Virtuoso Violinist, Chloe Hanslip, returns to London after purchasing the instrument of her dreams
Chloe Hanslip is one of the most inspirational young musicians on the world stage.
In 2008 she began a search for the violin of her dreams. 18 months and a lot of fundraising later, Chloe returns to London with her perfect instrument to perform an exhilarating concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall.
In addition to this, 2010 sees Chloe tour the UK with the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Pavel Kogan, performing some of her favourite repertoire: Tchaikovsky and Glass concerti.
Appearing on the international stage from a young age, Chloe has performed on a number of violins. Whilst these violins were all of excellent quality, she felt she never had the chance to truly get to know the instruments she was performing on. Furthermore, she had to face the constant fear that the instrument may have to be returned.
This fear turned out to be justified in 2009, when, just three days before an important concert, Chloe was asked to return her loaned instrument - causing panic and creating difficulties with finding a last minute replacement.
This frightening event stimulated Chloe to raise funds to buy her current violin, a 1737 Guarneri 'del Gesu', securing its exclusive use for at least the next 10 years. Originally receiving the violin on loan, Chloe felt instantly it had the right sound to suit her musical personality:
"I am very lucky to find the violin I am playing now - as soon as a played it I knew that it was the perfect instrument for me. It has an incredible, warm timbre, especially on the lower strings yet has the ability to soar on the higher strings."
Finding funding for the violin of her dreams was not an easy task, previous attempts at setting up trust funds did not succeed for various reasons - luckily a music-loving friend contributed 20% of the cost to start this trust, and arranged for a concert to be held at his home, where other investors contributed a further 30%. A number of generous supporters enabled Chloe to perform further recitals and the trust was swiftly completed in a little over 12 months.
Chloe's return to London's Royal Festival Hall (where she last performed 7 years ago), and the tour with the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra are Chloe's first opportunities to showcase her new violin to the British public. The tour allows Chloe to share with her audiences her love for contemporary repertoire, as she performs Glass' Violin Concerto a total of 7 times:
"What attracts me to contemporary music is that it is a forever expanding aspect of classical music," says Chloe, "it is wonderful to be able to work with composers and to get their thoughts and feeling about the way you are playing their pieces. The Glass concerto was the first contemporary piece that I fell in love with. It has an incredible drive and energy flowing through it, which I think translates very well to the audience - I always enjoy performing it. Having said that, I still love playing the more traditional repertoire, like the Tchaikovsky. It has an immense passion and joy, which contrasts with introverted moments and wonderful lyricism. Along with the Glass it is one of my favourite Concerti to perform".
Her performance at the Royal Festival Hall marks an exciting return to the venue for Chloe, and gives her a chance to perform again with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom she has formed a close bond with over her many years as a performer. With conductor Leonard Slatkin she will perform Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto - a dark, brooding work with a variety of moods, giving Chloe the perfect opportunity to showcase the diverse timbres of her new instrument.
From a young age Chloe has associated concerti with specific colours, and always performs in a dress of the colour the programme suggests:
"Both the Glass and Tchaikovsky concerti suggest strong colours to me, for example a deep red or electric blue," says Chloe. "I guess it has something to do with the energy in the music and how the orchestra and violin parts come together".
Her curiosity about new repertoire and passion for 'the classics' has led Chloe to become one of the most versatile and electrifying artists on the international stage.
Chloe has recorded a number of highly acclaimed albums for major record labels, as well as appearing on stage with some of the world's most prestigious orchestras and conductors. Besides her passion for the violin, Chloe is also an avid follower of fashion and a car fanatic.
2010 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for this talented musician, as Chloe, with her dream violin in her hands, tours across the globe performing some of her most beloved repertoire. Her presence on the international stage and passion for the diverse violin repertoire, combined with her musical maturity, makes Chloe Hanslip one of the world's most engaging musical talents.
Chloe Hanslip tour schedule:
(Dates and information subject to change.)
May 2010
5 May Birmingham Symphony Hall Glass Violin Concerto
6 May Anvil Basingstoke Glass Violin Concerto
8 May Leeds Town Hall Glass Violin Concerto
12 May St David's Hall, Cardiff Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
14 May Norwich Festival Glass Violin Concerto
16 May St Edmundsbury Cathedral Glass Violin Concerto
18 May Warwick Arts Centre Glass Violin Concerto
17 May Royal Festival Hall Prokofiev Violin Concerto No 2 with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Leonard Slatkin.
19 May Cambridge Corn Exchange Glass Violin Concerto
21 May Hull City Hall Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
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For more information, please visit:
Chloe Hanslip Official Website
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