Nicola Benedetti
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, Benedetti is in much demand with major orchestras and conductors across the globe. Recent and future performances include engagements with the London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, WDR Cologne, Danish National Symphony, Strasbourg Philharmonic, Orchestre National D’Ile de France, Beethoven Orchester Bonn, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Chamber, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony of Washington, D.C, Dallas Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony and Hong Kong Philharmonic, among others. Benedetti also will embark on tours with the Bergen Philharmonic (Germany), Camerata Salzburg and BBC Scottish Symphony (India).
The 2014-2015 season will see Benedetti further her passion for music of the Italian Baroque and historical performance realized in collaborations with Andrea Marcon and WDR Cologne, Venice Baroque Orchestra and a European tour with La Cetra Barokorchester Basel. These international appearances have resulted in her working with a host of distinguished conductors including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Stéphane Denève, Christoph Eschenbach, James Gaffigan, Valery Gergiev, Alan Gilbert, Jakub Hrusa, Louis Langrée, Andrew Litton, Jiří Bělohlávek, Sir Neville Marriner, Diego Matheuz, Kristjan Järvi, Neeme Jaarvi, Paavo Järvi, Donald Runnicles, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Pinchas Zukerman and Jaap van Zweden. With her regular duo partner, pianist Alexei Grynyuk, Benedetti frequently performs in recital, making appearances in the world’s leading concert halls. Most recently, she performed at the Dresden Musikfestipiele, the Sapienza in Romea and Maison Symphony in Montreal and prior to this has given recitals in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hong Kong, Paris, Sacile, New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. Future recitals include performances at the Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Symphony Hall Birmingham, Aix en Provence and Trieste Italy.
Benedetti is a devoted chamber musician and collaborates with cellist Leonard Elschenbroich and pianist Alexei Grynyuk, who have been performing as a trio since 2008. They recently undertook an extensive tour of Scotland in March 2013 including performances at the Edinburgh Usher Hall and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Recent and future highlights include concerts at LSO St. Luke's, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Die Glocke Bremen, Hong Kong City Hall, two tours of South America, and at the Ravinia, Schloss Elmau, Istanbul and Cheltenham Festivals.
Fiercely committed to music education and to developing young talent, Benedetti has formed associations with education establishments including schools, music colleges and local authorities. In 2010, she became Sistema Scotland’s official musical “Big Sister” for the Big Noise project — a music initiative partnered with Venezuela’s El Sistema (Fundación Musical Simón Bolívar). As a board member and teacher, Benedetti embraces her position of role model to encourage young people to take up music and work hard at it, and she continues to spread this message in school visits and master classes, not only in Scotland, but all around the world.
In addition, Benedetti recently developed her own education and outreach initiative entitled The Benedetti Sessions. Piloted in March 2013 at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, these sessions gave hundreds of aspiring young string players the opportunity to rehearse, undertake and observe master classes culminating in a performance alongside Benedetti. She will present The Benedetti Sessions at the Royal Albert Hall in September 2013 and Benedetti has plans to develop this exciting initiative on an international scale.
Winner of Best Female Artist at the 2012 Classical BRIT Awards, Benedetti records exclusively for Decca (Universal Music). Her most recent recording, The Silver Violin, is particularly renowned for its success in reaching No. 30 in the U.K. pop charts simultaneously to topping the classical charts. Her past six recordings on Universal/Deutsche Grammophon include a varied catalogue of works including the Szymanowski Concerto (London Symphony Orchestra/Daniel Harding), newly commissioned works by Tavener and The Lark Ascending (London Philharmonic/Andrew Litton), a disc of virtuosic works (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic/Vasily Petrenko), Tchaikovsky and Bruch Concertos (Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Jakub Hrusa) and most recently Vivaldi, Tartini and Veracini Concerti (Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Christian Curnyn).
Benedetti was appointed as a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours, in recognition of her international music career and work with musical charities throughout the U.K. In addition, Benedetti has received five honorary degrees to date.
Born in Scotland of Italian heritage, Benedetti began violin lessons at the age of five with Brenda Smith. In 1997, she entered the Yehudi Menuhin School, where she studied with Natasha Boyarskaya. Upon leaving, she continued her studies with Maciej Rakowski and then Pavel Vernikov, and continues to work with multiple acclaimed teachers and performers.
Benedetti plays the Gariel Stradivarius (1717), courtesy of Jonathan Moulds.
With concerto performances at the heart of her career, Benedetti is in much demand with major orchestras and conductors across the globe. Recent and future performances include engagements with the London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, WDR Cologne, Danish National Symphony, Strasbourg Philharmonic, Orchestre National D’Ile de France, Beethoven Orchester Bonn, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Chamber, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony of Washington, D.C, Dallas Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony and Hong Kong Philharmonic, among others. Benedetti also will embark on tours with the Bergen Philharmonic (Germany), Camerata Salzburg and BBC Scottish Symphony (India).
The 2014-2015 season will see Benedetti further her passion for music of the Italian Baroque and historical performance realized in collaborations with Andrea Marcon and WDR Cologne, Venice Baroque Orchestra and a European tour with La Cetra Barokorchester Basel. These international appearances have resulted in her working with a host of distinguished conductors including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Stéphane Denève, Christoph Eschenbach, James Gaffigan, Valery Gergiev, Alan Gilbert, Jakub Hrusa, Louis Langrée, Andrew Litton, Jiří Bělohlávek, Sir Neville Marriner, Diego Matheuz, Kristjan Järvi, Neeme Jaarvi, Paavo Järvi, Donald Runnicles, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Pinchas Zukerman and Jaap van Zweden. With her regular duo partner, pianist Alexei Grynyuk, Benedetti frequently performs in recital, making appearances in the world’s leading concert halls. Most recently, she performed at the Dresden Musikfestipiele, the Sapienza in Romea and Maison Symphony in Montreal and prior to this has given recitals in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hong Kong, Paris, Sacile, New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. Future recitals include performances at the Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Symphony Hall Birmingham, Aix en Provence and Trieste Italy.
Benedetti is a devoted chamber musician and collaborates with cellist Leonard Elschenbroich and pianist Alexei Grynyuk, who have been performing as a trio since 2008. They recently undertook an extensive tour of Scotland in March 2013 including performances at the Edinburgh Usher Hall and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Recent and future highlights include concerts at LSO St. Luke's, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Die Glocke Bremen, Hong Kong City Hall, two tours of South America, and at the Ravinia, Schloss Elmau, Istanbul and Cheltenham Festivals.
Fiercely committed to music education and to developing young talent, Benedetti has formed associations with education establishments including schools, music colleges and local authorities. In 2010, she became Sistema Scotland’s official musical “Big Sister” for the Big Noise project — a music initiative partnered with Venezuela’s El Sistema (Fundación Musical Simón Bolívar). As a board member and teacher, Benedetti embraces her position of role model to encourage young people to take up music and work hard at it, and she continues to spread this message in school visits and master classes, not only in Scotland, but all around the world.
In addition, Benedetti recently developed her own education and outreach initiative entitled The Benedetti Sessions. Piloted in March 2013 at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, these sessions gave hundreds of aspiring young string players the opportunity to rehearse, undertake and observe master classes culminating in a performance alongside Benedetti. She will present The Benedetti Sessions at the Royal Albert Hall in September 2013 and Benedetti has plans to develop this exciting initiative on an international scale.
Winner of Best Female Artist at the 2012 Classical BRIT Awards, Benedetti records exclusively for Decca (Universal Music). Her most recent recording, The Silver Violin, is particularly renowned for its success in reaching No. 30 in the U.K. pop charts simultaneously to topping the classical charts. Her past six recordings on Universal/Deutsche Grammophon include a varied catalogue of works including the Szymanowski Concerto (London Symphony Orchestra/Daniel Harding), newly commissioned works by Tavener and The Lark Ascending (London Philharmonic/Andrew Litton), a disc of virtuosic works (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic/Vasily Petrenko), Tchaikovsky and Bruch Concertos (Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Jakub Hrusa) and most recently Vivaldi, Tartini and Veracini Concerti (Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Christian Curnyn).
Benedetti was appointed as a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours, in recognition of her international music career and work with musical charities throughout the U.K. In addition, Benedetti has received five honorary degrees to date.
Born in Scotland of Italian heritage, Benedetti began violin lessons at the age of five with Brenda Smith. In 1997, she entered the Yehudi Menuhin School, where she studied with Natasha Boyarskaya. Upon leaving, she continued her studies with Maciej Rakowski and then Pavel Vernikov, and continues to work with multiple acclaimed teachers and performers.
Benedetti plays the Gariel Stradivarius (1717), courtesy of Jonathan Moulds.