Praised by the American Record Guide for encompassing a “consummate technique and unabashed bravura wedded to a great sense of style... an example to nearly every violinist alive” — soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral director, pedagogue and researcher, Nazrin Rashidova made her solo début at the age of three in Baku, and was awarded a Gold Medal by the Cairo Opera House for an exceptional violin recital three years later. Establishing FeMusa Orchestra in 2008, Britain’s first female chamber orchestra in 70 years, is merely the latest in a series of achievements. Based in London, FeMusa have been featured on BBC World News, Euronews, LondonLive and they have given numerous concerts in London, performed on "Omani Woman’s Day” at the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman, and in Baku, Gabala and Paris. Having been accepted to the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 15, Rashidova has played on a rare collection of violins by Stradivari and Guarneri. She studied with professors Erich Gruenberg, Felix Andrievsky and Lydia Mordkovitch. A prizewinner in several international competitions, she has appeared on international TV and radio, played for Royalty and other dignitaries, and also performed in the USA, Japan, Europe and the Middle East.
Rashidova’s recordings for Naxos and First Hand Records have been critically acclaimed by The Strad, Gramophone, Diapason, Fanfare, Ritmo, Classical Guitar Magazine, American Record Guide, SWR2 Radio and neue musikzeitung. Rashidova is recognised as a leading authority on Émile Sauret, having culminated her doctorate at the Royal Academy of Music with the launch of her own edition of his monumental 24 Études Caprices, op.64 published by Edition Peters, following the release of her world premiere four-volume recording series of these works, issued by Naxos between 2017 and 2020. In support of her research, Rashidova was awarded one of the most prestigious awards of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, The John Clementi Collard Fellowship and the The Clarence Myerscough Trust award at the Academy. Three of the volumes were recorded on the c.1685 ‘Sauret’ Stradivari violin, kindly loaned to her by John Ludlow.
Alongside her performing and research career, with Rashidova's 20 years of teaching experience, the combination of her posts in the Senior and Junior departments of the Royal Academy of Music allow her to get a full picture of the conservatoire student experience. She is regularly invited to give lecture talks in music conservatoires nationally and internationally, and occasionally appears as an adjudicator in festivals and competitions. Rashidova plays a violin after G. B. Guadagnini, Milan, 1753, ‘Nazrin’ made by David Rattray. www.nazrin.co.uk
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Praised by the American Record Guide for encompassing a “consummate technique and unabashed bravura wedded to a great sense of style... an example to nearly every violinist alive” — the internationally acclaimed Azerbaijani-British violin virtuoso, Nazrin Rashidova made her solo début at the age of three in Baku and was the first musician in the history of the Cairo Opera House, to be awarded a Gold Medal for an exceptional solo violin recital at the age of six. Rashidova established FeMusa Orchestra in 2008, Britain’s first female chamber orchestra in 70 years, which have been featured on BBC World News, Euronews and LondonLive. They have given numerous concerts in London, performed on "Omani Woman’s Day” at the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman, and in Baku, Gabala and Paris.
Born into a family of professional violinists, Rashidova was exceptionally accepted to the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 15, where she had the privilege of playing on a rare collection of violins by Antonio Stradivari. She studied with professors Erich Gruenberg OBE, Felix Andrievsky and Lydia Mordkovitch. A prizewinner in several international competitions, she has appeared on international TV and radio, and given numerous performances as a soloist, orchestral director, chamber musician and a lecturer in the USA, Japan, Europe and the Middle East.
Rashidova’s discography for Naxos and First Hand Records have been highly acclaimed by notable classical magazines and regularly feature on international radio channels around the world. They comprise world premiere recordings of violin and piano works by Godowsky and Moszkowski as well as the release of popular classical works and a collection of 20th century Azerbaijani popular song classics by Tofig Guliyev, Gara Garayev and Rauf Hajiyev, newly arranged for the violin and guitar.
Rashidova is recognised as a leading authority on Émile Sauret, having culminated her doctorate with the launch of her own edition of his monumental 24 Études Caprices published by Edition Peters in 2022. Her world premiere four-volume recording series of these works were issued by Naxos between 2017 and 2020. Three of the volumes were recorded on Sauret’s own c.1685 Stradivari violin, kindly loaned to her by John Ludlow. In support of her research, Rashidova was awarded one of the most prestigious awards of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, The John Clementi Collard Fellowship and also The Clarence Myerscough Trust award at the Royal Academy of Music.
Alongside her performing and research career, with Rashidova's 20 years of teaching experience, the combination of her posts in the Senior and Junior departments of the Royal Academy of Music allow her to get a full picture of the conservatoire student experience. She is regularly invited to give lecture talks in conservatoires nationally and internationally and occasionally appears as an adjudicator in festivals and competitions.
Rashidova plays a violin after G. B. Guadagnini, Milan, 1753, ‘Nazrin’ made by David Rattray.