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Nicola Benedetti - Elgar Violin Concerto is the WFMT: Featured New Release
Posted At : June 8, 2020 12:00 AM
Elgar's Violin Concerto is considered to be one of the most technically demanding violin concertos and is a marathon for the soloist at just under an hour in length. Nicola Benedetti performs this masterpiece with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. Pianist Petr Liminov joins Benedetti for three short works by Elgar for violin and piano: Sospiri, Salut d'Amour (Elgar's first published work in 1888), and Chanson de Nuit. Commenting on her new album, Benedetti says, "The depth of love and fascination I have for this man and his music has made this entire process a dream. He was so out of the ordinary, from his non-traditional training to his understanding of people to his style of expression in music – there is only one Edward Elgar, and I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to record so much of his music."
For June 8 2020, Nicola Benedetti - Elgar Violin Concerto is the WFMT: Chicago 'Featured New Release'
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Nicola Benedetti releases new 'Elgar' album / udiscovermusic.
Posted At : May 15, 2020 12:00 AM
Today Grammy award-winning violinist Nicola Benedetti digitally released her new album Elgar. The recording explores music by Britain's best loved composer, Edward Elgar, and features his vast Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61 coupled with three short works for violin and piano: Salut d'Amour, Sospiri and Chanson de Nuit.
"She takes on an epic and makes magic" – The Times
Elgar's Violin Concerto is considered to be one of the most technically demanding violin concertos and is a marathon for the soloist at just under an hour in length. Nicola Benedetti performs the Violin Concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. Geoff Brown at The Times noted, "She takes on an epic and makes magic", and The Guardian's music critic Erica Jeal observed, "Benedetti's tone and decisiveness is made for this work, and she brings an understated edge to the added miniatures, too."
READ THE FULL udiscovermusic. ARTICLE
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Wynton Marsalis' GRAMMY winning violin music is 'Out of the Box' on 99.5WCRB
Posted At : February 7, 2020 12:00 AM
Jazz legend Wynton Marsalis weaves multiple music traditions together and crafts an entirely unique Violin Concerto and Fiddle Dance Suite for classical violinist Nicola Benedetti. The album features the Philadelphia Orchestra & Cristian Macelaru 99.5WCRB particularly enjoy the Blues movement from the Violin Concerto, as well as As the Wind Goes and Nicola's Strathsbey from the Fiddle Dance Suite.
WHY THIS MUSIC: I've wanted to feature this music since I first heard it last summer because it's so cool and taps into so many musical traditions. And with Nicola Benedetti winning this year's GRAMMY for Best Solo Classical Performance, this is as good a time as any! Plus, this album and the music on it are a celebration of having multiple passions and interests, which I deeply appreciate. Why love just one thing? Love it all!
Read & Listen to this week's 99.5WCRB: Boston Out of the Box segment:
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Marsalis/Benedetti wins 2020 GRAMMY Award 'Best Classical Instrumental Solo' for 'Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite'
Posted At : January 27, 2020 12:00 AM
Nicola Benedetti's Decca Classics album features premiere recordings of two works written especially for her by jazz musician Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto in D and Fiddle Dance Suite for Solo Violin. Benedetti performs Violin Concerto in D with The Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Cristian Măcelaru who has collaborated with the violinist to perform the work six times. The concerto was co-commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), Ravinia, LA Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra Washington, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. Benedetti performed the world premiere with the LSO under conductor James Gaffigan in London in November 2015.
Congratulations \to Wynton Marsalis & Nicola Benedetti winning 2020 GRAMMY Award 'Best Classical Instrumental Solo' for 'Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite' with Cristian Măcelaru, conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra).
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Nicola Benedetti - Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto, Fiddle Dance Suite makes WCRB '5 albums to watch at the 2020 GRAMMY Awards'
Posted At : January 23, 2020 12:00 AM
The 2020 GRAMMY Awards air this Sunday night! One of the GRAMMY-nominated classical albums we've had our eye on this year is Marsalis: Violin Concerto, Fiddle Dance Suite / Nicola Benedetti, Cristian Macelaru, Philadelphia Orchestra, Nominated for: Best Classical Instrumental Solo; Best Contemporary Classical Composition.
Why we love it: In our Instant Replay: 006, Chris Voss wrote: "Such a cool new album, featuring a violin concerto and a dance suite written for violinist Nicola Benedetti by jazz-master Wynton Marsalis. Both pieces fuse the classical, jazz, and folk worlds into a brilliantly enticing listen, and I highly recommend listening to the whole album once, then twice, then over and over."
SEE THE FULL WCRB: Boston ARTICLE
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Nicola Benedetti & Angelique Kidjo will perform at 2020 GRAMMY premiere ceremony / GRAMMY.com
Posted At : January 19, 2020 12:00 AM
The Recording Academy announced that preceding the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast, the Premiere Ceremony will be hosted by two-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee Imogen Heap and feature a number of performances by current GRAMMY nominees. Currently slated to perform are classical violinist Nicola Benedetti, jazz legend Chick Corea, folk music supergroup I'm With Her, West African sensation Angélique Kidjo and Best New Artist nominee Yola.
The live stream of the 2020 GRAMMY Premiere Ceremony will remain on GRAMMY.com as video on demand for 90 days following the event, an the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live following the Premiere Ceremony on the CBS Television Network from 8:00–11:30 p.m. ET/5:00–8:30 p.m. PT.
READ THE FULL GRAMMY.com ARTICLE
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Do you feel physically at ease when playing ? / Violinist.com
Posted At : January 4, 2020 12:00 AM
Playing the violin requires an awkward set of physical motions, and sometimes that can get in the way of "feeling the music" and of creating a sense of "flow" for your listeners.
Nicola Benedetti, in an interview this week about her new Benedetti Foundation, said that one of her goals in devising curriculum for students is to help cultivate their sense of physical freedom. "If you don't experience an enjoyment through the physicality of playing, sense of freedom and a sense of trust in your hands to go in the right directions, then the question is, why are we playing?" she said. "This is missing the point of playing."
READ THE FULL Violinist.com ARTICLE
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Nicola Benedetti launches music workshop in Glasgow / BBC
Posted At : January 4, 2020 12:00 AM
Nicola Benedetti is staging a series of workshops in Glasgow and Dundee. Benedetti has launched her own educational music programme for children in Glasgow. More than 350 youngsters travelled from across the country to the city's Royal Concert Hall to take lessons from one of Scotland's most recognisable musicians. The event is part of a series of workshops being staged across the UK. The Ayrshire-born classical musician won the BBC Young Musician of the Year award in 2004 at the age of 16.
The events in Scotland will be attended by young people from 30 of the 32 local authorities with 81% state educated in Glasgow and 70% state educated in Dundee. Ms Benedetti said she wanted the workshops to strengthen the youngsters' commitment to music as similar experiences had similarly affected her. She said: "I have loved music and the violin since I was four years old. Nothing could stop me from wanting to play, but each time I encountered a mass-collective musical experience it deepened and strengthened my enjoyment and commitment to music."
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SEE THE BBC PAGE
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Nicola Benedetti on her collaboration with Wynton Marsalis / WFMT: Chicago
Posted At : December 15, 2019 12:00 AM
Classical music, jazz, Celtic folksongs, and funk - these genres make up just a few of the words in Wynton Marsalis' musical language. The Grammy-winning trumpeter and composer has explored a range of repertoire throughout his career. Marsalis' curiosity inspired violinist Nicola Benedetti, and in turn, her dream of premiering a new concerto.
Benedetti and Marsalis' collaboration is highlighted in a Decca Classics album that is now nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Composition and Best Solo Instrumental Performance. Recorded with Christian Măcelaru and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Benedetti presents Marsalis' Violin Concerto in D Major, a work that she says is a "path of discovery." Benedetti also performs Marsalis' Fiddle Dance Suite for solo violin on the album, which was previously featured on WFMT's New Releases.
In a recent interview with WFMT: Chicago, Benedetti discusses the process of preparing for a new concerto, discovering Marsalis' vast musical influences, and her best advice for young artists. READ THE Q&A (Photo: Jake Turney)
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Nicola Benedetti - Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto, Fiddle Dance Suite selected for 2020 GRAMMY nomination
Posted At : November 20, 2019 12:00 AM
Nicola Benedetti - Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto, Fiddle Dance Suite selected for 2019 GRAMMY nomination in both 'Best Contemporary Classical Composition' & 'Best Classical Instrumental Solo' category.
Nicola Benedetti's Decca Classics album features premiere recordings of two works written especially for her by jazz musician Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto in D and Fiddle Dance Suite for Solo Violin. Benedetti performs Violin Concerto in D with The Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Cristian Măcelaru who has collaborated with the violinist to perform the work six times. The concerto was co-commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), Ravinia, LA Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra Washington, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. Benedetti performed the world premiere with the LSO under conductor James Gaffigan in London in November 2015.
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Nicola Benedetti's latest album is completely devoted to the music of Wynton Marsalis / 90.5WUOL
Posted At : October 14, 2019 12:00 AM
Violinist Nicola Benedetti's latest album is completely devoted to the music of Wynton Marsalis, and two big works written specifically for her. Benedetti's new album on Decca Classics features Marsalis: Violin Concerto in D and Fiddle Dance Suite for Solo Violin.
Benedetti performs Violin Concerto in D with The Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Cristian Măcelaru who has collaborated with the violinist to perform the work six times. The concerto was co-commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), Ravinia, LA Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra Washington, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. Benedetti performed the world premiere with the LSO under conductor James Gaffigan in London in November 2015.
Benedetti talked with with 90.5: WUOL - Louisville KY Daniel Gilliam about their strong collaboration through out the writing and recording process.
LISTEN
Enter to win a copy of the album below! Deadline is November 1st at noon.
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5 will win a signed Nicola Benedetti - Marsalis Violin Concerto CD / enter The Violin Channel
Posted At : October 2, 2019 12:00 AM
To help celebrate the international release of violinist Nicola Benedetti's new album ‘Wynton Marsalis Violin Concerto', The Violin Channel in connection with Decca Classics is this week giving away 5 fresh-off-the-press autographed CD copies. Recorded with conductor Cristian Măcelaru and the Philadelphia Orchestra, the disc features Wynton Marsalis‘ newly-premiered Violin Concerto in D Major – and Fiddle Dance Suite. "I have known Wynton since I was 17 and he has been a musical mentor to me … I have always loved his music and in 2012 I went to see Simon Rattle conduct the London Symphony in the British premiere of Wynton's Swing Symphony … there was something about the atmosphere in the hall once the piece finished that I'd never experienced in a concert hall before …." Nicola has told The Violin Channel.
READ THE FULL VC ARTICLE & ENTER TO WIN
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Nicola Benedetti - Marsalis: VC, FDS is the WRTI: 'Classical Album of the Week'
Posted At : September 18, 2019 12:00 AM
Jazz trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis writes about reconnecting with the Anglo-Celtic roots of Afro-American music in his Violin Concerto in D, written for Scottish violin virtuoso Nicola Benedetti, and recorded with The Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Cristian Macelaru. The celebration of community and joining of different musical traditions also enriches his Fiddle Dance Suite for solo violin.
The WRTI: Philadelphia 'Classical Album of the Week' is Marsalis Violin Concerto and Fiddle Dance Suite. Nicola Benedetti talks with WRTI's Susan Lewis about how the Marsalis Violin Concerto came to be and what it means to her. LISTEN
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Nicola Benedetti talks 'Marsalis' with Radio Purdue
Posted At : September 11, 2019 12:00 AM
New sounds and releases featuring Zuill Bailey, Nicola Benedetti, and Arcomusical in Brahms, Marsalis, and Eric Cole!
Listen via PRX
Released on Decca, Nicola Benedetti's new album, featuring the violin concertos of Glazunov and Shostakovich is a journey between two different, yet connected, concertos for the violin. Glazunov's glittering 1904 work is separated from his pupil Shostakovich's 1947 concerto, not only by 40 years, but also by several landmark events in history: the Russian Revolution, Stalin's Terror and the Second World War. Benedetti performs these two works with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Kirill Karabits. This is the second album that Nicola Benedetti has recorded with BSO and Kirill Karabits and follows the hugely successful The Silver Violin.
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Ear To Ear: CapRadio hosts are loving Ma, Benedetti & Kanneh-Mason this September
Posted At : September 3, 2019 12:00 AM
Each month, our music hosts put their heads together to create a playlist of the pieces that have been on their personal heavy rotation to help you get to know them a little better. This month, we have an eclectic mix of music from near and far, old and new from Classical Hosts Jennifer Reason, Victor Forman and Kevin Doherty. Reason takes us into the mountains of Peru with some music played on a traditional Andean instrument. Forman takes us back to the Baroque era to celebrate CapRadio's extension of Sunday Baroque to its full four hours on our airwaves. And Doherty brings you some new and noteworthy music from Wynton Marsalis, Isata Kanneh-Mason and Aaron Jay Kernis.
As CapRadio has recently expanded our weekly airing of "Sunday Baroque" to the full four hours that host Suzanne Bona produces each week (now playing 7-11am every Sunday morning on CapRadio), CapRadio host Victor Forman thought he'd offer a few of his own baroque favorites, namely Johann Sebastian Bach - "Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major: I. Prelude" - Performed by Yo Yo Ma.
Forman says; The Bach: Six Suites for Solo Cello are remarkable. When I first heard them (LPs of Pablo Casals playing them), their intimacy and eloquence brought me literally to the edge of my seat. I leaned in to the speakers, as if a friend was revealing to me a personal story full of details and personal meaning.
There are six suites of six movements each, and with each preceded by a prelude, followed by then-current dance forms of allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue with the 5th movements of each being either minuets, bourreés or gavottes. These create the alternating fast-slow pattern. Inviting personal interpretation (and why listening to different cellists play the Suites is revealing), Bach indicated no tempo markings so the speed of each movement is left completely up to the performer.
Many of the great (and not so great) cellists have recorded all the Suites, with some recording them multiple times. Yo Yo Ma has recorded them three times: In his late 20s, again in his 40s and recently in his early 60s. As Jennifer Reason said to me when discussing this fact, "That's like three different people playing them." Exactly. These pieces are subjective for both the performer and the listener during different circumstances of our lives.
New and noteworthy: These albums are the ones that have been sitting at the top of a pile on Kevin Doherty's desk for a bit.
Wynton Marsalis - "Violin Concerto in D: I. Rhapsody" - Performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cristian Maelaru & Nicola Benedetti
Doherty says; Wynton Marsalis is known primarily by his reputation as a jazz trumpet virtuoso and as the leader of the Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra. But let's face it, it's not uncommon for CapRadio fans to hear Marsalis flex his classical chops with Haydn, Telemann, or some other early music trumpet concerto. To top it off, Marsalis is a prolific composer. Among his many jazz works and four symphonies, Marsalis wrote his Violin Concerto in D in 2015 for Scottish virtuoso Nicola Benedetti.
Marsalis describes the first movement, "Rhapsody," as "a complex dream that becomes a nightmare, progresses into peacefulness and dissolves into ancestral memory." The entire concerto, in fact, weaves in and out of musical vignettes in a wide array of styles. The complete work is an adventurous listen and needs a couple of spins for it to fully sink in, but it's well worth the ride.
Clara Schumann - "3 Romances for violin and Piano, Op. 22; No. 3 in B flat" - Performed by Isata Kanneh-Mason
Doherty says; Pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason is the eldest sibling of what I refer to as the current first family in classical music. Her cellist younger brother Sheku Kanneh-Mason made quite a name for himself with the 2017 release of his chart-topping album "Inspirations," and as a featured performer at the Royal Wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
For her first foray into the recording world, big sister Isata has chosen to curate works of the undisputed yet underrepresented queen of the Romantic piano, Clara Schumann. Schumann, for the majority of her 200 years, has been better known as the wife of Robert Schumann. Though historians and musicians alike are finally starting to take notice of Clara Schumann the composer as well as the tour-de-force of a human that she was. This offering is a prime example of that recognition.
It's rare when an artist can stray from the canonical repertoire when releasing a debut album. Perhaps this means Schumann is finally securing her place as one of the great musical personalities from the 19th century! Kanneh-Mason performs with violinist Elena Urioste on this track from the new album, "Romance."
READ MORE & LISTEN TO THE SELECTIONS HERE. Can't get enough of CapRadio Music or Ear to Ear? Follow CapRadio on Spotify for more playlist fun.
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Nicola Benedetti discusses new Marsalis recording with classical radio
Posted At : August 21, 2019 12:00 AM
Nicola Benedetti's new album on Decca Classics features premiere recordings of two works written especially for her by jazz musician Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto in D and Fiddle Dance Suite for Solo Violin. Benedetti performs Violin Concerto in D with The Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Cristian Măcelaru who has collaborated with the violinist to perform the work six times. The concerto was co-commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), Ravinia, LA Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra Washington, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. Benedetti performed the world premiere with the LSO under conductor James Gaffigan in London in November 2015.
In conjunction with this release NB has agreed to a series of radio interviews today!! Wednesday August 21 with classical networks and stations across the US. Watch for our tweets throughout the day.
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Nicola Benedetti - Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto, Fiddle Dance Suite is the WFMT: Featured New Release
Posted At : July 26, 2019 12:00 AM
Violinist Nicola Benedetti's new album features premiere recordings of two works written especially for her by Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto in D and Fiddle Dance Suite. In the concerto, Benedetti performs with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Cristian Măcelaru, who has collaborated with her on the work six times. It explores Benedetti's and Marsalis' common musical heritage in Celtic, Anglo, and Afro-American folk music and dance. Benedetti says, "It has been a privilege to learn and perform these two inspired and unequivocal masterpieces, and to deepen my understanding of Wynton's compositional language, cultural richness, and philosophical insights."
For July 26, 2019, Nicola Benedetti - Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto, Fiddle Dance Suite is the WFMT: Chicago 'Featured New Release'
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Virtuosity and sophistication as Nicola Benedetti directs two Mozart violin concertos with SCO / The Herald - Scotland
Posted At : April 15, 2019 12:00 AM
Having Nicola Benedetti not only perform in but direct two of Mozart's Violin Concertos was a treat, allowing as it does that intimate relationship between soloist and chamber orchestra. Benedetti always manages to make it look like everyone is having an effortlessly lovely time on stage, but she also led with elegant confidence, tempering admirable touches of character – particularly through her bowing – with a stylish restraint. The many show-stopping cadenzas were used not only for virtuosity, but sophistication; a blend of interesting harmony and styles, from gutsy, folksy double-stopping to liquid-quick Baroque string-crossing.
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READ THE FULL HeraldScotland REVIEW
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Make-A-Wish UK grants Emily's wish for violin masterclass with Nicola Benedetti
Posted At : August 1, 2018 12:00 AM
Emily has been playing violin since she was seven. Her wish was to have a mini masterclass with classical violinist Nicola Benedetti, MBE. Make-A-Wish UK granted Emily's wish and the 2 violinists spent time together at the Royal Albert Hall. Nicola gave lots of hints and tips before they played one of Emily's favourite pieces of music together. Emily said, "It's such an incredible experience. It's something I'll always remember because it not something that happens every day."
Watch the attached video
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Nicola Benedetti speaks with 'The National' ahead of Abu Dhabi Festival
Posted At : February 19, 2018 12:00 AM
When Nicola Benedetti burst on to the classical music scene as a teenager, the industry thought it had finally cracked the elusive code to commercial success. The hardworking Scottish violinist established herself as a young and popular virtuoso with a string of high-profile performances: these included her debut appearance with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra as a 13-year-old, performing in front of UK royalty in 1999, as well as the fact that in 2002, as a 15-year-old, she won the British television talent quest Brilliant Prodigy.
Reflecting on the fame and accolades, the now 30-year-old Benedetti explains that her success came at a cost. When she looks back at her coverage in mainstream media, and the reactions from the public, she realises that the focus was ultimately more on her personality than her music.
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Benedetti is reframing her idea of success, giving her a steely focus on the music itself, rather than how it will be received. Her Abu Dhabi Festival show tonight is a case in point. Teaming up with the experimental Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment – an ensemble of masters performing on period instruments from the 18th and 19th century – Benedetti aims to explore new facets of well-known pieces, such as Beethoven's Symphony No 4. "These performances are being done without conductors," she says. "So there's a level of autonomy for the musicians themselves and a level of participation that has to come from every single musician in the orchestra."
READ THE FULL National ARTICLE
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Worthing Symphony opens 91st season with Nicola Benedetti / Sussex Express - 10 best this week
Posted At : July 7, 2017 12:00 AM
The Worthing Symphony Orchestra's 91st season opens on Monday with a concert featuring Nicola Benedetti, one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation. Spokeswoman Jennie Osborne said: "Nicola plays the magnificent First Violin Concerto by Dmitri Shostakovich – a dramatic and engaging work by a Russian composer whose music speaks with such clarity of emotion, beauty and power. Nicola has been a Worthing regular since her success in winning BBC Young Musician ADVERTISEMENT of the Year as a 16-year-old back in 2004. She has often said how much she enjoys playing with a professional orchestra in such an acoustically fine venue as the Assembly Hall."
SEE ALL 10 best FOR Sussex Express
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Nicola Benedetti receives 2016 queen's medal for music / The Strad - CLASSIC fM
Posted At : May 24, 2017 12:00 AM
Violinist Nicola Benedetti has been awarded The Queen's Medal for Music 2016. Established in 2005 at the suggestion of composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, who at that time was Master of The Queen's Music, the UK medal is awarded annually to ‘an outstanding individual or group of musicians who have had a major influence on the musical life of the nation'. Benedetti, who was presented with the medal by The Queen at Buckingham Palace yesterday, is the youngest ever recipient of the award. The nominations are overseen by a committee under the chairmanship of current Master of The Queen's Music, Judith Weir and then submitted to The Queen for approval. ‘It is such an honour to receive the Queen's Medal for Music and to join such an esteemed list of recipients,' said Benedetti.
READ THE FULL Strad ARTICLE
SEE CLASSIC fM PAGE
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Nicola Benedetti with RSO in Bruch and Brahms / Violinist.com reviews
Posted At : March 21, 2017 12:00 AM
Nicola Benedetti performed Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 and the Brahms with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. here are some reviews
Palm Beach Daily News: "Soloist Nicola Benedetti brought her finest violin playing, from her superior handling of the soaring runs and the numerous challenging double stops to the gorgeous tone created in every note."
Palm Beach Daily News: "Benedetti's muscular tone and solid technique were impressive, and the musical rapport between her and Oundjian was obvious throughout the performance."
South Florida Classical Review: "It's not a promising sign when a music stand is set up for the solo violinist in one of the most famous concertos in the repertoire. And when Benedetti came on stage, she gave a shaky, monotonous, underprojected account, sounding more like an advanced student than an international concert soloist."
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The Scotsman: "In Glasgow, her Brahms was equally vital, expansively phrased and teasingly interactive with Oundjian's alert players."
SEE Violinist.com PAGE
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Nicola Benedetti - Shostakovich & Glazunov / Post-Bulletin review
Posted At : March 14, 2017 12:00 AM
Two extremes of the Russian concerto repertoire come together on this album, and Shostakovich wins. His Violin Concerto No. 1, perfectly described in the program notes as "coruscating," was composed just after World War II, premiered almost a decade later, and it's a miniature of all the composer's best music -- dark and profound, absurd and charming, intellectual but intensely musical. It's demanding, nonstop work for the soloist, and 29-year-old Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti is up to the task. From the ominous opening bars and the composer's musical signature in the scherzo, through to the probing cadenza in the third movement and the "Burlesque" finale, Benedetti displays amazing technique and craftsmanship, as well as a sensitivity to Shostakovich's deepest thoughts.
READ THE FULL Post-Bulletin REVIEW
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Nicola Benedetti concert included in first ever - UK Live Music Census / BT.com
Posted At : March 11, 2017 12:00 AM
Yes, a Nicola Benedetti concert will be included in the survey for the The first ever live music census to be carried out across UK TODAY, Thursday March 9. An "army of music lovers" will take to Britain's streets today to carry out the world's first live music census. For 24 hours from noon on Thursday, volunteers will track performances in cities across the country from lone buskers to stadium concerts.
The UK Live Music Census, led by the universities of Edinburgh, Newcastle and Glasgow, aims to quantify the nationwide challenges the industry is facing and inform policy to help it flourish. Organisers say a major overhaul of commercial property rates revealed in Wednesday's Budget could see a huge rise in costs and force many music venues to close. There will be co-ordinated censuses in Glasgow, Newcastle, Oxford, Leeds, Southampton and Brighton, with volunteers attending live music events including Olly Murs at Leeds Arena and Nicola Benedetti at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
READ THE FULL BT.com ARTICLE
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Nicola Benedetti solos after dark in St. Paul's Cathedral / CNN VR
Posted At : March 7, 2017 12:00 AM
Violinist Nicola Benedetti is one of the most sought after violinists of her generation. Her ability to captivate audiences with her innate musicianship and dynamic 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.
With concerto performances at the heart of her career, Nicola is in much demand with major orchestras and conductors across the globe. Nicola begins the 1516 season by embarking on a tour of the UK and Dublin's leading concert halls performing a personally curated programme together with a specially formed ensemble. The programme features Vivaldi's Four Seasons and the World Premiere of a work by Mark-Anthony Turnage written for Benedetti and cellist Leonard Elschenbroich. The commissioning of new works continues with the World Premiere of Wynton Marsalis' Violin Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra written especially for Nicola.
Other concerto performances include engagements with the Israel Philharmonic, Verdi Orchestra Milano, RSO Stuttgart, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, National Arts Centre Orchestra Ottawa, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Tasmania Symphony Orchestra. This season will also see Nicola continuing her passion for music of the Italian Baroque and historical performance realised in collaborations with Andrea Marcon with the Manchester Camerata and WDR Cologne.
Benedetti had the rare opportunity to play a solo at St. Paul's Cathedral in London - after dark. WATCH THE CNN VR VIDEO
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Nicola Benedetti Q&A with Musical Toronto
Posted At : March 2, 2017 12:00 AM
Every so often MT poses 60 questions to a local or visiting artist in Toronto who has made our classical music community that much more interesting. They pick and choose. The minimum response is 20 answers. A kind of Rorschach personality test, if you will. Nicola Benedetti is one of the most sought after violinists of her generation. Her ability to captivate audiences with her innate musicianship and dynamic 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.
Born in Scotland, Nicola began violin lessons at the age of five. In 1997, she entered the Yehudi Menuhin School, where she studied with Natasha Boyarskaya. Nicola has received eight honorary degrees to date and records exclusively for Decca (Universal Music). The enormous success of Nicola's most recent recording, Homecoming; A Scottish Fantasy, made Nicola the first solo British violinist since the 1990s to enter the Top 20 of the Official UK Albums Chart. She plays the 1717 Gariel Stradivarius.
READ THE Musical Toronto Q&A
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Nicola Benedetti - SCO Beethoven program at Edinburgh's Usher Hall gets 4 stars from Herald Scotland
Posted At : January 23, 2017 12:00 AM
Nicola Benedetti played Beethoven with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra at Usher Hall last Thursday 19th January. With an all Beethoven programme, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra with soloist Nicola Benedetti gave a balanced and insightful performance of three of the composer's works on Thursday evening. Opening with Leonore Overture No 1, one of no less than four possible overtures penned by the composer for his only opera, Fidelio, the orchestra displayed a mature, polished sound, if a little safe, under conductor Emeritus Joseph Swensen.
READ THE FULL Herald Scotland ARTICLE
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An intimate solo at St Paul's Cathedral with Nicola Benedetti / CNN - Style
Posted At : November 7, 2016 12:00 AM
Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti has lived in London for 11 years, performing at the most prestigious venues in the city and around the world. But she had never played at the historic St Paul's Cathedral -- until now. With CNN Style, Benedetti was invited to not only perform under its hallowed dome, but to do so alone after hours. "I don't think I ever imagined I would have the whole place to myself," Benedetti said. "To be able to play what is essentially spiritual music with this space is a moment in time I will always remember. The experience is really awe-inspiring."
Performing the final movement of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Partita in D minor" on her 18th-century Stradivarius, Benedetti said she felt "humbled" by the size of the space. "It's interesting to play in an overwhelming space like this because you would imagine you'd feel the need to fill all of that air, and actually it does the opposite to you," she said. "It makes you almost protective of your sound and your space."
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Watch the video to see Nicola Benedetti perform an intimate solo in St Paul Cathedral.
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Nicola Benedetti - Shostakovich & Glazunov / theartsdesk review
Posted At : November 6, 2016 12:00 AM
So many decent recordings of Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No.1 have appeared in recent years, and here's another. James Ehnes was given superb support from Kirill Karabits and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and the same team accompany Nicola Benedetti on this disc. Lower strings are superb in the Nocturne's shadier corners, Benedetti's tone suitably parched. The scherzo's rhythms are brilliantly sprung, but it's the haunting, deeply-felt "Passacaglia" which makes this performance work. Karabits knows how to tighten the screws, the movement's centre both harrowing and exhilarating. A gutsy cadenza leads into an exuberant "Burlesque", Benedetti catching the anger and the joy. Decca's recording is spectacular, allowing us to appreciate what a good orchestra this is.
READ THE FULL arts desk REVIEW
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Nicola Benedetti Royal Scottish National Orchestra / EdinburghGuide.com
Posted At : October 10, 2016 12:00 AM
Nicola Benedetti & Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Peter Oundjian (conductor) played The Usher Hall on Friday 7th October. The program included: Khachaturian, Waltz from Masquerade: Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto: Rachmaninov, Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27.
That every seat in the Usher Hall was taken is no small tribute to Scotland's own very popular Nicola Benedetti. Though a much troubled man, Tchaikovsky had composed his Violin Concerto in D major in just 15 days in 1878. A problem arose when Leopold Auer, to whom the work was originally dedicated, considered it unplayable. Not so for Nicola Benedetti. The violin solo part takes the lead throughout; there is little rest and a great deal to have memorised. There was a hint that Nicola was rushing along, perhaps just too keen to keep up the pace she had set. This mattered little to the audience in the abundant applause. I am not a great fan of encores and so I pay tribute to Nicola Benedetti, once the applause had died down, for telling us she believed an encore would be a downer. Instead there were a few well chosen words for the Orchestra she had played with regularly since a teenager, and for its 125th anniversary.
READ THE FULL EdinburghGuide.com REVIEW
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MiSST makes Nicola Benedetti new patron / Rhinegold Publishing
Posted At : September 20, 2016 12:00 AM
The Music in Secondary Schools Trust (MiSST) has announced Nicola Benedetti as its new patron. The violinist will work closely with the Trust's Saturday School, which aims to develop talented and motivated musicians who have been part of the Andrew Lloyd Webber programme. MiSST aims to transform the lives of children and young people through music. The Trust provides individual instruments and music lessons to students at six London secondary schools, enabling them to study, play and perform in ensemble and orchestral groups.
Benedetti performed with 400 school children at MiSST's inaugural concert at the Barbican in September 2015. She later selected 12 of the players to perform Vivaldi's G major concerto ‘L'estro Armonico' with her at the Royal Albert Hall.
A vocal advocate of music education, Benedetti regularly works with musical charities across the UK and is Sistema Scotland's official ‘Big Sister'. She gives masterclasses and workshops to young musicians of all abilities through the Benedetti Sessions, her own educational initiative founded in March 2013. Benedetti described MiSST as ‘a shining example of the impossible task of combining excellence with inclusivity', adding: ‘They are relentlessly ambitious in their desire to reach as many people as possible whilst consistently raising musical standards.'
SEE THE FULL Rhinegold Publishing ARTICLE
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Nicola Benedetti. Brilliant in Chipping Campden / Stratford upon Avon Herald
Posted At : September 6, 2016 12:00 AM
The town of Chipping Campden was last week treated to a musical extravaganza of breathtaking brilliance - two concerts within two days with Nicola Benedetti, one of the most sought-after virtuoso violinists in the world, as the star attraction on both occasions. Ms Benedetti, who combines elegance, humour and irrepressible verve in her dazzling artistry, was the soloist in two of the most famous Romantic concertos in the whole repertoire at St James' Church last Thursday and Saturday evenings. On Thursday she gave a memorable performance of the Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 77 by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) and on Saturday an equally spellbinding account of the Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 35 by Petr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893).
READ THE FULL Stratford upon Avon Herald REVIEW
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Nicola Benedetti finds the soul of Shostakovich / Texas Public Radio
Posted At : August 2, 2016 12:00 AM
About eight minutes into the first movement of Dmitri Shostakovich's first violin concerto, with soloist Nicola Benedetti, the orchestra trades melodies with the solo violin. The whole movement has been a dense musical search, and if it doesn't exactly open into a clearing, there is a sense of orchestra and soloist working in perfect harmony. I thought to myself, "That's some pretty good soundboard mixing" until I remembered I was merely listening to a perfect melding of soloist and ensemble! Benedetti's in sync with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra on this album, featuring both the moody Shostakovich and a sparkling concerto by Alexander Glazunov.
READ THE FULL Texas Public Radio REVIEW
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Nicola Benedetti solos Szymanowski's 1st VC on Illinois Public Media
Posted At : July 28, 2016 12:00 AM
Nicola Benedetti solos in Szymanowski's First "Violin Concerto" on "The Evening Concert" - July 28, 2016
Benedetti's recent release on Decca Classics features the violin concertos of Glazunov and Shostakovich, and is being released amidst key U.S. concert dates including the U.S premiere at Ravinia of Wynton Marsalis's new Violin Concerto which was composed especially for Benedetti. A journey between two different, yet connected, concertos for the violin, Glazunov's glittering 1904 work is separated from his pupil Shostakovich's 1947 concerto, not only by 40 years, but also by several landmark events in history: the Russian Revolution, Stalin's Terror and the Second World War. Benedetti performs these two works with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Kirill Karabits. This is the second album that Nicola Benedetti has recorded with BSO and Kirill Karabits and follows the hugely successful The Silver Violin.
SEE THE willfm90.9 PAGE
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Sol Gabetta and Nicola Benedetti lead an extraordinary new generation of female string players / The Daily Mail
Posted At : July 18, 2016 12:00 AM
There's an extraordinary generation of young female string players out there right now, few better than the Argentinian cellist Sol Gabetta and the Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti. Just how excellent Sol Gabetta is, and has been for at least a decade, is obvious from this Sony two-CD sampler, which is as good as it gets as an introduction to the joys of the cello. Normally, I wouldn't rave about a compilation because you generally get just odd movements, but this one is different.
In Benedetti's new recording of Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto, a work of searing intensity which lay in Shostakovish's drawer for seven years until Stalin was safely dead. Its premiere, by the legendary David Oistrakh, rightly created a sensation, and it's a tribute to the fragile-looking Benedetti how much power she brings to bear in what has to be regarded as a real success for her, showing this young violinist's formidable powers in an entirely different and unexpected light.
READ THE FULL Daily Mail REVIEW
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Nicola Benedetti - Shostakovich & Glazunov is 'WFMT: New Release of the Day'
Posted At : July 11, 2016 12:00 AM
Nicola Benedetti's new album is a journey between two different, yet connected, concertos for violin. Glazunov's 1904 work is separated from his pupil Shostakovich's 1957 concerto, not only by 40 years, but also by several landmark events in history. Benedetti says, "The works are polar opposites in their emotional expression, orchestral color, formally and technically, and reflect the enormous shift in compositional trends during the first part of the 20th century."
The Glazunov: Violin Concerto in A minor, Op 82 (20:17) from Nicola Benedetti: Shostakovich & Glazunov Concertos on Decca is the WFMT: Chicago - New Release of the Day for Monday July 11. Musicians are - Nicola Benedetti, violin; Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / Kirill Karabits
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Nicola Benedetti - Scottish Fantasy / WCLV October Choice CD
Posted At : October 1, 2014 12:00 AM
Each month, WCLV - Cleveland Program Director Bill O'Connell selects a series of special CDs to be featured on the air throughout the month. For his October list, Bill has selected . Here are the highlighted tracks and airdates Bill has chosen and a few of his comments from about why this disc is a standout.
Despite her Italian heritage, Nicola Benedetti is Scottish through and through and she presents a program bringing together Scottish folk artists and a Scottish orchestra. Songs such as Loch Lomond and My Love is Like a Red Red Rose are included, featuring collaborations with leading Scottish folk musicians Phil Cunningham (accordion) and Aly Bain (fiddle). Ms. Benedetti performs Bruch's Scottish Fantasy with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. She is passionate about promoting music education and is a patron of Sistema Scotland's ‘Big Noise' project, a music initiative partnered with Venezuela's iconic El Sistema. Her last album The Silver Violin spent 7 weeks at No. 1 in UK classical charts and was the highest-charting classical instrumental album in the UK since Nigel Kennedy in 1991, even reaching No. 32 in the pop charts. She was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2013 and her following both in the UK and abroad continues to grow.
Homecoming: A Scottish Fantasy - Nicola Benedetti, violin; BBC Scottish Symphony/Rory Macdonald (Decca 21290) - Featured Tue 10/7, Thu 10/16, Mon 10/27
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Nicola Benedetti - Homecoming: A Scottish Fantasy / The Classical Reviewer
Posted At : September 18, 2014 12:00 AM
Nicola Benedetti's Homecoming; A Scottish Fantasy, recently been released by Decca, includes Bruch's Scottish Fantasy together with works by James Scott Turner and Phil Cunningham. Nicola one of the most sought after violinists of her generation and is in much demand with major orchestras and conductors across the globe. She has played with many of the best orchestras in the world under some of the finest conductors.
Rory Macdonald brings a gravitas to the orchestral opening of the Adagio cantabile of Bruch's Scottish Fantasy to which Nicola Benedetti adds a sweet, poignant tone as she enters. Macdonald draws much orchestral beauty from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. There is some lovely crisp playing from Benedetti in the Scherzo – Allegro; Adagio with such fine flourishes and some beautiful slower passages that are beautifully shaped by this violinist. READ THE FULL Classical Reviewer REVIEW.
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Nicola Benedetti releases Homecoming: A Scottish Fantasy / MPR interview
Posted At : September 10, 2014 12:00 AM
Nicola Benedetti talks with Minnesota Public Radio's Julie Amacher about her new album - Homecoming: A Scottish Fantasy, an exploration of Scotland-born Benedetti's roots. At the heart of the album is Max Bruch's Scottish Fantasy, performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. She also plays a tribute to songwriter and poet Robert Burns, who composed some Scotland's most beloved songs and is from the same county as Benedetti. And in an unusual move for a Classical soloist, she presents traditional Scottish folk music with leading musicians of the style Phil Cunningham, Aly Bain, and Julie Fowlis.
HEAR THE FULL MPR INTERVIEW HERE
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Nicola Benedetti - Homecoming: A Scottish Fantasy / Classical Candor review
Posted At : September 9, 2014 12:00 AM
Nicola Benedetti is a Scottish classical violinist, a child prodigy who has developed into one of the world's leading musicians. And by the look of her recordings, she is currently among the world's most-popular violinists, too. A single listen to her 2014 album Homecoming: A Scottish Fantasy (she is Scottish, after all, and performing with a Scottish orchestra in Scotland), and one understands why the world has fallen in love with her. Her playing is both sensitive and virtuosic.
The first thing Ms. Benedetti plays is the Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 46, by German composer and conductor Max Bruch (1838-1920). Bruch finished the work in 1880 and dedicated it to the violin virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate. As you probably know, the Fantasy is Bruch's sampling of Scottish folk music, in this case a little over thirty minutes of such numbers, loosely tied together in four movements. READ THE FULL Classical Candor REVIEW.
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Nicola Benedetti - Scottish Fantasy / WCRB ' CD Of the Week'
Posted At : August 19, 2014 12:00 AM
It's seems incredible that Max Bruch never visited Scotland. The Scottish landscape- equal parts rugged and charming, bleeds through every note of his signature "Scottish Fantasy." A violin concerto in all but name, "Scottish Fantasy" takes selections from traditional Scots folk music and merges them with Bruch's own German romanticism.
In this album, premier Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti begins with the distinctive violin solo that sits atop Bruch's masterpiece, but soon delves deeper into the "Fantasy" itself, and beyond it, arranging folk music that sits in the heart of the Scottish reality, so to speak. A Scot herself, Benedetti's take feels as wild as the Scottish homeland, and as dignified as its people.
READ THE FULL WCRB - Boston cd of the week ARTICLE
