Nicola Benedetti

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

Friday, 21 August 2026 - 1 hour 14 minutes

Our guest today is the Director of one of the world's major arts festivals: The Edinburgh International Festival. She is also a world-class virtuoso violinist. It's Nicola Benedetti. In this conversation, Nicola talks to Gyles about her remarkable parents, who migrated from Italy to Scotland and through hard work and willpower created a new life and two highly talented daughters. She talks about learning to play at the Yehudi Menhuin school, and about playing at Menhuin's funeral. She talks about practice and posture. She talks about winning the BBC Young Musician of the Year, and about meeting and marrying her husband, the American trumpeter and composter Wynton Marsalis. This is a fascinating and inspirational conversation. Our heartfelt thanks to Nicola Benedetti for her time and brilliance. The Edinburgh International Festival is on until the end of August 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.