NICOLA BENEDETTI
VIOLIN
“Ms. Benedetti’s playing is always top-notch.”
Photo credit: Andy Gotts
Nicola Benedetti is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation. 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 greatest influential classical artists of today.
Born in the Scottish town of Irvine, of Italian heritage, Nicola began violin lessons at the age of four 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. In 2004, she won “BBC Young Musician,” launching her career as an international concert violinist.
With concerto performances at the heart of her career, Nicola is in much demand with major orchestras across the globe. Conductors with whom Nicola has worked include Marin Alsop, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Jiří Bělohlávek, Karina Canellakis, Iván Fischer, James Gaffigan, Jakub Hrůša, Kirill Karabits, Paavo Järvi, Vladimir Jurowski, Cristian Măcelaru, Zubin Mehta, Andrea Marcon, Gianandrea Noseda, Michael Tilson Thomas, Robin Ticciati, Vasily Petrenko, Donald Runnicles, Thomas Søndergård, Pinchas Zukerman and Jaap van Zweden.
Nicola enjoys working with the highest level of orchestras including collaborations with the London Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, WDR Köln, Orchestre de Paris, Czech Philharmonic, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
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. The ensemble has subsequently performed at the Edinburgh International Festival, Aldeburgh Festival and tours are planned to Asia in February and Europe in Summer 2024.
Nicola champions the commissioning of new works which has recently included Mark Simpson’s critically acclaimed Violin Concerto, written for her with the London Symphony Orchestra, and Wynton Marsalis’s Violin Concerto which won a GRAMMY Award for “Best Classical Instrumental Solo” in 2020. In October 2022, she premiered James MacMillan’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
A devoted chamber musician, Nicola collaborates regularly with cellist Leonard Elschenbroich and pianist Alexei Grynyuk, who have been performing as a trio since 2008. Past performances include Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw, Edinburgh International Festival, Alte Oper, Frankfurt, Ravinia Festival and City Hall, Hong Kong. The trio has recently toured throughout the UK (June 2021), Europe (March 2022) and North America (March 2023).
In recent seasons, Nicola has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, play-directing the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, a tour to Spain with the Philharmonia Orchestra, a performance of the Marsalis Violin Concerto with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra at the BBC Proms, a tour to Japan with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and engagements with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Hallé, DSO Berlin and Orchestre de Paris, amongst others.
Her 2022-2023 highlights include an Artist Residency with the Philharmonia Orchestra, concerts with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, LA Philharmonic and a tour to Asia with the Benedetti Baroque Orchestra.
Nicola continues to hold key positions in a number of the country’s most established and high-quality youth music organisations including the National Children’s Orchestras (Vice President), Sistema Scotland (Big Sister), National Youth Orchestras of Scotland (Patron), Music in Secondary Schools’ Trust (Patron), National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (Ambassador) and many more. In 2022, Nicola became Honorary President of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she is also Patron of the Junior Conservatoire.
An exclusive Decca (Universal Music) artist, Nicola has an impressive and varied catalogue. Her recording of Elgar’s Violin Concerto entered at number one in the UK’s 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 Baroque (July 2021) which features Nicola on gut-strings play-directing the Benedetti Baroque Orchestra; the album reached number one in the UK’s Official Classical Album Chart and received another 5* review in The Times. In 2020, Nicola won a GRAMMY Award for “Best Classical Instrumental Solo” for the album “Violin Concerto in D and Fiddle Dance Suite for Solo Violin” written especially for her by jazz musician Wynton Marsalis. Other recordings include works from Shostakovich and Glazunov with the London Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Harding to Homecoming; A Scottish Fantasy, which made Nicola the first solo British violinist since the 1990s to enter the Top 20 of the Official UK Album Chart. In 2021, BBC Music Magazine named her “Personality of the Year” and the RPS gave her the “Instrumentalist Award” for her work as an artist, educator and advocate for her online support of many young musicians during the pandemic.
In March 2022, Nicola became the Director Designate of the Edinburgh International Festival, becoming Festival Director on 1 October 2022. In taking the role, Nicola is both the first Scottish and the first female Festival Director since the Festival began in 1947.
Nicola was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours list, awarded the Queen’s 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. In addition, Nicola has received nine honorary degrees to date.
Nicola plays the Gariel Stradivarius (1717), courtesy of Jonathan Moulds.
Nicola continues to hold key positions in a number of the country’s most established and high-quality youth music organisations including the National Children’s Orchestras (Vice President), Sistema Scotland (Big Sister), National Youth Orchestras of Scotland (Patron), Music in Secondary Schools’ Trust (Patron), National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (Ambassador) and many more. In 2022, Nicola became Honorary President of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she is also Patron of the Junior Conservatoire.
An exclusive Decca (Universal Music) artist, Nicola has an impressive and varied catalogue. Her recording of Elgar’s Violin Concerto entered at number one in the UK’s 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 Baroque (July 2021) which features Nicola on gut-strings play-directing the Benedetti Baroque Orchestra; the album reached number one in the UK’s Official Classical Album Chart and received another 5* review in The Times. In 2020, Nicola won a GRAMMY Award for “Best Classical Instrumental Solo” for the album “Violin Concerto in D and Fiddle Dance Suite for Solo Violin” written especially for her by jazz musician Wynton Marsalis. Other recordings include works from Shostakovich and Glazunov with the London Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Harding to Homecoming; A Scottish Fantasy, which made Nicola the first solo British violinist since the 1990s to enter the Top 20 of the Official UK Album Chart. In 2021, BBC Music Magazine named her “Personality of the Year” and the RPS gave her the “Instrumentalist Award” for her work as an artist, educator and advocate for her online support of many young musicians during the pandemic.
In March 2022, Nicola became the Director Designate of the Edinburgh International Festival, becoming Festival Director on 1 October 2022. In taking the role, Nicola is both the first Scottish and the first female Festival Director since the Festival began in 1947.
Nicola was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours list, awarded the Queen’s 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. In addition, Nicola has received nine honorary degrees to date.
Nicola plays the Gariel Stradivarius (1717), courtesy of Jonathan Moulds.
“The hottest classical violinist on the planet.”
“Ms. Benedetti’s playing is always top-notch, her sound brilliant and clean.”
“Ms. Benedetti’s sound in the stratosphere of her register is almost improbably pure and gleaming; at times it resembled the supernatural song of a theremin… Ms. Benedetti’s violin soared with luminous grace.”
“She has a sumptuous tone. She digs into a phrase with plenty of intensity and clearly enjoys showing off her technique, but she never crosses the line to showiness. An admirable violinist, Benedetti [has] certainly earned the right to be taken seriously.”
“Benedetti is one magnificent talent, her abilities only matched by her ambitiousness. It was an extraordinarily satisfying concert that went in four distinctly different directions, stylistically. Not only did Benedetti show off her versatility, she demonstrated that she might just be brilliant with whatever repertoire she touches.”
“Benedetti has a crisp, centered violin tone that shines in the high register, and she fearlessly navigates to the top of the instrument’s range, hitting stratospheric notes with authority and swaggering vibrato.”
“Joshua Bell may be the only violinist under the age of 50 more widely known than Benedetti. … The concert was entirely triumphant. Benedetti didn’t merely prove that she’s shed her former status as a youthful novelty. She’s clearly become an important artist of significant merit.”
“Benedetti draws an exceptionally rich and full-bodied sound from her Stradivarius instrument. Her vibrato was ample without being excessive, and her bowing has character.”
“From her first note, it was clear that Benedetti’s artistry is impressive. She projected a sweet, stunning sound on her Stradivarius, played with a fresh spirit and clearly had something to say.”
Cincinnati Enquirer
“Benedetti’s playing had a satisfying poise and maturity that ushered the listener gently into the labyrinthine patterns woven by Bach in this mesmerizing piece of music.”
“Benedetti is an absorbing musical storyteller. Like all the best, she leaves you wanting more.”
“Benedetti’s trademark is her tone: sweet and clear in the upper register, honeyed in mid-range, and velvety in her low notes.”
Classical Voice America
“Benedetti is the type of passionate artist who can help popularize classical music with a new generation.”
Pop Culture Classics
“Whatever she plays, Benedetti remains a great communicator.”
“Her magically sustained pianissimos deserve an Oscar.”
The Times (of London)
“Nicola Benedetti, beloved by audiences at the BBC Proms, was enthusiastically greeted by a packed house to perform Korngold’s Concerto, a favourite of hers, and one that she has recorded fairly recently. Her creamy tone was as seductive as ever, caressing and shaping the opening paragraphs, with many a wonderful sudden pianissimo along the way. As she ascended to the heights and set up the first tutti, she gave a small smile of pleasure. Her playing had all the sheer beauty the lush score calls for.”
The Strad
“She is habitually called ‘the violin star’ …”
“This is an artist who exudes star quality; her exquisite playing, combining true virtuosity and a deep musical intelligence made this a memorable performance.”
Herald Scotland