Nigel Kennedy and Jaz Coleman

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Nigel Kennedy has played a part in making classical music popular, particularly among young people. He has also performed and recorded most of the major violin concerti.

Aged 16, Stéphane Grappelli invited the prodigy to appear alongside him at New York’s Carnegie Hall, under the threat from his teachers at the Juilliard that it would ruin his classical career. [2] He made his recording debut in 1984 with the Elgar Violin Concerto, but most know Kennedy through his interpretation of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” recorded in 1989, sold over 2 million copies and earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the then best-selling classical work of all time.[3] The album remained top of the UK classical charts for over a year with sales equivalent to one copy sold every 30 seconds of every day.[4]

After numerous performances including The Princes Trust, the Royal Variety Performance and private performances at St James Palace and Buckingham Palace, he released his biography “Always Playing” in 1991[5] He then took the controversial and highly publicised decision to withdraw completely from public performance, but made a triumphant return to the international concert platform to critical acclaim five years later.[4] In 1997, Kennedy received an award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music at the BRIT Awards, and in 2001 received the ‘Male Artist of the Year’ award.[4]
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  • osjan89

    Great!!! Riders on the storm....

    April 2011
  • Lambfm

    Amazing.

    December 2010
  • samgil

    Love it. Should be more of it.

    April 2010
  • Melkvision

    The Doors Concerto is just amazing.

    June 2009
  • TowerFestival

    Violin virtuoso Nigel Kennedy is to play the gala opening of the Continental Airlines Tower Festival. Nigel will join the Philharmonia Orchestra for an evening of Bach concertos and the music of Duke Ellington. Thu September 10th – Tower of London. Go to www.towerfestival.com for information and tickets.

    April 2009
  • martamartaa

    Totally fucked up. So I like it. Amazing : )

    December 2008
  • angelakard

    EXCELENTE!!!!!!

    August 2008
  • hannezzz124

    great stuff :)

    November 2007
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