Violin superstar Nigel Kennedy to play Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall

Nigel Kennedy at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. Credit: Monica Jakubowska

Adam Johannes

The world’s best-selling violinist, Nigel Kennedy, will perform at Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall this April as part of his first large-scale UK tour in over 15 years.

He’ll be joined by long time collaborators Alec Dankworth, son of jazz legends John Dankworth and Cleo Laine, on double bass, and the brilliant cellist Peter Adams.

Praised by the late Yehudi Menuhin – widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century – who said: “Nigel has a unique talent and a special ear that enables him to play whatever he wants,”  and dubbed “one of the most important violinists Britain has ever produced” by The Guardian, Kennedy promises an unforgettable, genre-defying night of music that blends classical, jazz, and beyond.

From a child prodigy at the Yehudi Menuhin School at just seven, to a teenage star mentored by jazz violin legend Stephane Grappelli, Kennedy has never played by the rules.

His 1989 recording of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons made him an international sensation. The album almost immediately became a phenomenon, selling more than three million copies worldwide and earning its place in the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling classical album ever.

The recording made history not just for its popularity, but for being the first classical album to be promoted using commercial pop marketing techniques, transforming the classical music scene forever.

Enfant Terrible

Whether on stage or off, Kennedy has always done things his own way.

During the late 1980s and 1990s, as he shot to fame, critics and columnists routinely branded him the “enfant terrible” and “wild boy” of classical music.

With his trademark spiky hair, Kennedy ditched the tuxedo, called his violin a “fiddle,” referred to concerts as “gigs,” and blurred the lines between the worlds of classical, jazz, rock and popular music, equally at home playing Jimi Hendrix riffs or Elgar concertos.

Kennedy’s politics have been just as anti-establishment. A self-avowed socialist, he has been known to make political statements during performances. In 2013, the BBC sparked controversy when it censored remarks critical of Israel during its broadcast of a Proms concert.

Performing alongside young Palestinian musicians, Kennedy had said: “We all know from the experience of this night of music that giving equality and getting rid of apartheid gives a beautiful chance for amazing things to happen.”

Fans can expect Kennedy’s signature energy, technical wizardry, and emotional intensity, with a repertoire that is as unpredictable as it is spellbinding. Rumour has it he’s playing better than ever.

This tour is a rare chance for fans old and new to see a true musical icon live, and it’s one not to miss.

Nigel Kennedy performs at Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall on April 23, tickets are available here.