I went to a small scale church concert on Sunday at St. Edburg’s Church in Bicester with my aunt and my mother. It didn’t take long to persuade me as Mozart, Mendelssohn and Beethoven were on the programme.

The amateur music ensemble Trinity Camerata (conducted by Sam Laughton) gave a wonderful opening to the afternoon with the Overture to Don Giovanni. The conductor (who was very eloquent), gave us all a preamble about each piece, which was really interesting and added to our understanding and enjoyment of the music. It’s the sort of ensemble I’d like to join when I’ve taken my Grade 8 and have more time to practise.

The highlight of the afternoon was being just a few feet away from the guest soloist, Adelia Myslov, the young virtuoso who performed the popular Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor.

Here is my favourite vintage recording of the work with Yehudi Menuhin, the Berlin Philharmonic and Wilhelm Furtwängler:

All I can say is wow, this diminutive Russian really packs a powerful punch with her violin. To say her performance blew me away is an understatement. As far as I could tell with my limited understanding of music her performance was pretty flawless. Not just technically, but stylistically, musically and emotionally. She had her eyes closed for most of it, and the feelings of the music were etched on her expressions, and then translated into the sound from her gifted Lorenzo Storioni violin.

She’s fabulously talented, and I sat in awe at her prowess on the violin. Her double-stopping was so clean, the rapid arpeggios seemed effortless, combined with incredible bow control, and impeccable intonation. She produced the sweetest top notes. The cadenza was truly virtuosic. The acoustics of the church were fantastic, and her pure tone sang out the lyrical melancholy tones of the opening movement with such poignancy that my eyes became leaky…

I have no doubt that she will make it onto the world stage. She deserves to be as well-known as the likes of Hilary Hahn, Julia Fischer, Nicola Benedetti, Janine Jansen, Anne-Sophie Mutter and Vanessa Mae. She will win many hearts and over time, a huge fan base.

Originally from St. Petersburg her family moved to the UK where she attended the Yehudi Menuhin School and Purcell School of Music. Her website charts her musical achievements: http://www.adeliamyslov.co.uk/

I found this clip from her acclaimed recital series ‘Mortal Man; Immortal Dreams’ with pianist Craig White.

When she is famous I’ll be able to look back and say I had the pleasure of seeing her perform in an old church in Oxfordshire.

The concert was rounded off with Beethoven’s jolly and exuberant 8^th Symphony, that he affectionately nicknamed his “little one” in F Major.  Whilst not every note or nuance was perfect the Trinity Camerata certainly put in a competent performance and captured the Master’s impish and ebullient mood throughout his happiest symphony!

Trinity Camerata