Live Sessions

Published on June 1st, 2015 | by Jameelah "Just Jay" Wilkerson

0

The Hype Magazine ‘Classic’ interview with renowned violinist Nicola Benedetti

At only 27 years of age, Nicola Benedetti is a master craftsperson with her tool of choice…Violin. This classical music sensation began her journey at only four years of age and music lovers are the better for having her.

Recording for the Decca (Universal Music) imprint, Nicola boasts eight album projects and a global tour schedule that would bring to mind the Beatles of yesteryear, or in modern time, Kanye or Madonna, with almost no time to even catch her breath. She’s one of the most sought after violinists of her generation, whose concerto performances with major orchestras and conductors have her appearing in the world’s leading concert halls.

Thoroughly dedicated to classical music at this point in her career, Nicola expressed pleasure and initial shock at hitting the UK Pop Charts in 2012 with “The Silver Violin” which weighed in at #32. Just last year (2014), she scored a smashing success with “Homecoming: A Scottish Fantasy” breaking through at #19 on the UK Pop Charts.

A classical music loyalist, Benedetti will always be however, she also shared a bit with us about her feelings for jazz. Her love for the musicality and complexity of jazz, led to a collaboration with Wynton Marsalis who is composing a piece for her. The project is set to release in November! Stay tuned.

To whom much is given, much is required, is an age old rule of the universe and Nicola is a highly committed advocate for music education. Currently, Ms. Benedetti is Ambassador for the BBC’s “Ten Pieces” project, which facilitates children learning about classical music and exposes them to using music in stimulating their own creativity. In 2013, she developed her own education and outreach program, “The Benedetti Sessions,” which showcased in Glasgow, London and the Cheltenham Festival (UK).

I spoke with Nicola via phone, who’d recently arrived in New York for an exclusive performance at SubCulture, spoken of as the ultimate listening room. I found her to be unusually alert at 9am after her travels and excited to be in NYC for an intimate set at the beautiful venue. As opposed to a concert hall, her audience will be treated to a closer up experience in a perfectly tuned and designed space. The venue hosts a bar within the space which, keeps disturbing extraneous noise from interfering with the experience that is SubCulture. They do not serve hard alcohol. If you are in New York, this might be just what you need. Get more info on Nicola’s appearance here.

Our conversation covered everything from her philosophy on music to how she spends her rare relaxing moments. Her response to how she now listens to music and can she do it for pure enjoyment now, was very interesting.

Listen to our private conversation and hear what she says in our exclusive “Live Session”!

– @NickyBenedetti



About the Author

Publisher and CEO of The Hype Magazine. Follow me on Twitter @HypeJustJay


Leave a Reply

Back to Top ↑