Nicola Benedetti facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicola Benedetti CBE
Benedetti in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Nicola Joy Nadia Benedetti
Born	(1987-07-20) 20 July 1987 (age 38) Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland
Died	Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day
Genres	Classical
Instruments	Violin
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Deutsche Grammophon Universal Classics and Jazz Decca Records

Nicola Benedetti (born 20 July 1987) is a famous Scottish classical violinist. She is known for her amazing talent and for leading important music events. Nicola started playing the violin when she was very young. She won the BBC Young Musician of the Year award when she was 16.

She performs with orchestras all over Europe and America. She also plays regularly with her pianist, Alexei Grynyuk. Since 2012, she has played a special violin called the Gariel Stradivarius. In 2019, Nicola started her own music education charity, The Benedetti Foundation. She also became the first woman to lead the Edinburgh International Festival in October 2022.

Early Life and Learning Music

Nicola Benedetti was born in West Kilbride, Scotland. Her father is Italian, and her mother is Italian-Scottish. Nicola has an older sister, Stephanie Benedetti, who also plays the violin.

Nicola started violin lessons at age four. By age eight, she was the main violinist, or leader, of the National Children's Orchestra of Great Britain. When she was nine, she had already passed all eight levels of music exams. In 1997, she began studying at the Yehudi Menuhin School. This is a special school for young musicians in England.

First Performances

At the Yehudi Menuhin School, Nicola performed solo in a concert at Wigmore Hall in 1998. She also played in London and Paris as a soloist. She performed Bach's Double Violin Concerto with another talented violinist, Alina Ibragimova. Nicola also played at a special concert in Westminster Abbey. This concert celebrated the life of her teacher, Yehudi Menuhin.

Music Career Highlights

In 1999, Nicola performed at Holyrood Palace for a special anniversary. She played with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. In 2000, she performed with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Scottish Opera. She continued to play with many other famous orchestras.

Winning Awards and Playing for Films

In 2002, Nicola won the UK's Brilliant Prodigy Competition. She then left the Menuhin School at 15 to study privately. In 2003, she was invited to play as a soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra. She recorded music for the DVD Barbie of Swan Lake. A documentary about Nicola was also made and shown on TV in 2004.

In May 2004, just before her 17th birthday, Nicola won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. She played Karol Szymanowski's First Violin Concerto in the final. This big win made her very famous. In 2012, she performed at the Last Night of the Proms. She played Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1.

Playing a Special Violin

In 2012, Nicola was lent a very old and valuable violin. It is a 1717 "Gariel" Stradivarius violin. These violins are known for their beautiful sound.

Besides playing by herself, Nicola also performs in a trio. A trio is a group of three musicians. She plays with German cellist Leonard Elschenbroich and British-Ukrainian pianist Alexei Grynyuk. In 2021, a portrait of Nicola was painted by Calum Stevenson. This painting now hangs in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Benedetti in August 2022 while being received by the First Minister of Scotland

Official Honors

Nicola has received several important honors from the UK.

• In 2013, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This was for her services to music and charity.
• In 2017, she received the Queen's Medal for Music. She was the youngest person to get this award at the time.
• In 2019, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This was also for her services to music.

Honorary Degrees

Nicola has also received special degrees from many universities. These are called honorary doctorates. She received them from:

• Glasgow Caledonian University (2007)
• Heriot-Watt University (2010)
• University of Edinburgh (2011)
• University of Leicester (2013)
• University of York (2020)

Other Awards

• In 2015, she was named one of BBC's 100 Women.
• In 2017, she became an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
• In 2019, she received the Royal Medal award. This was for helping children in Scotland through music programs.
• In 2020, she won a Grammy Award for her album Marsalis: Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite.
• In 2022, she became the honorary president of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
• In 2023, she received the Edinburgh Award. This award recognized her important work as the director of the Edinburgh Festival.

Personal Life

Nicola Benedetti was in a relationship with cellist Leonard Elschenbroich. They met at the Yehudi Menuhin School. Even though their relationship ended, they are still good friends and perform together.

In March 2024, Nicola shared that she was expecting her first child. In July 2025, she confirmed that she is married to Wynton Marsalis.

Music Albums

Nicola Benedetti has released many albums. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Nicola Benedetti para niños