Various Composers - Violin Café (Nicola Benedetti)

Information

1. Henryk Wieniawski - Polonaise de concert in D Major, Op. 4 (arr. Stephen Goss)
2. Samuel Dushkin - Sicilienne (attrib. Maria Theresia von Paradis) [arr. Juliette Pochin & James Morgan]
3. Peter Maxwell Davies - Farewell to Stromness (arr. Paul Campbell)
4. Pablo de Sarasate - Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25 (arr. Stephen Goss): I. Intro. Aragonaise – Habanera
5. Pablo de Sarasate - Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25 (arr. Stephen Goss): II. Lento assai – En vain pour éviter
6. Pablo de Sarasate - Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25 (arr. Stephen Goss): III. Seguidilla – Canto gitano
7. Ernest Bloch - From Jewish Life, B. 54: I. Prayer (arr. Simon Parkin)
8. Traditional - Skye Boat Song (arr. Brìghde Chaimbeul & Paul Campbell)
9. Traditional - A' Choille Ghruamach (arr. Brìghde Chaimbeul & Paul Campbell)
10. Traditional - Hacky Honey Reel (arr. Brìghde Chaimbeul & Paul Campbell)
11. Manuel Ponce - Estrellita (arr. Paul Campbell)
12. Pablo de Sarasate - Navarra, Op. 33 (arr. Stephen Goss)
13. Claude Debussy - Beau soir, CD 84 (arr. Simon Parkin)

Nicola Benedetti, violin

Plínio Fernandes, guitar

Samuele Telari, accordion

Thomas Carroll, cello

Brìghde Chaimbeul, Scottish smallpipes)

Yume Fujise, violin

Date: 2025

Label: Decca

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Decca Classics presents Violin Café, a new recording by Grammy-winning violinist Nicola Benedetti, featuring popular virtuosic and romantic works freshly arranged for a dynamic ensemble. The album reunites Benedetti with audiences she has connected with over 22 years, offering a communal, “evening café” sound suitable for diverse genres and settings. Accompanied by Samuele Telari (guitar), Plínio Fernandes (accordion), Thomas Caroll (cello), Brìghde Chaimbeul (smallpipes), and Yume Fujise (violin), the album breathes new life into classics. The repertoire includes Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasie and Navarra, Wieniawski’s Polonaise, Ponce’s Estrellita, Maxwell-Davis’ Farewell to Stromness, Bloch’s Prayer, Debussy’s Beau Soir, Sicilienne, and traditional Scottish music.

Nicola Benedetti (born 1987) is a Scottish classical violinist, festival director, and music educator. Trained at the Yehudi Menuhin School under Lord Menuhin and Natasha Boyarskaya, she has won the 2020 GRAMMY for Best Classical Instrumental Solo and the Classical BRIT Awards for Best Female Artist in 2012 and 2013. Recording exclusively for Decca, her albums—including Vivaldi Concerti, Elgar’s Violin Concerto, and Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto in D—have topped charts and earned acclaim. Founder of The Benedetti Foundation, she has reached tens of thousands globally through educational and inclusive music initiatives. Benedetti was appointed MBE (2013), Queen’s Medal for Music (2017), and CBE (2019), and became the first Scottish and female Festival Director of the Edinburgh International Festival in 2022.

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