Tasmin Little facts for kids
Tasmin Elizabeth Little (born 13 May 1965) is a famous English classical violin player. She plays the violin by herself with orchestras (this is called a concerto soloist). She also performs in smaller groups and gives solo concerts. Tasmin has made many music albums. In 2011, she won an award for her recording of Elgar's Violin Concerto.
Early Life and Learning Music
Tasmin Little was born in London. Her father, George Little, was an actor known for his role in Emmerdale Farm. Tasmin started learning music when she was six years old. She learned to read music by playing a recorder that her mother gave her.
She grew up in northwest London. From ages 8 to 18, she attended the Yehudi Menuhin School. This was a special school for young musicians, and she went there on a scholarship, which means her studies were paid for. Another famous violinist, Nigel Kennedy, was also a student there.
In 1982, Tasmin was a finalist in a big music competition called BBC Young Musician of the Year. After school, she went to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She earned a special diploma there and won the school's top music award, the Gold Medal, in 1986.
She has also been involved with the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists. She competed in this competition when she was younger, winning third prize in 1983 and second prize in 1985. Later, she even became a judge for the competition.
Tasmin's Music Career
Tasmin Little's first big performance as a solo artist was in 1988 with The Hallé orchestra. In 1990, she first played at the BBC Proms, which is a very famous music festival in London. She has played there many times since.
Throughout her career, Tasmin has performed with many major orchestras. These include the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. She has also released more than 20 music albums.
Tasmin is well-known for playing the music of a composer named Frederick Delius. In 2006, she was the artistic director for a festival called "Delius Inspired." This festival celebrated his music and was even broadcast on the radio. She also made a TV show about Delius for BBC Two.
In 2008, Tasmin did something special to make classical music easier for everyone to hear. She released a recording called The Naked Violin for free online. This recording featured her playing the violin by herself, without any other instruments. This project won an award for being innovative. It was also shown on a TV program called The South Bank Show.
Tasmin has received several honors for her contributions to music. In 1996, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bradford. The university even named its music school, the Tasmin Little Music Centre, after her. In 2009, she received a Gold Badge Award. In 2011, her album of Elgar's Violin Concerto won a Critics Award.
She was also given special awards by the British government for her services to music. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2012. Later, in 2023, she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
On January 24, 2020, Tasmin Little announced that she would be retiring from performing concerts. Her retirement was delayed until the end of 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
