Nicola Benedetti CBE, was officially presented with the coveted Edinburgh Award by the Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge yesterday evening (December 5) at a civic reception at the City Chambers.
Since 2007, the Edinburgh Award has celebrated individuals who have made a truly unique contribution to the city and brought the Capital to national and international attention.
Alongside family, friends and invited guests, Benedetti received an engraved Loving Cup from the Lord Provost, an official award certificate, and a set of her handprints preserved in stone in the City Chambers quadrangle was unveiled. As part of the ceremony, a specially commissioned poem by Hannah Lavery, the Edinburgh Makar, was recited in Benedetti’s honour.
This year marked Benedetti’s first edition of the International Festival as Festival Director, which was a resounding success. Over 24 packed days, the Edinburgh International Festival saw performances from 2,500 remarkable and diverse artists representing 50 nations.
The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, and Chair of the Edinburgh Award Panel, Robert Aldridge said:
I was delighted to present Nicola Benedetti with the Edinburgh Award yesterday evening. Nicola’s handprints are now immortalised in stone at the City Chambers quadrangle, and she deservedly follows in the footsteps of some of the finest individuals associated with our great city.
From heading up one of the world’s most important cultural celebrations in the Edinburgh International Festival, to being a globally renowned musician in her own right, she has represented the Capital with pride, dedication, and skill. Nicola is also one of the youngest ever recipients of the Edinburgh Award which shows the measure and scale of her talent and achievements.
I’d also highlight the fantastic work of the Benedetti Foundation, based in the city, which focusses on musical education, participation, and experiences. Since its establishment in 2019 it has reached over 50,000 participants of all ages from 103 countries,
I’d like to congratulate Nicola on behalf of the city, and I’m sure she will continue to do great things in the future, both here in Edinburgh and beyond.
Festival Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, and Recipient of the Edinburgh Award 2023, Nicola Benedetti CBE said:
Each gift in our life, such as the role of Festival Director or a recognition such as this award, serves as a propellor - and an opportunity for choice.
Each gift holds the potential for responsibility to others, that you choose to serve and grasp, or not. Each gift is a reminder of our place in a lineage of contributors to bettering life for ourselves and for others; a reminder of the collective potential we have when we all consider – in our own unique way - our civic and moral duty.
About the Edinburgh Award:
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.
First launched in 2007, the Award is a way for Edinburgh residents to pay a lasting tribute to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the Capital through their achievements.
Criteria
The individual:
- was born in Edinburgh, has lived in the city for the past 12 months or has a substantial association with Edinburgh
- has not previously been awarded The Freedom of the City
- is not a previous recipient of The Edinburgh Award
- is not a serving politician.
The recipient is presented with an engraved Loving Cup at a ceremony hosted by the Lord Provost and has their hand prints reproduced on a flagstone in the City Chambers quadrangle.
Edinburgh Award recipients:
- 2022 Sir Geoff Palmer
- 2021 Fergus Linehan
- 2020 Alexander McCall Smith
- 2019 Ann Budge
- 2018 Doddie Weir
- 2017 Sir Timothy O'Shea
- 2016 Ken Buchanan MBE
- 2015 Sir Tom Farmer
- 2014 Thomas Gilzean
- 2013 Richard Demarco
- 2012 Dame Elizabeth Blackadder
- 2011 Professor Peter Higgs
- 2010 George Kerr CBE
- 2009 Sir Chris Hoy MBE
- 2008 JK Rowling OBE
- 2007 Ian Rankin OBE
Nicola Benedetti Bio:
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.