Vanessa Mae
Vanessa Mae (full name Vanessa Mae Vanacorn Nicholson) — English violinist of Singaporean origin, classical music populariser, composer, arranger, singer. Winner of 32 platinum and 17 gold awards, the British Music Awards for Best Artist (1996), the World Music Award (1996) and EMI (2000) for Best Selling Classical Music Artist. Author of the biographical Books «Changing worlds».
Journalists call Vanessa Mae «The world's most famous violin girl», «Mozart in Shoes", "Chinese Female Bomber". Her rise was rapid. When the graceful violinist appears on stage, the audience begins to cry out with delight. Her CDs are selling millions of copies.
It is not difficult to explain the phenomenon of Vanessa's popularity — She brought classical music closer to people. After all, it's so easy to say: "You don't understand the classics, you are not given it," and this girl with a spectacular violin, without in any way belittling the work of great composers, breathed a second life into their works.
The beginning of the creative path
Probably, there is something symbolic in the fact that the date of her birth is October 27, 1978.. — coincided with the birthday of the brilliant violinist Niccolò Paganini, only with a difference of 196 years. Her parents gave her the double name Vanessa Mae, which is now identified with the highest skill of modern violin art.
Violin Girl by Vanessa Mae
She is Chinese on her mother's side, and her father is Thai. The first four years of her life, the girl lived in her native Singapore. Her mother, pianist Tai Soei Laing, Early noticed her daughter's musical gift. At the age of three, Vanessa was already seriously engaged in the piano, and at the age of five she was introduced to the violin.
At the age of eight, the girl left for China. There, Vanessa studied with Professor Lin Yao Ji from the Beijing National Conservatory, then took lessons from the famous professors of St. Petersburg. The girl honed her skills at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London, where She was the youngest student in the entire existence of the Academy.
In 1988, Vanessa May had already given her first concert accompanied by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, At the age of twelve, she released her debut album of classical violin works "Violin». When the prodigy violinist embarked on her first multi-week tour of the world, she was only twelve.
Her was perceived as a miracle child, and she felt like a truly mature musician, who has something to say to people. On all tours, Vanessa is accompanied by an acoustic violin "Guadagnini", bought by her parents at an auction for 10 thousand roubles. dollars and presented to her daughter for her tenth anniversary. It was made in 1761. Once upon a time, this instrument, made by the famous Italian master, belonged to her idol Paganini, and surely his rebellious spirit and gift moved to the girl.
In her hands, the violin sounds like a human voice with an immense range and transcendent emotions, hypnotising the audience. Vanessa loves his instrument like a best friend, never part with it and even gave it its own name - Jizmo.
Symbiosis of talent and work
Only for 1991 Vanessa Mae Released three classic albums («Violin", "Kids' Classics", "Tchaivoksky & Beethoven Violin Concertos"), and her repertoire at that time included works:
• Tchaikovsky;
• Beethoven;
• Paganini;
• Kabalevsky;
• Mozart;
• Wieniawski;
• Sarasate.
In 1992, she was invited by the London Mozart Players Orchestra to lead their Mozart Bicentenary tour of the Far East. And in the same year, the violinist picked up a white electric violin "Zeta Jazz Model" and became a favourite of millions of listeners.
Vanessa Mae
In general, this instrument was created several decades ago by the famous jazzman J. L. Ponte and was used for background music in the year, but gained real fame thanks to Vanessa after the release of her album "Violin Player" (1995). His rating in the world charts instantly soared to the first positions.
Suggested by Vanessa The synthesis of classical and pop music resonated in the hearts of listeners. Probably, everyone just missed such music, and Vanessa herself wanted to show the violin in a new light, to play great works in a brighter manner.
Many hope that this fragile girl with the appearance of an angel — a musician who will be able to break the stereotype of attitude to classical music as to a hopelessly old-fashioned genre.