“…a lively celebration of Benedetti’s Italian roots, shot through with some laser-sharp pyrotechnics…” – BBC Music Magazine

For her Decca Classics debut album, violinist Nicola Benedetti makes her first recording of baroque violin repertoire. Recorded in Edinburgh, Italia celebrates Benedetti’s Scottish-Italian heritage as she plays virtuoso Italian masterpieces, accompanied by the leading chamber orchestra of her native Scotland, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Italia will be released on January 24, 2012.

The album includes both popular highlights of the baroque repertoire as well as some overlooked gems. Benedetti includes one concerto from Vivaldi’s enduring masterpiece, The Four Seasons, as well as Tartini’sDevil’s Trill. In addition the generous selection ranges from the sparkling virtuosity of the opening Vivaldi Concerto Grosso Mogul, to the poignant lament of the Veracini Largo and the lyrical beauty of the two arrangements of Vivaldi vocal works, including the haunting Nulla in mundo pax sincera, and an additional concerto by Tartini.

Nicola Benedetti will be performing:

Cork Ireland on Dec 15th with City of Cork Symphony Orchestra
City Hall, Cork, Ireland 
Ludwig van Beethoven : Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 

San Francisco on Dec 31st with San Francisco Symphony 
Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102 
Pablo de Sarasate : Zigeunerweisen Op. 20 

Amsterdam Netherlands on Jan 8th with Mantova Chamber Orchestra 
Het Concertgebouw, Concertgebouwplein 2-6, Amsterdam, Netherlands, NL 1071 LN 
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K. 219 

Santa Ana on Feb 2nd thru 4th with Pacific Symphony 
Segerstrom Hall at OCPAC Mesa, CA, United States, 92626 
Max Bruch : Violin Concerto No 1 in G minor Op 26 

Tuerkenfeld Germany on Feb 8th with Munich Symphony Orchestra 
Herkulsessaal ohannes 
Brahms : Double Concerto in A minor for violin and cello solos and orchestra, Op. 102