Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti has moved from Emblem Artists to Askonas Holt for general management.
Benedetti soared to fame after being named Winner of Best Female Artist at both the 2012 and 2013 Classical BRIT Awards, and records exclusively for Decca (Universal Music). Her album Homecoming; A Scottish Fantasy, made her the first solo British violinist since the 1990s to enter the Top 20 of the Official UK Albums Chart. Her most recent recording of Shostakovich and Glazunov violin concertos with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Kirill Karabits was described by Richard Morrison in The Times as ‘Nicola Benedetti’s best recording to date’.
Said Donagh Collins, chief executive at Askonas Holt: ‘We are thrilled to welcome the amazing Nicky to our family and I’m sure this will be a wonderful partnership. I’m looking forward to playing my part in the next phase of her career.’
The move to management by Rupert Chandler at Askonas Holt follows the relocation of her former manager at Emblem Artists, Elaine Armstrong, to Australia to focus on the Australasian market. Emblem Artists will continue to represent Benedetti in Australia and New Zealand.
Her first season with Rupert Chandler at Askonas Holt will see the violinist debut with Gustavo Dudamel in Venezuela, Michael Tilson Thomas with San Francisco Symphony and Gothenburg Symphony and Leipzig Gewandhausorchester.
On Friday 23 September she opened the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2016-17 season with principal conductor Vladimir Jurowski.
Further highlights include performances with the Israel Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Toronto Symphony amongst many others.
Benedetti will continue the premiere performance circuit of the Wynton Marsalis Violin Concerto composed for her by Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, DC.
The violinist is an active supporter of music education initiatives via her own outreach and education initiative, The Benedetti Sessions, for which hundreds of young string players can rehearse, undertake and observe masterclasses with the famous violinist.
Benedetti is vice president of the National Children’s Orchestra, works closely with Sistema Scotland, is an ambassador for BBC Ten Pieces and BBC Young Musician, and was recently announced as Patron of the Music in Secondary Schools Trust (MiSST). In 2013 she was appointed as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours, in recognition of her international music career and work with musical charities throughout the UK.