Page 44 - Virtual Benedetti Sessions Coverage Book

Nicola has been outspoken in the past about music education often being one of the first
subjects affected by local authority budget cuts, and she expects more of the same when the
economic shortfalls brought about by Covid-19 kick in.

“I think the likelihood of that is quite high, but those of us who are in the music profession
and doing OK and surviving OK, I think it will be down to us to support that fight and make
up some of that shortfall.

“But it’s not going to be a new battle, that’s for sure. It’s one we all know well.”

© Shutterstock
Nicola aged 4

Education isn’t the only thing Nicola is focusing on during the lockdown. Unlike many other
artists, who have pushed back the release dates of their new albums due to the current
situation, she decided to bring hers forward.

Nicola’s album of music by Elgar, one of Britain’s best-loved composers, comes out on May
15 and features his Violin Concerto, one of the most taxing pieces for a soloist, at almost an

hour long.

“It’s a really difficult piece, but that’s a lot of the fun of it,” she said. “I only learned it a

couple of years ago, and it’s just the most romantic and expressive music.

43