More than three decades after his recording of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons made him a household name, violinist Nigel Kennedy is returning to Bournemouth as part of his first large-scale UK tour in more than 15 years.
© Monica Jakobowska
Kennedy brings his Virtuoso tour to Bournemouth Pavilion on 11th November, following recent sold-out appearances at London’s Royal Festival Hall and Ronnie Scott’s jazz club.
The programme reflects an approach to music that has characterised Kennedy’s career: little interest in conventional boundaries between classical, jazz and popular repertoire. Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons sits alongside Bach’s Chaconne from the Partita No. 2 in D minor, Gershwin’s The Man I Love and Danny Boy.
Kennedy says performing outside the major cities brings a different relationship with an audience.
‘Obviously I love London and Birmingham, but there’s a different vibe about places with smaller populations such as Bournemouth. The audience are what makes a concert special – it is a team collaboration and music is an inspiration for bringing people together.’
He will be joined on stage by long-standing collaborators Alec Dankworth on double bass and cellist Peter Adams.
Kennedy’s 1989 recording of The Four Seasons became one of the defining classical releases of the generation, but his career has consistently ranged beyond the traditional concert hall, encompassing jazz, rock and collaborations across musical genres.
Nigel Kennedy’s Virtuoso is at Bournemouth Pavilion on Wednesday 11th November at 7.30pm. Tickets from £47.50 bournemouthpavilion.co.uk
