Vanessa-Mae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Vanessa-Mae | |
|---|---|
| Image:Vanessa Mae.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn |
| Born | October 27 1978 |
| Origin | Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg London, England, UK |
| Genre(s) | Pop, Classical, Techno |
| Instrument(s) | Violin |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Label(s) | Sony BMG, Virgin, EMI |
| Website | Official website |
Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson (born October 27, 1978 in Singapore), known onstage as Vanessa-Mae (in Chinese: 陳美, Chén Měi) is an internationally known British classical and pop musician, especially noted for her violin skills. Her music style is self-described as "violin techno-acoustic fusion," as several of her albums prominently feature the techno style.
Contents |
[edit] Childhood
Vanessa-Mae was born in Singapore to a Thai father and a Chinese mother. After her parents separated, her mother married Englishman Graham Nicholson, and the family moved to England when Vanessa-Mae was four years old. She grew up in London and is a British citizen.
[edit] Professional life
Vanessa-Mae began playing piano at the age of three and violin at five.
She was relatively famous in the United Kingdom throughout her childhood making regular appearances on television (for example on Blue Peter) mostly involving classical music and conservative style. According to Guinness World Records, she is the youngest soloist to record both the Beethoven and Tchaikovsky violin concertos, a feat she accomplished at the age of thirteen.[1] During this time she attended the Francis Holland School in central London.
Vanessa-Mae made her international professional debut at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Germany in 1988, and also during 1988 made her concerto debut on stage with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London.
On entering adolescence Vanessa-Mae broke away from her traditional classical influences and became known for her flashy, sexy style appearing in music videos in stylish outfits. She appeared on the Janet Jackson album The Velvet Rope playing a violin solo on the song "Velvet Rope." Her first pop styled album, The Violin Player, was released in 1995, and is still regarded as one of the best works of her career.
In April 2006, Vanessa-Mae was ranked as the wealthiest young entertainer under 30 in the UK in the Sunday Times Rich List 2006. [1] having an estimated fortune of about £32 million ($64 million) stemming from concerts and record sales of over an estimated 10 million copies world wide, which is an unprecedented achievement for a young female violinist.
Vanessa-Mae announced in 2006 that she would be releasing a new album sometime between 2007 and 2008. The album will consist of inspiration from great ballets and opera themes.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Violin (1990)
- Kids' Classics (1991)
- Tchaikovsky & Beethoven Violin Concertos (1991/1992)
- The Violin Player (1995)
- The Alternative Record from Vanessa-Mae (1996)
- The Classical Album 1 (November 12, 1996)
- China Girl: The Classical Album 2 (September 9, 1997)
- Storm (July 14, 1998)
- The Original Four Seasons and the Devil's Trill Sonata: The Classical Album 3 (February 16, 1999)
- The Classical Collection: Part 1 (2000)
- Subject to Change (July 17, 2001)
- The Best of Vanessa-Mae (November 5, 2002)
- The Ultimate (December 23, 2003)
- Choreography (2004)
- Xpectation (Jazz collaboration with Prince) (2004)
[edit] Special edition albums
- The Violin Player: Japanese Release (1995)
- The Classical Album 1: Silver Limited Edition (January 1, 1997)
- Storm: Asian Special Edition (January 1, 1997)
- The Original Four Seasons and the Devil's Trill Sonata: Asian Special Edition (February 1, 1999)
- Subject to Change: Asian Special Edition (July 1, 2001)
- The Ultimate: Dutch Limited Edition (January, 2004)
[edit] Singles
- "Toccata & Fugue" (1995)
- "Toccata & Fugue - The Mixes" (1995)
- "Red Hot" (1995)
- "Classical Gas" (1995)
- "I'm a-Doun for Lack O' Johnnie" (1996)
- "Bach Street Prelude" (1996)
- "Happy Valley" (1997)
- "I Feel Love Part 1" (1997)
- "I Feel Love Part 2" (1997)
- "The Devil's Trill & Reflection" (1998)
- "Destiny" (2001)
- "White Bird" (2001)
[edit] Filmography
- The Violin Fantasy (1998)
- Arabian Nights (2000)
[edit] References
- ^ (2003) Guinness World Records 2003. Guinness World Records Ltd, 191. ISBN 1-892051-17-6.
[edit] External links
- Official Site
- Vanessa-Mae at the Internet Movie Database
- Vanessa-Mae at Discogs
- Vanessa-Mae discography at MusicBrainzcy:Vanessa-Mae
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