reach his target. He will also have to cover all his travelling expenses with his music. “Having spent the last 25 years in concert halls I thought I would give myself something different to do.

“I used to busk as a student so rather than arrange concerts I decided to do a busking trip. I’ve got to start with an empty wallet and I’m going to have to earn some serious money to get a Eurostar ticket.”

Juritz will travel from London through Europe, Africa, Australia, India, Hong Kong and South America, before ending up in the United States.

The greatest challenge he has faced so far has been getting busking permission from London councils. He said: “My project manager has been at loggerheads with the councils, trying to get busking licences. There have been hearings and objections against me appearing in some places. I’m now having to have a police officer with me if I want to play in Covent Garden.

“From now until October I will just have my backpack and violin and hope the people I play for on the street enjoy what I do enough to make a contribution. I will rely on my busking earnings to finance the trip. I may have a audience of a man and a dog at some places but I hope they like what I do.”

Juritz, who played on the soundtrack to the Oscar-winning film The Last King of Scotland and has recorded with the Sugababes, first began busking when he was studying at the Royal College of Music. And he knows its perils all too well. In 1978 he had to fight off an Italian who tried to wrestle his violin from him. “It was in Florence,” he said. “I needed to earn £35 to get my rail fare back home to London. This bloke came over to me and said he was a music student and could he have a go. I handed it to him and he clearly couldn’t play. It took me 25 minutes of grabbing him by the collar to get it back off him.”

Juritz will have his 50th birthday on the road. He will mainly play a selection of Bach sonatas, and has dubbed his project “Round the World and Bach”.

Other than his charity pledge, he has made one other vow – to his 15-year-old daughter. “I have had to promise Joselyn I won’t come back with a beard and a bit smelly. She thinks I will turn into a bit of a busking tramp on the trip.”

Explore Music

• Festivals

• CD Reviews

• Live Reviews

• Classical

Editor's choice

• U2 at Nou Camp Stadium, Barcelona
• The 50 Best Movie Villains
• The 15 golden rules of theatre etiquette