In conversation with Nicola Benedetti

Last week Gramophone gave its readers the opportunity to submit their own questions via Facebook and Twitter for acclaimed violinist Nicola Benedetti, who has recently released ‘The Silver Violin’ with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, a disc of works immortalised on the big screen. Hear excerpts from the album below courtesy of Decca Classics. Rachel Coombes put the questions to Benedetti:

How long do you practise for each day? (Sophie Graham, aged 8) 
I started off when I was four doing five minutes, which turned into half an hour when I was seven or eight. Now, the least I would do is an hour and a half every day, but it’s usually about four, often turning into more like five. 

Is practice ever a drudge and how do you vary it to keep it interesting? (Barry Kester)
Practice of course can be repetitive, but it’s interesting because it’s determined by the music. If I think of some of the great music I’m playing at the moment, you very quickly realise how easy it can be.

Do contemporary composers write for you?  How do you feel about performing new music? (David Ianni)
Well, I’ve worked with John Tavener and James MacMillan, and both experiences were absolutely brilliant and taught me a lot. They were a real eye-opener in teaching me about the power of mutual respect between composer and interpreter: regardless of the fact that the instrumentalist is subservient to the composer in being an interpreter of his work, the composer always has an intrinsic understanding that without the presence of an interpreter that they can trust and be inspired by, their work would not exist.

Hear the opening of Korngold's Violin Concerto performed by Nicola Benedetti on 'The Silver Violin':