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The KPAC Blog features classical music news, reviews, and analysis from South Texas and around the world.

Nicola Benedetti's New Release, 'The Silver Violin,' Is Pure Gold

Nicola Benedetti is one of the brightest young violinists performing today. She is also, at age 25, maybe one of the most recorded musicians, averaging one new release every year, not counting singles or compilations! Her latest release is called The Silver Violin - Hollywood scores for violin. Benedetti says "The entire disc originated from the wish to record Korngold's Violin Concerto. And Korngold being the composer he was and having led the varied life he did, lent itself to a lot of different options for the makeup of the rest of the repertoire."

That repertoire includes orchestral and chamber works that Benedetti says were a delight to record. The music ranges from Shostakovich to Howard Shore, and Gustav Mahler to John Williams.

"It is so memorable [Schindler's List], and I think moved so many people, and created a really big following for the film and for that theme. That was probably the easiest, most obvious choice - the rest we had to work a little bit harder, in putting together."

Benedetti played a work she recorded much earlier, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, last month in Dallas (January 10-13). She was also just named 'Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire' (or MBE) "for services to Music and to charity. " 

http://youtu.be/W0Fc3WKHnuU

John Clare is comfortable behind a microphone, streaming video or playing violin. A former broadcaster for NPR, John has previously worked with Voice of America, the Canadian Broadcast Corporation and stations in Kansas, Nevada, California, and Pennsylvania.