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Nigel KennedyEnglish violinist
Date of Birth: 29.12.1956
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Nigel Kennedy
Nigel Kennedy, an English violinist, was born on December 28, 1956, in Brighton, England. Both of his parents were second-generation musicians. His father, John, was a cellist in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and his mother gave piano lessons. Although they had a relationship, they were never married. John left Silla and emigrated to Australia without knowing that she was pregnant. He only found out about his son, Nigel, when he was eleven years old. As an infant, Nigel regularly accompanied his mother to work and literally grew up under the piano. It is not surprising that his musical abilities manifested at a very young age. At the age of ten, he auditioned for the renowned musician Yehudi Menuhin, who saw great potential in him. Nigel's mother was informed that her son had received a scholarship for education, and it was only many years later that they discovered that Menuhin personally funded his education. The violin became his primary instrument, although he did not have a particular love for it in his childhood. "I much preferred playing the piano, on which I could immediately achieve relative success and good sound. When you learn to play the violin, you only hear a horrible screeching sound. The piano is different: you can quickly learn to play meaningful melodies," Nigel said. At sixteen, Nigel completed high school and moved to New York, where he continued his education at the Juilliard School under the famous Dorothy DeLay. Around the same time, Kennedy agreed to perform in a concert with Stephane Grappelli at Carnegie Hall in New York, despite his teachers warning him that it would ruin his classical career.
Rise to Fame
In 1984, Kennedy made his debut recording with Edward Elgar's "Violin Concerto," but his version of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons," which he recorded in 1989 with the English Chamber Orchestra, brought him fame. The album sold over two million copies and entered the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling classical work of all time. The album topped the classical charts in Britain, and it was estimated that one disc was sold every 30 seconds. After numerous performances, including playing for the royal family at Buckingham Palace, Kennedy released his autobiography, "Always Playing," in 1991.
Career Journey
At that time, Kennedy decided to leave the commercial music scene, releasing his final album, "Music in Color," with Stephen Duffy. He made his triumphant return to the forefront of music five years later in 1997 when he received the "Outstanding Contribution to British Music" award at the Brit Awards. In 2001, he also won the "Artist of the Year" award. In 1999, Sony Classical released his album "The Kennedy Experience," which featured improvisations on Jimi Hendrix's compositions. The album involved seven musicians, and Kennedy was accompanied by two cellos, an oboe, three guitars, a flute, and a double bass. In late 2005, Kennedy embarked on recording his first "proper" jazz album. The recording featured bassist Ron Carter, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and saxophonist Joe Lovano.
Recent Years
The past four years have been very productive for Nigel Kennedy. After signing a contract with a manager who previously worked with Luciano Pavarotti, he released two albums, recorded violin and cello concertos, collaborated with a Polish jazz orchestra, and worked with several rock bands.
