Premiere. Benedetti enthuses. Winner of the GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo in 2020, as well as Best Female Artist at both 2012 and 2013 Classical BRIT Awards, Nicola records exclusively for Decca (Universal Music). [24], She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours, "For services to Music". This account already exists. Comments have been closed on this article. We are doing this to improve the experience forour loyalreaders and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com. Nicola Benedetti is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation. Nicola Joy Nadia Benedetti CBE (born 20 July 1987) is an Italian-Scottish classical solo violinist and festival director. But for Benedetti, the more significant change has been psychological: feeling grounded enough in her technique to free up and really explore, even in the fastest, most intricately patterned corners of her repertoire, like Wynton Marsaliss Violin Concerto, written for her in 2015 and reprised by Benedetti on many occasions. In addition, Nicola holds the positions of Vice President (National Childrens Orchestras), Big Sister (Sistema Scotland), Patron (National Youth Orchestras of Scotlands Junior Orchestra, Music in Secondary Schools Trust and Junior Conservatoire at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). To mark the occasion, she opted for an energetic rendition of Bye Bye Breakdown (watch in full below), which was written by American jazz composer, Wynton Marsalis. By the age of nine, Nicola had already passed the eight grades of musical examinations. Nevertheless, she insists that one mustnt throw out the baby with the bathwater. The 35-year-old violinist was born on 20 July 1987 in West Kilbride, North Ayrshire, Scotland. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? The move places her close to relatives for the first time since she was a child; shes a 15-minute drive from her sister (and fellow violinist) Stephanie Benedetti, along with her 1-year-old nephew Nico and 3-year-old niece Sienna, who received her first miniature violin for Christmas. Share it, expose it, give it and try to enrich other people with what you have managed to achieve.". He is donating his royalties from this to the charity Help Musicians, so every purchase potentially improves someone elses day as well as yours. Were unapologetic and uncompromising on the weight, depth and profundity of the art that the festival presents, to the maximum number of people and the broadest possible audience., Morrison said that her vision is not elitist, but that it also does not sacrifice excellence, which, in a way, is slightly contrary to what the politicians and the bureaucrats are pushing towards in both England and Scotland.. Calum Stevenson, 23, won Portrait Artist of the Year with his painting of entertainer Barry Humphries. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. Jude Kelly, founder of gender equality charity, the Wow Foundation, and previously the Southbank Centres first female artistic director, called Benedettis appointment a huge step.Until recently, she said, conductors in the classical world were saying women cant really conduct, or they can conduct Mozart but not Beethoven. This recording project has been a deeply edifying experience for me and one I will always reflect on with immense gratitude.. The violin was Edward Elgars instrument, and when he was composing he thought as a string player: you can hear the idiomatic shaping of lines, the relishing of sonorities, in everything he wrote. And not just get a marketing company to write statements about why youre relatable to people, she added. [citation needed]. You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Nicola Benedetti has Scottish and Italian heritage, being born to an Italian father, Giovanni Benedetti, and a Scottish mother, Francesca Benedetti. Johann Sebastian Bach In addition, Nicola has received nine honorary degrees to date. An Italian migr who left school in Scotland at age 15, he would later embark on a series of financially successful, idiosyncratic business ventures in dry cleaning, cling-film dispensers and first-aid kits. This music was intended to be understood and easily communicable. She works with orchestras in Europe and America as well as with Alexei Grynyuk, her regular pianist. Nicola Benedetti, who has made a career as a violin soloist, is taking on a festival next, with the aim, she said, to provide the deepest possible experience for people.CreditRobert Ormerod for The New York Times. Benedetti quickly shuts down questions about her personal life, and about the large ring on her finger. Meanwhile, American soprano Joyce DiDonato won the prize for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album for Songplay, and Best Orchestral Performance went to the Los Angeles Philharmonic led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel, for their impressive rendition of Andrew Normans Sustain. In December 2020, Nicola formed the Benedetti Baroque Orchestra which gathers freelance period-instrument players who collectively join together to create the highest level of collaborative and energised musicmaking. Her most recent recording of Elgars Violin Concerto entered at number one in the UKs Official Classical Album Chart and received critical acclaim including a 5* review in The Times: Yet beyond sheer agility, Benedetti offers listeners something even more valuable: a dynamic personal interpretation, refreshing and convincing. Other recent recordings include her GRAMMY award-winning album written especially for her by jazz musician Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto in D and Fiddle Dance Suite for Solo Violin. Nicolas recording catalogue also includes works from Shostakovich and Glazunov Violin Concerti, Szymanowski Concerti (London Symphony Orchestra with Daniel Harding) to. And I expect a lot from them.. Benedetti/London Philharmonic Orchestra/ Jurowski/Limonov(Decca)Benedettis tone and decisiveness is made for this work, and she brings an understated edge to the added miniatures, too. READ MORE:Benedetti's home fixture to raise music funding. [18] She was awarded an honorary degree from the University of York[19] in August 2020. It culminates in a new recording, concerts at Battersea Arts Centre in July, and the Edinburgh Festival, where Benedetti is artist-in-residence. That should make the thrill for the NYOGB youngsters in the Royal Albert Hall even greater. How does she plan on selling the festivals more traditional audience on all of that? Despite travelling all over the world, Nicola says she hasn't found any country that's more beautiful than Scotland. Another Beethoven recording that urgently demands shelf (or disc) space. Nicola Benedetti, a Scottish-Italian violinist and music education ambassador, is one of the leading classical musicians of her generation. Winner of the 2020 GRAMMY Award for "Best Classical Instrumental Solo," as well . [4] By the age of nine, she had already passed the eight grades of musical examinations while attending the independent Wellington School, Ayr,[5] and, in September 1997, began to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School for young musicians under Lord Menuhin and Natasha Boyarskaya in rural Surrey, England. Music is no answer to this horrendous situation, but we will do what we can to raise money for the millions who are displaced and in need.We can only pray, as we do for all conflict currently taking place around the world, for it to end as soon as possible. She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year's Honours "For services to Music and to charity",[20][21] and was elected an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in March 2017. 2 last fall with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. EDINBURGH Not long into an interview with the violinist Nicola Benedetti, there was a knock at the door. The uncomfortable but necessary position of the festival is one where natural tensions lie.. [22] In 2015, she was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women. Benedetti, 32, said she and her partner of 10 years, Leonard Elschenbroich, separated in 2017 after their relationship evolved but revealed the former couple remain extremely close. Nicola Benedetti is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation. Read about our approach to external linking. For people in the live performance industry, its difficult not to draw those comparisons and feel youre being unfairly penalised.. What science tells us about the afterlife. Sospiri is beautifully done, Benedettis tone silky and contained yet electric; its an initially bleak picture of despair that lifts just slightly into something hopeful at the end. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The Benedetti Baroque Orchestra performs eight live concerts at Battersea Arts Centre, July 18-21; bac.org.uk andBaroque Virtual Sessions run online until August 1 at benedettifoundation.org. Now the Scottish star soloist is preparing for a Prom, where she will perform Prokofievs Violin Concerto No. Its going to be paramount to our success. Calum graduated from Dundee University's Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in 2019, before completing his Master's degree at Glasgow School of Art. During school holidays, Nicola and her sister had to work for three hours every morning before they could go out to play. Benedetti has been guarded about her private life in the past and, when asked by presenter Edi Stark, Is there anybody in your sights? she only said: Maybe, maybe not, I dont know. The great unknown is how much, in a really tricky climate, the Benedetti factor will end up benefiting the festival, said Brian Ferguson, an arts correspondent for The Scotsman. Taking on this role meant I really had to double down on my commitment to continually improving as a musician, she said. Nicola Benedetti is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation. . She reckons that when we emerge from the pandemic, music and musical education have a crucial role to play. She added that, while her older sister Stephanie was now married and other friends were settling down with partners and children, she has no regrets about her personal life. Nicola was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours list, awarded the Queens Medal for Music in 2017, the youngest ever recipient, and was appointed as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2013 in recognition of her international music career and work with musical charities throughout the United Kingdom. That made an already quite lonely profession a bit more lonely.. Internationally recognised and respected but Scottish to her core, shes dedicated to advocating world-class music making and innovating new ways to bring it to audiences.. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. In a speech to the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2019, Benedetti said music is the art of all the things we cant see or touch. When youre flying 90 people from anywhere in the world to Edinburgh, I would like audiences to really understand why we chose them, she said. Nicola Benedettis new recording out today as a download, with the CD release planned for July brings together his huge, sumptuous 1910 Violin Concerto with three miniatures for violin and piano that nevertheless say a lot in a few minutes. ViolinistNicola Benedetti stunned audiences at the 62nd Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony last night with an elegant solo performance. She said: Its not mine and I dont think it ever will be. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. [10] Following a public and political outcry, McConnell bowed to the pressure and telephoned Benedetti to acknowledge her success. We deliver transformative experiences through mass musical events and unite those who believe music is integral to life's education. Her ability to captivate audiences and her wide appeal as an advocate for classical music has made her one of the most influential artists of today. This festival was founded on principles of reconciliation and the ideals of art transcending political and cultural fracture.. Her ability to captivate audiences with her innate musicianship and spirited presence, coupled with her wide appeal as a high-profile advocate for classical music, has made her one of the most influential classical artists of today. Ive refound in the last six or seven years, she said, such a community developed through the teaching and educating world, different parts of the industry that you wouldnt necessarily access through being a touring concert soloist., A Violinist Prepares Her Next Star Turn: Festival Leader, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/arts/music/nicola-benedetti-edinburgh-international-festival.html, Nicola Benedetti, who has made a career as a violin soloist, is taking on a festival next, with the aim, she said, to provide the deepest possible experience for people.. She played in a memorial concert at Westminster Abbey celebrating the life and work of Yehudi Menuhin. Other season highlights include engagements with LA Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, play-directing the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and tours to Spain with the Philharmonia Orchestra as well as Artist in Residence at this years Aldeburgh Festival. A summer day in Berlin last year offered an alternative to that; Benedetti found herself shielding from too much community, focusing on her concert there rather than on a city full of friends. Do you know this baby? 1 -----Watch the final concert here: https://youtu.be/wI3jm4z4AZsThank you for tuning in to the Virtual Ben. A devoted chamber musician, Nicola collaborates with cellist Leonard Elschenbroich and pianist Alexei Grynyuk, who have been performing as a trio since 2008. Calum is now planning his first solo exhibition. When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? 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I left school at 15 and between the ages of 15 to 23, where you form some of those really strong bonds, I was basically on my own out there. Benedetti and pianist Petr Limonov are quiet and pensive, her violin silky-toned, the sound scaled back but just as electric. Download 'Violin Concerto in A minor (2)' on iTunes. Her ability to captivate audiences and her wide appeal as an advocate for classical music has made her one of the most influential artists of today. Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations. "I've always been drawn to the figure, and there is something about it that I find really interesting, but I'm not putting any limits on how my work develops. Salut dAmour sounds fresh, and is played with an understated sigh that draws the ear in. To say that musicians have felt frustrated and dispirited these past months is not saying enough. Its dangerous and deeply unhelpful to everybody involved. What happened to the Edinburgh Film Festival, Benedetti said, heightens the acuteness of everybodys vulnerability, and the need even more to be bold, clear and ambitious. Nicola Benedetti is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation. And I expect a lot from them., It will be one of the hottest tickets in town, pop music into the festival for the first time, in 2015. Other stars recognised on the night included composer John Williams, who won Best Instrumental Composition (and his 25th Grammy) for his masterpiece Star Wars: Galaxys Edge Symphonic Suite, and flute-playing sensation Lizzo, who took home the award for Pop Solo Performance following her powerful rendition of Truth Hurts. Find out more about her best recordings, awards, and her Stradivarius violin. [14], Nicola was chosen as the subject for the winner of the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2021, Calum Stevenson, and this portrait now hangs in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.[15][16]. She premiered James MacMillans Violin Concerto No. Got to hand it to her Nicola Benedetti. "In an ideal world, all three of us would escape unscathed," she says. Her ability to captivate audiences with her innate musicianship and spirited presence, coupled with her wide appeal as a high-profile advocate for classical music, has made her one of the most influential classical artists of today. This summer, sports began to be allowed massive audiences, while theatres and concert halls were hobbled by continued social distancing. This summer, sports began to be allowed massive audiences, while theatres and . 2 at the Proms on 7 August; bbc.co.uk/proms and is artist-in-residence at the Edinburgh Festival, August 14-21; eif.co.uk. To hear that in Scotland was incredibly heart-warming. Benedetti enters this role at a time when British arts organizations are struggling. She won a Grammy Award in 2020 for her premiere recording of Wynton Marsalis's Violin Concerto and his Fiddle Dance Suite, both . My sisters married now and in a very kind of settled place in her life, but shes 35, and a lot of my friends are in similar circumstances; they live in a house with a partner and have children or are going to have children, and obviously Im not at that point yet.. From BBC Young Musician to one of the biggest names in music today: discover the life of brilliant Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti. Putting names to archive photos, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, In photos: India's disappearing single-screen cinemas. 2 | U.S. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. [26], In 2020, she won the Grammy for best classical instrumental solo for Marsalis: Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite. And family, she quickly added. I have a lot of trust in people, she said. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number, I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment. Conductors with whom Nicola has worked include Marin Alsop, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Ji Blohlvek, Karina Canellakis, Christoph Eschenbach, Ivn Fischer, James Gaffigan, Jakub Hra, Kirill Karabits, Kristjan Jrvi, Vladimir Jurowski, Cristian Mcelaru, Zubin Mehta, Andrea Marcon, Gianandrea Noseda, Michael Tilson Thomas, Robin Ticciati, Vasily Petrenko, Donald Runnicles, Thomas Sndergrd, Pinchas Zukerman and Jaap van Zweden. [29], In 2022, she was appointed honorary president of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS). By clicking Sign up you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice. Are we actually looking to hear some origins of Ghanaian drumming, for example, not just a generic Africa as if its a country? "But I just had to get on with it, and I like to think I was a lot more composed by the end of the series.". ", "Nicola Benedetti awarded Queen's Medal for Music", "Benedetti wins best solo award at Grammys", "ISM honours Nicola Benedetti CBE with 'Distinguished Musician Award', "Yet another string added to Benedetti's bow with RCS president role", "Benedetti: I've never stopped loving my former boyfriend", "Violinist Benedetti, 18, to perform in La Jolla", "Sting adds another string to his bow as Sir Paul takes a bold stride into the world of classics", "Nicola Benedetti: from prodigy to professional", "Nicola Hits The Top Spot With New Album", "Nicola Benedetti Announces New Album With Wynton Marsalis", United Kingdom in the Eurovision Young Musicians, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nicola_Benedetti&oldid=1140996093, Commanders of the Order of the British Empire, People associated with Glasgow Caledonian University, People associated with Heriot-Watt University, People associated with the University of Edinburgh, People associated with the University of York, People educated at Wellington School, Ayr, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 20:51. Benedetti does not mince her words: Its difficult when you see the football with 40,000 to 60,000 people gathering just in official numbers in official venues, never mind millions in the streets, and you look at musicians restrictions in that context. She works with orchestras in Europe and America as well as with Alexei Grynyuk, her regular pianist. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotlands first minister, said: I welcome Nicola Benedettis appointment as director especially as she becomes the first woman to ever hold the role. Benedetti performs Prokofievs Violin Concerto No. Whats special about their sound, their identity?, There will even be an attempt to break down traditional genre boundaries, and recategorize through intensity of experience, and type of experience, Benedetti said. Her commitment to supporting the UKs music practitioners was underlined in July 2018, when Nicola took over as President of the European String Teachers Association. 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If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can On Monday evening, the festival announced that Valery Gergiev, the Russian conductor who is a close friend and ally of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, had stepped down as its honorary president. Nicola Benedetti has released 12 albums. Her violin concerto to a score by the jazz trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis also won a Grammy that year. Ive heard politicians in Scotland say their focus in education, coming out of this period, is not to prioritise grade results, but to get peoples spirits and souls back to feeling creative and positive. 1. She was describing her approach to the age-old question of attracting new audiences. rental house in winslow, az by owner. Enough people voted for it, so we have to be creative in tackling those challenges. When asked what kind of house she grew up in, she replied, a big one. After first picking up the violin at 4, Benedetti swapped the picturesque Ayrshire village of West Kilbride in Scotland for the extreme environment of the Yehudi Menuhin music school in Surrey, England, five years later. entry level java developer internship; dodgy builders queensland. It combines intensely high-quality musicianship and compositional skill with an absolute mission and a mantra of communication.. In 1999, Benedetti performed for the anniversary celebrations at Holyrood Palace with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. Find out more about her best recordings, awards, and her Stradivarius violin. I think Im in a good position to be saying, Heres why chips taste fantastic to somebody who hasnt tasted them, said Benedetti, who, in addition to her work as an acclaimed instrumentalist and educator, recently began her tenure as the director of the Edinburgh International Festival. She delivered an assured performance of the Szymanowski concerto with the conductor Karina Canellakis in Berlin, finding a meaty yet tender sustained sound. When you feel youre making enormous sacrifices for the sake of your civic duty to other people, you want to know that everyone else is participating in that too. [9] Despite winning the competition, The Times reported that Benedetti was snubbed by Jack McConnell, the then First Minister of Scotland, who thought that there was insufficient public interest to merit a personal message of congratulations. A Gannett Company. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. "I had originally been scheduled to take part last year, but that got cancelled due to the pandemic, so to get a boost like this after waiting so long is massive for me.". Subsequent performances followed with the City of London Sinfonia, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish Opera, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, etc. Awarded the CBE for services to music in the 2019 New Year Honours list, Benedetti travels around the world, performing on a 302-year-old Stradivarius violin loaned to her by arts patron Jonathan Moulds, worth 10 million. Born in the Scottish town of Irvine, of Italian heritage, Nicola began violin lessons at the age of four with Brenda Smith. Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.