Lighthouse is delighted to announce Nicola Benedetti, “the country’s favourite violinist” (The Times), will play the Concert Hall on Saturday 29 November in a unique and personal show as she returns to pre-eminent stages across the UK for her first solo tour in over ten years.

Combining stunning performance with storytelling, Nicola will share a selection of shorter works – from romantic to virtuosic to folk – combined with her thoughts surrounding her choices of music, as well as her experiences over the past decade. This performance will be intimate and personal, with Nicola joined onstage by musicians including Brazilian guitarist Plinio Fernandes and accordionist Samuele Telari.

Nicola Benedetti is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation. Her ability to captivate audiences and her wide appeal as an advocate for classical music has made her one of the most influential artists of today.

Winner of the GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo in 2020, as well as Best Female Artist at both 2012 and 2013 Classical BRIT Awards, Nicola records exclusively for Decca (Universal Music). Her latest recordings of Vivaldi Concerti and Elgar’s Violin Concerto entered at number one in the UK’s Official Classical Album Chart. Other recent recordings include her GRAMMY award-winning album written especially for her by jazz musician Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto in D and Fiddle Dance Suite for Solo Violin. In 2021, BBC Music Magazine named her Personality of the Year for her online support of many young musicians during the pandemic.

Nicola has always been a dedicated, passionate ambassador and leader in music education and her commitment was underlined in 2019 when she established The Benedetti Foundation (benedettifoundation.org). The Foundation delivers transformative experiences through mass music events and unites those who believe music is integral to life’s education. The Foundation believes in the strength of music and the power of mass inspirational moments to connect cultures and communities through combining excellence and inclusivity, tradition and innovation and meaningful collaboration. In its first four years, the Foundation has worked with close to 70,000 participants of all ages and levels, instrumentalists and non-instrumentalists alike, across 105 countries. Its free online educational video resources, With Nicky, and other Foundation videos, have had over six million views.

In October 2022, Nicola became the Festival Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, becoming both the first Scottish and the first female Festival Director since the Festival began in 1947.

Nicola was appointed a CBE in 2019.

NICOLA BENEDETTI

SATURDAY 29 NOVEMBER 7.30pm (CONCERT HALL) 

Tickets and information 01202 280000 

www.lighthousepoole.co.uk