New 'Mini Sessions' announced by the Benedetti Foundation
Last updated 1st Oct 2021
Music education charity the Benedetti Foundation has announced a new season of Mini Virtual Sessions for autumn 2021 designed to provide in-depth and detailed exploration on a wide variety of topics.
The sessions which will take place via Zoom from September to December will provide practical sessions concentrating on technique, physicality, and wellbeing, as well as discussion sessions and a focus on personal and professional development for students and teachers.
For the first time this autumn all sessions will be available to watch back for one month after they have taken place. If anyone is unable to attend live, participants can still register and will receive a link to the recording to catch up in their own time.
Artistic director, Nicola Benedetti, began running virtual sessions during the lockdown in 2020, providing musicians of all ages and stages, from all over the world, with three weeks of consistent online tutorials and inspirational workshops.
Registration is open now and more information about the sessions can be found atwww.benedettifoundation.org/mini-sessions.
Nicola has recently released a new album titled ‘Baroque’, which is her first album released on a period set-up including gut strings.
The album features a selection of concerti by Vivaldi plus Geminiani’s arrangement of Corelli’s ‘La Folia’, one of the oldest western classical themes which has been arranged by many composers over time, particularly in the baroque era.
You can hear exclusive content of music dedicated to the Baroque era on Scala Radio Premium. Start your 30-day free trial to listen. Find out more here.
Find out more about Nicola Benedetti's career below:
2005: Debut album
Nicola released her debut album, 'Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 1', in 2005 - topping the UK classical charts and winning her a nomination for Album of the Year at the Classic BRITs in 2006, where she was also nominated for Young British Classical Performer.
2006: More Classic BRIT nominations
Her second release was a recording of 'Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto', put out only a year later in 2006, for which she received a further two nominations in the same categories - as well as a third for Instrumentalist of the Year. It reached Number 2 in the UK Classical charts.
2007: Third album and move to Vienna
Nicola's third album 'Vaughan Williams and Tavener' featured many of the composers' classic works, including particular VW favourite 'The Lark Ascending', released in 2007. A year later, she went to Vienna and studied under two new teachers, choosing to focus on practise rather than performance. It was also the year she won Young British Classical Performer at the Classic BRITs.
2009: Sistema Scotland the Big Noise Orchestra
But she has never forgotten her Scottish roots, or the importance of musical education. In 2009, Sistema Scotland set up its Big Noise Orchestra - and it wasn't long before Nicola was involved, tutoring the children. However, she pushed the organisers to make more of it, as Dr Richard Holloway told the Telegraph, "Back then we were more intent on the socially transformative aspect of the work, but Nicky was adamant that we should tighten up the teaching and be more disciplined with the children.
"Because of her, we appointed a new director of music and started to really emphasise the importance of hard work. As a direct result of this we are now producing great individual performers as well as a symphony orchestra with a wonderful sound. Nine of our children play with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, which is no mean feat."
2010: BBC Proms debut
2009 also saw the release of Nicky's fourth album, 'Fantasie', which features the talents of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and was her second record to hit the top spot on the UK Classical chart. A year later saw her record 'Tchaikovsky & Bruch: Violin Concertos', as well as being exposed to an even wider audience making her BBC Proms debut with a stunning performance of 'The Lark Ascending' aged 23.
2011: Another Number 1 album
Nicola continued to release an album a year between 2011 to 2014: 'Italia' in 2011, 'The Silver Violin' in 2012, 'My First Decade' in 2013 and 'Homecoming – A Scottish Fantasy' in 2014, which saw her combine her love of classical music with traditional Scottish folk songs, again reaching Number 1 in the UK Classical Chart.
2012-2014: The Stradivarius violin and MBE
During those years, Nicola began playing the 1717 'Gariel' Stradivarius in 2012 as loaned to her by London Symphony Orchestra board member Jonathan Moulds, was awarded an MBE in 2013 for services to music and charity and performed at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Glasgow in 2014, as well as winning the Classic BRIT Award for Female Artist of the Year in 2012 and 2013 - among many other achievements.
2017: Queen's Medal for Music
She won the Queen's Medal for Music in 2017, which was established in 2005, and is awarded to "an outstanding individual or group of musicians who have had a major influence on the musical life of the nation," chosen by a committee led by the Master of the Queen's Music. She was also the youngest ever recipient of the award.
2020: Grammy Award and CBE
2019 saw Nicola release her first record in five years - the 'Marsalis: Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite', for which she won the best classical instrumental solo award at the Grammys 2020. She was also awarded a CBE for services to music, and won the annual Royal Medal award by the Royal Society of Edinburgh for her work with Sistema Scotland and the Big Noise Orchestras.