Biography:

Nicola was born in Scotland in 1987 and began violin lessons at the age of 5. In 1997 she entered the Yehudi Menuhin School, where she studied with Natasha Boyarskaya. She left in 2002 and since has been studying privately with Maciej Rakowski.

While at the school Nicola performed as a soloist in venues including the Royal Festival, Queen Elizabeth and Wigmore Halls. In 1998 she was a soloist in Bach’s Double Concerto under Menuhin, and performed the slow movement of the same work at Lord Menhuin’s Memorial Service in Westminster Abbey on 3 June 1999. In 1999 Nicola performed in the presence of HRH Prince Edward at the anniversary celebrations of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland at Holyrood Palace; she played to the Prince again in 2001 when she performed a concerto with the London Mozart Players at St James’s Palace. Since then she has performed with the Scottish Opera, City of London Sinfonia, the Royal Scottish National, Scottish Chamber and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras. Nicola made a return visit to the Glastonbury Classical Festival in 2004, performing to an audience of 10,000. In 2002 Nicola was the winner of Carlton Television’s competition Britain’s Brilliant Prodigies, and in 2003, Nicola appeared as soloist on a recording for Mattel’s Barbie in Swan Lake DVD. As a result Mattel made a documentary about Nicola which is an extra feature on the DVD, released last October. BBC Scotland filmed a documentary about Nicola and her life with the violin which was shown in March 2004.

Since winning the prestigious title of BBC Young Musician of the Year 2004 Nicola’s list of high profile engagements continues. In 2005 she will make her debut US tour and a tour of UK schools in conjunction with the Sargent Cancer Care for Children Practice-a-thon, plus her BBC Prom in the Park debut with the BBC Concert Orchestra in Hyde Park, London. Nicola was signed to Universal/Deutsche Grammophon at the end of 2004 and recently recorded her debut album with Daniel Harding and the London Symphony Orchestra which was release in May 2005. Nicola plays on a Petrus Guarnerius of Venice made in 1751.