Review Classical music: Femusa | St George's | "girl band" | String Ensemble

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

The Review - CLASSICAL & JAZZ
Published: 30 April 2009

Violinist Nazrin Rashidova, FeMusa’s lead violinist

Bloomsbury debut for ‘girl orchestra’

PREVIEW: FEMUSA
St George's

NOT a “girl band” but a “girl orchestra” of highly talented string players is making its debut at St George’s in Bloomsbury on Saturday evening.
FeMusa String Ensemble is made up of 16 graduates and students, mostly at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) several from other countries.
The orchestra’s maiden programme will feature Elgar’s Serenade for Strings first played by the Worcester Ladies’ Orchestral Class in 1892.
The tradition of all-female orchestras continued well into the post-war years when the British Women’s Orchestra was still playing.
But Nazrin Rashidova, FeMusa’s lead violinist, is not aware of other all-female orchestras.
“The idea for getting together to form our own string orchestra came to us when we played Elgar’s serenade,” she says. “If they did it then, we thought, why don’t we do it now? Initially, we will be playing the classical repertoire. But we’re very hopeful of playing transpositions of jazz and world music, performing new music and collaborating with musicians from around the world.”
Nazrin Rashidova is already a noted violinist in her own right. She was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, into “a family of crazy violinists”.
She made her debut at the age of three, performed with orchestras a year later, came to this country to join the Purcell School when she was seven and was accepted by the Royal Academy when she was 16.
She is a regular participant in competitions and concerts. Nazrin is now playing on a J B Guadagnini, circa 1753, loaned by the RAM.
• FeMusa String Ensemble will play at St George’s, Bloomsbury Way, WC1. 7pm, May 2, from £6. 01923 245 671

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment:

Check Prices, Availability & Book Online
Receive Online Discounts and Instant Confirmation

» Rock & Pop
» Gig Listings
» Classical & Jazz
» C&J Listings
» Book concerts/gigs
» Buy CDs