Photographer: Franz Galo
Nicola Benedetti is an Italian-Scottish classical violinist. She was born on July 20th, 1987, in Scotland.
She has been official in her career since 2005. However, her talent has always been with her since childhood.
When she was 16, she received the BBC reward of Young Musician of the Year. At nine years old, she passed eight grades of musical examinations.
She is a talented violinist who practices hours on her skills each day. Today, she is a talented artist with numerous awards.
Such rewards are the “Queen’s Medal for Music” in 2017, the 2020 Grammy Award for “Best Classical Instrumental Solo,” and even more rewards. Best of all, she likes to educate others on music. A well-known quote from her is,
“Enhance your own ability, be the best you can be, but don’t keep that for yourself. Share it, expose it, give it and try to enrich other people with what you have managed to achieve.”
Early Life
Scotland was the place Nicola Benedetti was born. Benedetti’s mother, Francesca Benedetti is Scottish. Benedetti’s father, Giovanni Benedetti, is a retired Italian businessman. Nicola Benedetti also has an older sister, Stephanie Benedetti, who is a violinist.
Her music experience started at the young age of four. She began to learn how to play the violin at that age.
At eight years old, she became the leading member of the “National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain.” At nine years of age, she passed eight grades of musical examinations while learning at the Wellington School in Ayr, Scotland.
She also attended Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey (a country in England) when she was ten. At 11, at her school’s yearly concert at Wigmore Hall (a concert hall), she did a solo performance.
She also performed in the capital of France and the United Kingdom as a soloist along with Alina Ibragimova in “Bach’s Double Violin Concerto.” She also played in a concert in tribute to American violinist Yehudi Menuhin at Westminster Abbey.
Career
Benedetti performed for anniversary celebrations at Holyrood Palace accompanied by the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland in 1999. Prince Edward (the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II of the U.K.) watched this performance.
A year later, she performed along with the Scottish Opera and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
In 2001, she played a concerto with the London Mozart Players (a British chamber orchestra) at St. Jame’s Palace.
In 2002, she participated in the United Kingdom’s Brilliant Prodigy Competition, which she won. In that same year, she started learning with Maciej Rakowski.
A year later, she participated in the recording of 'Barbie of Swan Lake,' an animated film directed by Owen Hurley. The London Symphony Orchestra invited her as a soloist.
Achievements
- She received honorary doctorates from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2007
- She also got honorary doctorates from Heriot Watt University in 2010
- She received honorary degrees from the University of Edinburgh in 2011
- In 2013, she became a “Member of the Order of the British Empire”
- She was listed as one of “BBC’s 100 Women” in 2015
- In 2017, she was elected to be an honorary fellow of the “Royal Society of Edinburgh.”
- She was awarded the “Queen’s Medal for Music” in 2017
- She became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2019
- She was awarded the yearly Royal Medal award by the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2019 for helping Scottish people, particularly children.
- She won the 2020 Grammy for the best classical solo instrumental solo for Marsalis: Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite
- In 2020, received an honorary degree from the University of York.