Nigel
Kennedy has been recognized as one of the world’s leading violin
virtuosos. He started studying at the Menuhin School, with Sir
Yehudi Munuhin. Then later, he moved to New York and studied with
Dorothy DeLay, at the Julliard School Of Music.
Famous
for having a punk haircut and dressing unformally during concerts, he
made his debut with the Philharmonia
Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall in London in 1977. He has since
toured around the world with the British Broadcasting Company (BBC).
The
Four Seasons
(1990) launched him into stardom. The CD went No. 3 in UK pop charts and
in other countries. Then, it soon became No. 1 in the UK classical
charts a year later. This recording, with a sale of one million copies,
has earned its place in the Guinness Book of Records.
In
1992, he withdrew from the classical world, saying, “I’m sick of
playing dead peoples stuff.” Then, to the delight of all his fans, he
returned to classical music in 1997.
He has played jazz with the self taught French violinist,
Stephane Grappelli. Many of his recordings are released by EMI. Some major releases are,
the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the London Philharmonic;
the Bartók Solo Sonata together with Mainly Black,
Kennedy’s own arrangement of Ellington's Black Brown and Beige
Suite; the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the City of
Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle;
Walton's Violin Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
and André Previn and the Bruch and Mendelssohn concertos with the English
Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jeffrey Tate. Kennedy’s recording
of the Brahms Violin Concerto with the London Philharmonic,
under the direction of Klaus Tennstedt, was released in March 1991 and,
in June 1992, Kennedy joined forces with Klaus Tennstedt to record the
Beethoven Violin Concerto. Then under the Sony Classical label,
he realeased The Kennedy Experience. This CD contains
arrangements of songs by Jimi Hendrix, one of America’s greatest rock
stars.
He has
recently released Classic Kennedy, Duos For Violin and Cello, and
Kennedy Kriesler. He is currently working on a number of
recordings, to be released next year.
~Din Sung
e-mail: aznNKStrad@hotmail.com
AIM screen name: Rebel Violin
