Virtual Benedetti Sessions culminates with epic Celebration Weekend

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The first Virtual Benedetti Sessions culminate with a packed weekend of activities on May 30-31 2020

Final Celebration Concert, Sunday May 31, 2020 4:00pm UK Time / 11:00am NY Time

Highlights include:

  • Paganini Technique Postcards concludes as Nicola Benedetti is joined by ten leading violinists including Andrés Cárdenes, Ilya Gringolts, Augustin Hadelich, Alina Ibragimova, Pekka Kuusisto and Elena Urioste offering top tips and advice on Paganini’s Caprice 24 (Sat May 30, 1:00pm UK Time / 8:00am NY Time  YouTube & Facebook) followed by the premiere of their complete performance (Sat May 30, 1:30pm UK Time / 8:30am NY Time / YouTube & Facebook)

  • ‘Sister, Sister’: Gethin Jones interviews Nicola Benedetti and her sister Stephanie Benedetti about their musical childhood (Sat May 30, 1:45pm UK Time / 8:45am NY Time / YouTube & Facebook) followed by the premiere of an exclusive duet from the Benedetti Sisters (Sat May 30, 2:15pm UK Time / 9:15am NY Time / YouTube & Facebook)

  • Panel discussion with Mary Beard, Nicola Benedetti, Karen Cargill and Dr Raj Persaud hosted by Lucy Drever (Sat May 30, 4:00pm UK Time/ 11:00am NY Time / YouTube & Facebook)

  • Your Life is Your Education: Nicola Benedetti shares her thoughts on the place of music and education in society (Sun May 31, 12:15pm UK Time/ 7:15am NY Time / YouTube)

  • Rachel Cooper, Laura van der Heijden, Tom Poster and Elena Urioste join Nicola Benedetti to discuss performance anxiety (Sun May 31, 1:45pm UK Time/ 8:45 NY Time / YouTube & Facebook)

  • Violinists Play Along with Us: Join Nicola Benedetti and friends for a violin play along (Sun May 31 15.15-15.45 BST YouTube & Facebook)

  • Facebook live sessions with Foundation Tutors including:

    • A Virtual Sessions’ Quiz with Rachel Cooper (Sat May 30, 11:30am UK Time / 6:30am NY Time)

    • Tutor’s Technique Time (Sat May 30, 2:30pm & 3:15pm UK Time / 9:30am & 10:15am NY Time)

    • Improvisation Jam Session with Richard Michael (Sun May 31, 11:30am UK Time / 6:30am NY Time)

    • Paganini Percussion Party led by Patrick King – learn the rhythms needed to join in the finale of the Virtual Sessions celebration concert (Sun May 31, 1:00pm UK Time / 8:00am NY Time)

  • Final Celebration Concert features the four pieces that have been worked on over the last three weeks: Warlock’s Capriol Suite, Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence, an abridged version of Vaughan Williams’ Fantastic on a Theme by Thomas Tallis & a special arrangement of Paganini’s Caprice 24 by the Ayoub Sisters (Sun May 31, 4:00pm UK Time / 11:00am NY Time / YouTube & Facebook)

The Benedetti Foundation is now in the final week of its Virtual Sessions providing musicians of all ages and stages, from all over the world, with three weeks of consistent online tutorials and inspirational workshops. Since Monday 11 May, over 7,000 participants have been preparing collectively for a final weekend of activity on May 30 & 31, celebrating the coming together of the global music community. The Final Celebration Concert will take place on Sunday, May 31 at 4:00pm UK Time / 11:00am NY Time on YouTube and Facebook.

The final weekend is the culmination of three weeks of music, laughter and hard work and will feature a mixture of pre-recorded performances, live warm-up and technique sessions from Foundation Tutors, advice from leading musicians and educators, panel discussions, a live sing along and play along, a percussion party and more.

Programmes of activity are available for young musicians, conservatoire and university level music students, instrumental teachers, adult learners, non-instrumentalists, amateur musicians, parents, siblings, and anyone else wanting to bang a pot or pan! All the Sessions on YouTube will remain available for anyone to view.

Nicola Benedetti commented, ‘The last three weeks has been an overwhelming experience for us all at the Foundation. From the enormous numbers that signed-up, to witnessing the dedication and perseverance people have shown towards this process. Playing instruments is difficult. Making music and being expressive, exposing our vulnerabilities and taking a risk, especially in front of people or sending it out into the world is difficult. Even though I don’t know many of the people who have participated, I am deeply proud of each and every person and I hope that everyone has enjoyed the experience, learnt a great deal, and now feels inspired to continue with their musical journey whatever stage they might be at. The brilliant team at the Foundation have all learnt so much and have loved this process we have embarked on together.’

Global Reach:

  • 7,157 people signed up for the Virtual Sessions in five days.

  • In the UK, the Benedetti Foundation has reached every Local Authority in Scotland, every county in England, every local council area in Northern Ireland and 18 out of 22 counties in Wales.

  • Globally, 66 countries are represented with sign-up from people in 41 US states.

  • In the first two weeks, the Foundation has published over 200 videos, delivered 46 live Zoom sectionals to approx. 1,700 string players weekly, 300 instrumental teachers and delivered 25 live sessions.

  • Facebook viewing minutes currently stand at 270,000 and the YouTube content has been viewed 400,000 times.

Weekend Schedule: Note all times are UK Times Saturday, May 30

10.00 – 10.30 Welcome to the Final Celebration Weekend: Exciting, interactive presentations from Nicola Benedetti & the Foundation Tutors (YouTube and Facebook)

10.45 – 11.15 Rhythm Warm-Up with Elsa Bradley (Facebook)

11.30 – 12.00 Family Fun: Virtual Sessions’ Quiz with Rachel Cooper (Facebook)

12.15 – 12.45 Take an Intermission with Elena Urioste & Melissa White (YouTube and Facebook)

13.00 – 13.30 Paganini Caprice No. 24: An incredibly diverse and eclectic group of great violinists from across the world share their top tips and advice on each variation (YouTube)

13.30 Premiere: The complete Paganini Caprice No. 24, performed by this incredible group of virtuosos from all over the world (YouTube and Facebook)

13.45 – 14.15 ‘Sister, Sister’ – Gethin Jones interviews Nicola and Stephanie Benedetti (Facebook)

14.15 Premiere: Exclusive Duet from the Benedetti Sisters

14.30 – 15.00 Tutor’s Technique Time: Beginners and intermediate Level Strings (Facebook)

15.15 – 15.45 Tutor’s Technique Time: Advanced Level Stings (Facebook)

16.00 – 17.00 Panel discussion with Nicola Benedetti and Friends (YouTube and Facebook)

Sunday, May 31

10.00 – 10.30 Morning Sing Along with Lucy Drever (Facebook)

10.45 – 11.15 Family Music Making Activities with Lucinda Geoghegan (Facebook)

11.30 – 12.00 Improvisation Jam Session with Richard Michael (Facebook)

12.15 – 12.45 Your Life is Your Education: Nicola Benedetti shares her thoughts on the place of music and education in society (YouTube)

13.00 – 13.30 Paganini Percussion Party! with Patrick King (Facebook)

13.45 – 14.15 Discussion: Performance Anxiety with Nicola Benedetti, Rachel Cooper, Laura van der Heijden, Tom Poster, and Elena Urioste (YouTube and Facebook Live)

14.30 – 15.00 Nicola Benedetti chats with conductor Karina Canellakis

15.00 Premiere: Abridged version of Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, rehearsed and re-recorded virtually by Tutors and Ambassadors of the Virtual Benedetti Sessions conducted by Karina Canellakis (YouTube and Facebook)

15.15 – 15.45 Violinists Play Along with Us: Join Rachel Cooper (Beginners), Elena Urioste and Tom Poster (Intermediates) and Nicola Benedetti (Advanced) for a play along with us. Sheet music will be posted on the Benedetti Foundation website to download on Saturday morning.

15.45 – 16.00 Pre-Concert Chat: Nicola Benedetti (Facebook)

16.00 – 17.00 Final Celebration Concert (YouTube and Facebook)

Tutors:

Tutors are drawn from across the UK’s conservatoires, orchestras and educational institutions; a full list can be seen at www.benedettifoundation.org.

Images of Nicola can be downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qu4hjnq5bojedpg/AACupz84jzKZGwkyDxkFJbb-a?dl=0

Images from the Benedetti Sessions can be downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zwqulhxu3b5o7u6/AACTrM7cC3WXM18L1pyie503a?dl=0

All content can be viewed on Nicola’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/6ZSYfIgrtLI

For general enquiries about or to pledge financial support to the Foundation, please contact: Laura Gardiner, Director, Benedetti Foundation Tel: +44 (0)7515 882901 | Email: laura@benedettifoundation.org www.benedettifoundation.org

For further press information please contact: Rebecca Driver Media Relations Tel: +44 (0)7989 355446 | Email: rebecca@rdmr.co.uk www.rdmr.co.uk

Notes to Editors

About the Benedetti Foundation:

  • The Benedetti Foundation puts on transformative orchestra-based workshops for young people and teachers, that showcase what Music Education at its best can look and feel like.

  • The Benedetti Foundation unites those who believe music is integral to a great education, and inspires collective action targeted at increasing its reach and quality.

  • The Foundation does this through uncovering and sharing its best practices and celebrating its greatest advocates, whilst loudly demonstrating a reenergized vision for the future.

  • 50% of the activity carried out by the organisation is for teachers. Teaching music well is an enormous responsibility and is hugely challenging.

  • The Benedetti Foundation is fiercely committed to providing meaningful support, extensive information and a sense of uplift, inspiration and respite to as many teachers as possible as well as to promoting music education practices which encourage both musical and civic betterment.

  • The first three workshops took place in Glasgow (3 – 6 January), London (10 – 12 January) and Dundee (6 – 8 March). Across the three weekends, the Benedetti Foundation reached just shy of 3,000 young people and 350 teachers. Participants attended from across the UK and the Republic of Ireland stretching from Shetland to the Isle of Wight. In Scotland there are young musicians from 31 of the 32 local authorities with 81% state educated in Glasgow and 75% state educated in Dundee. 30 of the 32 London boroughs were represented with 64% of participants state educated.

  •  The Benedetti Foundation is a registered charity. It receives no government money and is currently funded through generous philanthropy, corporate sponsorship, trusts and foundations.

About Nicola Benedetti:

  • Violinist Nicola Benedetti is one of the world’s leading advocates for quality music education, the role of arts and culture in the wider community and the transformational effect it has on all young people.

  • She has been committed to education projects since the age of 15 and in the past 12 months, Nicola has worked with over 4,000 students and 700 teachers.

  • This commitment to supporting music practitioners was underlined in July 2018, when Nicola took over as President of the European String Teachers Association.

  • Nicola has contributed to campaigns to save and preserve music services across the country

  • She holds named positions in several of the UK’s most established and high-quality youth music organisations including the National Children's Orchestras, Sistema Scotland, National Youth Orchestras of Scotland, Music in Secondary Schools Trust, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and many more.

  • As ‘Big Sister’ to Sistema Scotland, Nicola led Super String Sessions in autumn 2018, celebrating the organisation’s 10th anniversary by bringing together 500 young people from a diverse range of learning backgrounds including through Sistema Scotland, Local Authorities and private tuition.

  • Fiercely committed to music education and to developing young talent, Nicola has formed associations with schools, music colleges and local authorities.

  • She is credited with broadening the appeal of classical music to young and new audiences through her extensive education work and appearances at events such as the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony and iTunes Festival.

  • Nicola was the winner of the GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo in 2020; awarded the Queen’s Medal for Music in 2017, the youngest ever recipient, and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2019 New Year Honors, in recognition of her services to music.

  • Nicola Benedetti is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation. Her ability to captivate audiences with her innate musicianship and dynamic presence, coupled with her wide appeal as a high-profile advocate for classical music, has made her one of the most influential classical artists of today.

  • She is in much demand with major orchestras and conductors across the globe and this continues across the 2019-20 season with concerts throughout the UK, Europe and America.

The Times – Scotland edition5-star review for the final weekend by Simon Thompson.

The Scotsmaninterview with Nicky.

The Observerlovely classical pick listing by Fiona Maddocks for the Celebration Concert.

The Grand Finale Celebration concert featured selections from Peter Warlock’s Capriol Suite, Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence, Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 and Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.