Virtual Benedetti Sessions attract over 7,000 registrants and praise from media

Nicola Benedetti and students at one of her Benedetti Sessions (Photo credit: Benedetti Foundation)

Nicola Benedetti’s online initiative, the Virtual Benedetti Sessions, has received an overwhelming response from around the world — both with music lovers and media around the globe!

Commencing on May 11, 2020, the three-week program has attracted over 7,000 students from 66 countries around the world and 41 States of America. All updates, schedules and links to playlists can be found here and across all of the Benedetti Foundation’s social-media channels.

Pauline McLean of BBC News wrote: “The Ayrshire-born musician already offered online music classes through her own Benedetti Foundation. But the lockdown made her wonder whether they could reach an even wider audience on social media platforms.”

Richard Morrison from The Times of London shared: “It turned out to be not alarming, simply jaw-dropping. It was, in her words, ‘a way to make an impact on as many people as possible with something I have a deep belief in — namely the power of music.’ A year earlier she had launched the Benedetti Foundation to raise money for an extraordinary educational project.”

Sian Hamer of Classic FM praised: “Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Grammy-winning violinist Nicola Benedetti is mass tutorials online for musicians of all ages and levels. Benedetti, who has been outspoken about her desire for better music education, live-streamed free Elgar lessons last month to lift people’s spirits during lockdown.”

BBC Music Magazine described the initiative: “The programme will include seminars, activities, presentations and workshops in physical and mental wellbeing. There will also be two live sessions from instrumental teachers each week, a live session for conservatoire and university msuic students with leading artists and two weekly sessions for parents to chat to tutors about how to best help and support their children's musical education at home. “

Channel 4 News stated: “We are all looking for ways to occupy our time during this lockdown, and it seems many of us are turning to music. More than 2,500 people have signed up for online tutorials from one of the most talented musicians of her generation, 32-year-old violinist Nicola Benedetti. From next week, Nicola and a team from the Benedetti Foundation will be teaching anyone and everyone about music.”

Rhinegold Publishing wrote: “The Virtual Benedetti Sessions hope to offer organisations across the world a project to engage with together and to provide uplift and excitement.”

BBC Sounds radio show ‘Front Row’ interviewed Benedetti on her new free online tuition sessions and her Elgar album.

From May 11 through May 31, 2020, all updates, schedules and links to playlists will be found at www.benedettifoundation.org/virtualsessions and across all of the Benedetti Foundation’s social-media channels. If you aren’t registered but want to observe the activity, be sure to subscribe to: www.youtube.com/thenicolabenedetti to follow along!

To learn more about Virtual Benedetti Sessions, click here.