The Edinburgh Award 2023
The prestigious Edinburgh Award will be made to Edinburgh International Festival Director Nicola Benedetti, CBE, in this her first year in charge of the festival.
Nominations for the Edinburgh Award are invited annually from Edinburgh citizens and the awarding decision is taken by a judging panel chaired by the Lord Provost, with representatives from all political groups on the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council and Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.
Nicola Benedetti is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation and is the Festival Director of the Edinburgh International Festival. Her ability to captivate audiences and passionate advocacy for access to live music has made her one of the most influential figures in classical music today.
Nicola is the first Scottish and the first female Festival Director of the International Festival since it began in 1947. Her first Festival took place from 4-27 August 2023 and the programme was themed around the question ‘Where Do We Go From Here.’
As a performing artist, Nicola’s 2022-2023 season began with a performance of the Marsalis Violin Concerto with the RSNO at the BBC Proms and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with Kazuki Yamada and the CBSO. Further engagements include the world premiere of James MacMillan’s Violin Concerto with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, a tour to Japan with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, WDR Cologne and Orchestre de Paris amongst others.
Winner of the GRAMMY award for “Best Classical Instrumental Solo” in 2020, Nicola records exclusively for Decca (Universal Music). Her latest recordings of Vivaldi Concerti (with her own Benedetti Baroque Orchestra) and Elgar’s Violin Concerto entered at number one in the UK’s Official Classical Album Chart. Other recent recordings include her GRAMMY award-winning album written especially for her by jazz musician Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto in D and Fiddle Dance Suite for Solo Violin. In 2021, BBC Music Magazine named her “Personality of the Year” for her online support of many young musicians during the pandemic.
Nicola was appointed a CBE in 2019, awarded the Queen’s Medal for Music (2017) and an MBE in 2013. In addition, Nicola holds the positions of Vice President (National Children’s Orchestras), Big Sister (Sistema Scotland), Patron (National Youth Orchestras of Scotland’s Junior Orchestra, Music in Secondary Schools Trust and Junior Conservatoire at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland).
In 2019, Nicola formalised her commitment to music in education when she established The Benedetti Foundation which delivers transformative experiences through mass music events and unites those who believe music is integral to life’s education. In the Foundation’s first three years, it has reached over 50,000 people (live and online) in every Scottish and English Local Authority and across 103 countries.
Previous winners include Ken Buchanan, MBE, Sir Tom Farmer, Dame Elizabeth Blackadder and Tom Gilzean.
Leith Witchcraft Markets
The next market takes place at Leith Arches this weekend. Expect to be spooked! The first hour from 10am to 11am is a quiet hour when the number of people allowed into the market is limited to just 20 people.
The next market is on 9 December and if you have any queries then email the organisers here.
Oysters celebrated in Newhaven
At Heart of Newhaven on Saturday there will be a day long event celebrating native oysters. Sign up on Eventbrite.
Green Dumbiedykes
Meet up with Dumbiedykes Growers each Sunday from 9.30 till 11.30am. For more information have a look at their Facebook page here.
And on 20 October Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust will be pressing apples (and tasting the juice). Read more below.
Subscribe to The Edinburgh Reporter
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Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
