Girl power with strings attached (From Harrow Times)

Girl power with strings attached

4:07pm Thursday 19th November 2009 in Music News By Melanie Dakin

Accomplished violinist Nazrin Rashidova last made the Watford Observer headlines when she was invited to attend the Women of the Year Lunch in 2006 to mark her achievements in music.

Three years on, Nazrin, who was born in Azerbaijan but has lived in North Watford for the past 14 years, has established her own all-female strings ensemble FeMusa– Britain’s first all-female chamber orchestra in more than half a century.

FeMusa is building on the success of its debut at St George’s Church, Bloomsbury in May, with a concert at Saint James’s Church in Piccadilly on Friday, November 27 at 7.30pm, when it will be joined by renowned Egyptian flautist Ines Abdel-Daim.

Nazrin made her debut performance in Baku in 1991 at the age of three and was awarded a Gold Medal by the Cairo Opera House for exceptional performance in a violin recital three years later. She went on to study at The Purcell School of Music before moving on to The Royal Academy of Music at the age of 15. Aged 22, Nazrin completed her Master of Music degree in September and has performed in masterclasses with Yehudi Menuhin, Maxim Vengerov and given concerts and recitals both in the UK and internationally.

Nazrin says she cannot recall much about her first performance but music is among her earliest memories.

“I believe music came to me before I even opened my mouth to speak. I was born into a family of professional musicians, though my parents were the only musicians in our family, they met at the Baku Conservatoire. From my earliest days, I would be surprised if visitors came in without a violin, everyone had to bring a violin as far as I was concerned.”

“I believe music came to me before I even opened my mouth to speak

Nazrin Rashidova

For the concert, the 18-strong all-female strings ensemble, all aged between 19 and 25, plus guest soloists, will perform works by Bach, Rossini, Grieg and Holst.

“It feels wonderful to get a young group going,” says Nazrin. “The majority are at The Royal Academy with one or two from The Royal College and Trinity. It’s quite an international group with English, Irish, Scottish, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Dutch, Kazakstani and Azerbajani performers.

“For the future, my plan is to invite more international soloist and conductors and bring modern and world music to the classical stage.”

Nazrin acknowledges the women who have inspired her so far.

“First of all, there’s my mother – who has devoted her life to help me accomplish my goals.

“Also, renowned violinists, Anne-Sophie Mutter and Tasmin Little, have both really inspired me greatly and I would love to be able to invite them to perform with FeMusa in the future.”

Tickets: 01923 245671, www.femusa.co.uk (£5-£18)