How’s your lovey-dovey duet then, Nicola? Er, it's all over-ture
THEY were classical music’s golden couple, with the romance of their relationship spilling over into the passion of their concert performances.
But virtuoso violinist Nicola Benedetti has disclosed that, after nine years together, she and her cellist boyfriend have split up.
The acclaimed Scots musician broke the news to fans in an excruciatingly awkward live online TV broadcast – while sitting next to the man with whom she has shared her life for so long.
She explained that their relationship had broken down after a string of ‘tempestuous arguments’ and that the couple no longer live together in their London home.
German-born cellist Leonard Elschenbroich has even moved 1,000 kilometres away to Berlin, although the former lovers are still touring together professionally.
News of the split came when a fan asked them an uncomfortable question during a live Q&A broadcast for a leading classical music channel in New York.
During the programme, Benedetti was asked: ‘What is it like playing and touring together when you are in a relationship?’
Caught off guard, the musician bashfully replied: ‘Erm, well, we
are no longer in a relationship, but as you can see very good friends, and very close still and do a lot of concerts together.’
The interview was aired on the online Violin Channel, and the pair spoke frankly about their relationship.
Benedetti said their arguments spilled into practise sessions with Ukrainian pianist Alexei Grynyuk with whom they often play as a trio. She told the show: ‘Sometimes Alexei had a tough time because we would argue very openly – as anybody in a relationship does – and Alexei would be sitting with his head nearly inside the piano, just like “let me out of this room please”.’
Speaking about arguments couples have when playing music together, Mr Elschenbroich explained: ‘You know what the argument is about on the surface, [but] it isn’t just about that. There is a lot underlying. It’s always about something deeper. You don’t know what it is, but you feel it is something. I think it is really uncomfortable. That is no longer the case now. Now we are very polite to each other.’
The 29-year-old violinist is still touring internationally with Mr Elschenbroich, 33, and they are even playing Duetti d’Amore, a series of romantic violin and cello pieces specially written for them.
Mr Elschenbroich said the music showed that ‘relationships can change dramatically’.
‘Erm, well, we are no longer in a relationship... we would argue very openly. Now we are very polite to each other’ ‘There’s a lot underlying. It’s always something deeper. It was really uncomfortable. But that is no longer the case’