Dave
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Post by Dave on May 12, 2005 2:39:43 GMT
Nicola Benedetti (violin) is the current UK Young Musician of the Year (2004) and her debut album is released this week. She features in the same BBC World Service interview as Hayley that I posted yesterday World Service Music Review (11m 54s, 2.8MB, 32 kbps) and I will leave it up there for a while. Her debut album features a rarely heard violin concerto - Szymanowski's - and this is a daring and quite staggering way to launch your debut album. But - and I can hardly believe this - her album has a good chance of entering the top 75 POP chart this week (currently it's at no. 79 midweek) and has an excellent chance of entering the Classical charts at number 1.  From what I've heard of her, this 17 year old Scottish girl is a quite amazing violinist and we are going to hear much more of her in the future. My mouth's watering already at the prospect of hearing and seeing her and Anna Netrebko on the same stage at the Classical Brits this month! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifNicola is in concert at the Royal Festival Hall this coming Sunday, May 15th. Maybe I should go.... very tempting... hmmm ... Anyway, here's her website: www.nicolabenedetti.com . |
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Post by portia on May 12, 2005 10:46:27 GMT
I think Nicola has the technique downpat, which is hardly surprising since she's practically married to her violin, but she needs to work now on expression and her own vision. Right now, I find little to distinguish Nicola between other violinists her age other than the fact that she has great technique.
Another great violinist you should check out: Diana Yukawa. She's nineteen, and in my opinion a better violinist because she has technique and I can hear distinctly a sound that tells me its Diana and not anyone else.
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Post by gareth on May 14, 2005 15:20:44 GMT
Here in Holland, currently young violinist Janine Jansen is all the rage - she is 26 years old. On April 29th, she took part in the Dutch Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations, performing Meditation from Thais (Massenet). On May 2nd, she was awarded the People's Choice Award at the Dutch Edison Classical awards (somewhat comparable to the Classical Brits Awards - but the Edisons are in their 40th year). She received the award for her interpretation of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, issued on her second CD. Just last year, her debut CD "Janine Jansen", also received The People's Choice Award. Last night, Janine appeared on a Classical show on German TV - where she performed the first movement from "Spring" - that was followed by an interesting German-Dutch conversation, with the presenter, Götz Almann, trying to announce the title of an encore, the typically Dutch "Aan de Amsterdamse grachten" ("At the Amsterdam channels"). In this encore, Götz is playing the mandoline and they are joined by Turkish pianist Fazil Say, in what Götz describes as a Dutch-German-Turkish musical top. If you are interested, you can download Thais and the German TV video from these links: www.classicalrelatedperformances.com/janine/meditation2900405.wmv (13.4 MB, 5:46) www.classicalrelatedperformances.com/janine/springchannels130505.wmv (16.2 MB, 7:43) Janine made her London debut in 2002 in the Royal Festival Hall, with Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. On critic wrote that the audience were bewitched by this performance. In the next 9 months, Janine will be touring to all parts of the world, including Hong Kong and the US. Gerrit |
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Post by Richard on May 14, 2005 18:01:58 GMT
Hello again folks!  It's good to see and hear young performers from all over the world breaking into other fields of the classical music scene besides singing. As I've said before, the future of classical music seems pretty secure, and the younger performers will attract younger fans, as Hayley has done, while also appealing to older music lovers like me! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifBye for now, Richard  |
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Dave
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Post by Dave on May 15, 2005 18:44:51 GMT
Nice to hear from you portia, thanks for that interesting background on the young violinists, I'll be looking out for Diana. What a pity Nicola just missed no. 1 in today's Classical Artist chart - A Katherine "VE Day" bounceback put a stop to that.  |
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Post by Richard on May 23, 2005 7:33:21 GMT
Hello again folks! I was listening to Melodies For You on Radio 2 last night when Sheridan Morley played a track from Nicola's album. It was a piece by Saint-Saens, and she certainly sounds like a very accomplished violinist indeed.  He also announced that Nicola will be appearing in the BBC's Proms in the Park later in the year, but he didn't give any further details. Bye for now, Richard |
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Post by Richard on May 25, 2005 13:40:03 GMT
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Joe
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Supporting Hayley since 2003!
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Post by Joe on Jun 8, 2005 1:54:17 GMT
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Joe
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Supporting Hayley since 2003!
Posts: 6,715
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Post by Joe on Jun 8, 2005 1:57:15 GMT
I've just learned that Nicola is to work with UNICEF and will publicise the reality of child poverty and AIDS awareness. See the July issue of Classic FM Magazine for Nicola's story.
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Post by roger on Jun 8, 2005 10:59:38 GMT
Thanks for that, Joe. I've just booked it! All the best, Roger |
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Joe
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Post by Joe on Jun 10, 2005 2:45:17 GMT
Thanks for that, Joe. I've just booked it! All the best, Roger Glad to be of help, Roger! I wonder if Nicola is performing all three pieces listed on the above site, because the advert in Classic FM page 64 (June) has only the Mozart piece. That same page also has an ad for the Hellenic Festival, where Hayley appears with Mario Frangoulis on October 5 and 6. |
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Post by roger on Jun 10, 2005 17:36:08 GMT
...I wonder if Nicola is performing all three pieces listed on the above site, because the advert in Classic FM page 64 (June) has only the Mozart piece.... I imagine she will only be involved with Mozart's Violin Concerto although I know nothing about the Schnittke piece. There is certainly no solo part in Beethoven's Symphony No 7.... or, if there is, he couldn't hear it! There just happen to be exactly 50 days to go! Roger |
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Post by Richard on Jun 13, 2005 14:08:20 GMT
Hello again everybody! Nicola Benedetti is getting quite a bit of airplay on BBC Radio 2 at the moment. I was listening to "Your Hundred Best Tunes" last night when Richard Baker played her version of the Meditation from Thais by Massenet. It was the best version I've ever heard, and she plays the violin with great feeling and expression. Nicola's playing reminds me of Hayley's singing, and she's showing the same dedication to her career. Seeing that Nicola and Hayley are both ambassadors for UNICEF, I wonder if there is any possibility of them performing together at a charity concert in the near future? I wouldn't want to exclude Fiona Pears, so perhaps she could join them, and maybe Sophie as well. Anyway, now I want to hear Nicola play the Beethoven Romances, especially no.2! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifBye for now, Richard |
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Post by Richard on Jun 14, 2005 14:35:24 GMT
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Post by kcuteus1 on Jun 28, 2005 0:53:11 GMT
I think I am going to get here cd when it is release here in the US.
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