Nicola Benedetti has become the first ever Scottish classical musician to enter the Top 20 of the Official UK Album Chart.
Her latest album, Homecoming: A Scottish Fantasy has also reached number one in the Classical Chart.
It is the first British violin CD since Nigel Kennedy's recording of Vivaldi's Four Seasons with the English Chamber Orchestra, (1989) and Vanessa Mae’s The Violin Player (1995) to enter the Top 20.
'I am absolutely thrilled to have reached the Top 20, not something a classical artist ever expects,' says Benedetti in reaction to her success. 'This is a deeply personal recording - inspired by Bruch's Scottish Fantasy, the project took me deep into the heart of Scottish culture. I hope the music, in all its diversity, is providing some uplift and pleasure.’
Following her 2013 release of The Silver Violin, which reached No. 32 in the Official Album Chart, this is her highest-charting album yet. On top of being in demand as a soloist and chamber musician, she is also heavily involved in education work such as ‘Sistema Scotland’, ‘The Benedetti Sessions’ and the BBC’s 'Ten Pieces' project.
Camellia Johnson