Nicola Benedetti on Classics Unwrapped

Dominic Jewel is the Producer of BBC Radio Scotland's Classics Unwrapped.

It's not every international violin superstar who comes into the studio and puts down their half-eaten bacon sandwich to give you a big hug and ask how you are - but Nicola Benedetti is not just any violin superstar. Her immense talent is genuinely matched by a generosity of spirit that certain classical divas could learn a lot from!

Straight out of the GMS studio where she'd been talking live about her work in Raploch, in the middle of a round of quick-fire promotional interviews for her new album, whilst learning new repertoire for a season of concerts and at the same time putting in a visit to her family, Nicola still made the time to give Classics Unwrapped an unhurried hour and a half to chew the fat, play some music, and have a proper catch-up.

Jamie MacDougall was one of the first broadcasters to pick up Nicola's story - long before she won the Young Musician competition - and over the years he and she as you might imagine have got to know each other pretty well, bumping into each other at concert halls and festivals. It had been a couple of years though since they'd talked at length on the programme - so there was a lot to catch up about. In the end I had to actually tell them to stop - they'd have kept going for hours!

The two of them covered everything from the pressures of life at music school to Italian taxi drivers - and I'm sure Nicola's record company will be pleased to hear that they did remember (well, when prompted, anyway) to talk about the new album a bit, too.

By the way Nicola, you forgot to finish your bacon sandwich- but rest assured it found a good home (we have to keep Jamie fed somehow!)

Listen to Nicola Benedetti on Classics Unwrapped on Sunday 16 October at 1705.