Violin
Jennifer Pike has emerged in recent seasons as one of the most gifted of the younger generation of British artists. Currently a member of the high profile BBC New Generation Artist Scheme, Jennifer is a regularly featured artist with many of the BBC orchestras and chamber music series. Her close relationship with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Sir Andrew Davis dates back to her victory at the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in 2002, when her performance of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto saw her become the youngest ever winner of the competition.
Jennifer Pike’s success at the BBC competition led to immediate recognition, particularly in the UK, and at the age of fifteen she made her BBC Proms debut. Despite frequent similar high profile performances, Jennifer has maintained a carefully balanced programme of education and development over recent years that has seen her mature steadily, growing into a wonderfully thoughtful musician and technically impressive violinist. Public acclaim continued at the start of 2008 when Jennifer was honoured with The South Bank Show/The Times Breakthrough Award, in acknowledgement of the impact that she made throughout the arts during 2007.
In a new and exciting development in her career, Jennifer has recently signed a recording contract with Chandos, which in 2010 sees her record a disc of French recital repertoire with pianist Martin Roscoe.
Jennifer Pike’s 2010/11 season includes the Brahms Violin Concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonia, concerto engagements with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and a return to the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales. She makes her Japanese debut in the autumn of 2010, with a recital in Tokyo and a concerto performance with the Nagoya Philharmonic. She also appears in recital at London’s Kings Place and Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall.
At the age of 16 she was awarded a postgraduate scholarship to study with David Takeno at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, winning the Derek Butler London Prize in 2007. In 2005 she won the prestigious Manoug Parikian Award administered by the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund. She is also grateful for the support of the Philharmonia/Martin Scholarship Fund. Jennifer plays a Matteo Goffriller violin of 1708. It is currently made available to her by the Jennifer Pike Violin Trust, which is being established by Nigel Brown to raise the funds needed to secure the instrument. Please visit www.jenniferpike.com for information about how to contribute to the Trust.