Nazrin Rashidova

The Azerbaijani-British violin virtuoso made her solo début at the age of three in Baku and was awarded a Gold Medal by the Cairo Opera House for an exceptional violin recital three years later. Establishing FeMusa Orchestra in 2008, Britain’s first female chamber orchestra in 70 years, is merely the latest in a series of achievements. Based in London, FeMusa have been featured on BBC World News, Euronews, LondonLive and they have given numerous concerts in London, performed on ‘Omani Woman’s Day’ at the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman, and in Baku, Gabala and Paris.

Rashidova was accepted to the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 15, where she had the privilege of playing on a rare collection of violins by Antonio Stradivari. She studied with professors Erich Gruenberg, Felix Andrievsky and Lydia Mordkovitch. A prizewinner in several international competitions, she has appeared on international TV and radio, played for Royalty and other dignitaries, and also performed in the USA, Japan, Europe and the Middle East.

Rashidova’s recordings for Naxos and First Hand Records have been critically acclaimed by The Strad, Gramophone, Diapason, Fanfare, Ritmo, Classical Guitar Magazine, American Record Guide, SWR2 Radio and neue musikzeitung.

More recently, Rashidova completed her PhD at the Royal Academy of Music, where she explored Émile Sauret’s 24 Études Caprices, op.64 through the making of a first recording. Her world premiere recording series of these works comprise four volumes and have been released by Naxos (2017-2020). In support of her research, Rashidova was awarded one of the most prestigious awards of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, The John Clementi Collard Fellowship and also the Clarence Myerscough Award at the Royal Academy of Music. Three of the volumes were recorded on the c.1685 ‘Sauret’ Stradivari violin, kindly loaned to her by John Ludlow.

She plays on a violin after G. B. Guadagnini Milan 1753, ‘Nazrin’ by David Rattray.