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Tasmin Little: 10 facts about the great violinist
The violinist Tasmin Little is well loved and widely acclaimed as a concerto soloist, and also performs as a chamber musician and in recitals. She has released numerous albums and won awards around the world.
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1. Born into show business
Born in London on 13 May 1965, Tasmin Little is the daughter of the actor George Little (pictured), best known for his role as Reverend Edward Ruskin in 'Emmerdale Farm'.
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2. Studying under Menuhin
The young Tasmin first started reading music aged six while learning to play the recorder. She attended the Yehudi Menuhin School on a scholarship as a weekly boarder between the ages of 8 and 18. She is pictured here playing with the great maestro at the funeral of actor David Niven.
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3. Brilliant young musician
In 1982 Little was a finalist in the string section of the Young Musician of the Year competition. She went on to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she obtained a Performance Diploma and won the Gold Medal in the school's annual music competition in 1986.
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4. Performances with major orchestras
Her first professional performance as a soloist was in 1988 with the Hallé. Over the course of her career she has performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic and other major orchestras.
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5. Honorary doctor
Little received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bradford in 1996, and the University's music school, the 'Tasmin Little Music Centre', is named after her.
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6. Playing a $1.3 million Strad
Little enjoyed playing a rare Stradivarius violin at Christie's auction house in London, which was then offered for sale in New York on 5 May 2000. It fetched $1,326,000.
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7. Championing the music of Delius
Throughout her career, Little has been a great champion of the works of Delius. She was the artistic director of 'Delius Inspired', an eight-day festival held in Bradford in July 2006 celebrating the composer's work. She has also made a television documentary about him.
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8. Technological innovation
In 2008, Little released free to download tracks from her website in a move aimed at making classical music more accessible. The project won the 2008 Gramophone/Classic FM Award for Audience Innovation, and was featured in an episode of 'The South Bank Show'.
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9. Award-winning performances
In 2009 she received a British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors Gold Badge Award, and in 2011 her album of Elgar’s Violin Concerto won the Critics Award at the Classic Brit Awards. She is pictured at the Royal Albert Hall on 12 May, 2011.
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10. Honoured by The Queen
Little was presented with an OBE in the 2012 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to music. She was presented with her award by HM The Queen at an investiture in Buckingham Palace, 21 November 2012.
