Childhood and youth
Vanessa May was born on October 27, 1978 in Singapore, exactly 196 years after Niccolo Paganini was born. Little Vanessa was only 4 years old when her mother, pianist Pamela Tan, a native of China, divorced the girl’s natural father, Thai Varaprong Vanakorn. The woman moved with her daughter to England, where she married London lawyer Graham Nicholson.
Published by Ionescu Alexandru Daniel Saturday, October 27, 2021
Vanessa Mae as a child with her mother
The childhood and youth of the famous violinist can hardly be called rosy and carefree. Vanessa Mae's musical biography began early. The baby first sat down at the piano at the age of 3. At 5, her stepfather introduced her to the violin, but the piano remained a more important instrument for the girl for a long time.
Starting at the age of 8, Vanessa Mae spent half the day at school and the other half rehearsing. At this age she became a laureate of the British Young Pianists Competition, and at 10 she was already giving concerts accompanied by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The girl turned out to be the youngest student at the Royal College of Music: she was barely 11 years old. But she only stayed at the famous educational institution for six months: May was no longer interested in learning playing techniques - she wanted to create on her own.
Childhood and adolescence: Singapore – London
When a daughter was born in the fall of 1978 in Singapore to a Chinese woman, Pamela Tan, and a Thai, Varaprong Vanakorn, she was named Vanessa. As soon as the little girl began to speak, it turned out that she had an absolute ear for music. The child’s favorite “toy” was the piano, which the girl learned to play from the age of three.
Vanessa Mae in childhood
Pamela, a capable pianist, decided to make her daughter a world-class star, and Vanessa’s entire childhood was subordinated to her mother’s aspirations. She studied music at least four hours a day under the guidance of her mother.
Vanessa Mae with her mother
When Vanessa was four years old, the spouses' simmering claims against each other reached their climax. After the divorce, Pamela moved to England, taking her daughter, and soon met lawyer Graham Nicholson and married him.
Her stepfather always treated Vanessa kindly. When she turned five, he gave her a violin and asked her talented stepdaughter to organize a home concert. The girl quickly mastered the instrument and since then has practically never parted with the violin, although the piano remained her favorite musical instrument for a long time.
Vanessa Mae's stepfather gave her violin
The first public performance of the young talent took place in Germany - nine-year-old May became a participant in the international music festival Schleswig-Holstein.
The girl made her debut on the big stage at the age of 9
Just a year later, she became the youngest student at the Royal College of Music and played on the same stage with the famous London Philharmonic Orchestra. After studying for six months, Vanessa left college because she had already outgrown learning the technique of playing. Mom appointed herself her manager and did her best to promote her daughter’s performances.
At the age of 12, May recorded her first solo disc, Violine, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the NSPCC (an organization that fights cruelty to children). Her performances were broadcast on British television. The Guinness Book of Records named Vanessa the youngest performer (at that time she was 13 years old) to record violin concertos by Ludwig van Beethoven and Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
Live performance by 13-year-old Vanessa Mae The girl dropped out of school because she could not combine her studies with constant touring. This suited Pamela quite well. The mother assigned a bodyguard to her daughter, carefully controlled her bank accounts and constantly monitored Vanessa’s wardrobe and appearance.
Musical prodigy Vanessa Mae
No children's entertainment, everything was subject to a strict schedule. The young violinist had only one outlet - skiing. She started skiing at the age of four, and since then skiing has become an integral part of the violinist’s life. In 2014, Vanessa even became a participant in the Sochi Olympics (in giant slalom) under her father’s name Vanakorn, finishing 67th.
Vanessa Mae at the Olympics in Sochi
Sport
After some time, Vanessa Mae moved from London to Switzerland. She chose this country because of her passion for skiing.
In 2014, the world was pleasantly surprised by the news that Vanessa Mae would take part in the Sochi Olympics as a skier. Due to difficulties with the athlete's dual citizenship, her participation was in jeopardy. But at the last moment, as an exception, the Thai authorities allowed the skier to participate in the Olympics.
Embed from Getty Images Vanessa Mae on the Olympic Team
Vanessa Mae performed at the Winter Games in Sochi under her father's last name - Vanakorn. She made a successful debut in the giant slalom discipline. The girl showed a rather weak result and was able to finish 67th.
In 2021, Vanessa May began preparing for the 2018 Olympics, but was unable to make it into the Thai national team due to a shoulder injury that she received on the eve of the training camp.
Vanessa Mae: biography
The famous British violinist, talented composer, actress and athlete Vanessa May was born in the fall of 1978 in Singapore. Little Vanessa was only 4 years old when her mother Pamela Tan, a native of China, divorced the girl’s natural father, Thai Varaprong Vanakorn, and moved with her daughter to England, where she married London lawyer Graham Nicholson.
The childhood and youth of the famous violinist can hardly be called rosy and carefree. Vanessa Mae's musical biography began very early. The baby first sat down at the piano at the age of 3. At 5, her stepfather introduced her to the violin, but the piano remained a more important instrument for the girl for a long time.
Baby photos
The mother, obsessed with the desire to make her daughter famous and dreamed of Vanessa getting into the Guinness Book of Records, forced the girl to study music 4 hours a day. The only exception was her birthday. The woman never tired of reminding the little girl that her love for her was proportional to the success that her daughter achieved in music.
Later, the artist admitted in one of her interviews that it was quite cruel, but, nevertheless, the mother achieved her goal - to make her daughter famous throughout the world.
Photo of the violinist | Lady.mail.ru
Starting at the age of 8, Vanessa Mae spent half the day at school and the other half rehearsing. At this age she became a laureate of the British Young Pianists Competition, and at 10 she was already giving concerts accompanied by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The girl turned out to be the youngest student at the Royal College of Music: she was barely 11 years old. But she stayed at the famous educational institution for only six months: May was no longer interested in learning playing techniques - she wanted to create herself.
Even then, the musician experimented with all her might with genres, trends and styles, boldly mixing academic performance with modern arrangements.
Biography
In January 2014, Vanessa qualified for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi and represented the Thai team in the giant slalom and competed under her father's last name - Vanakorn. Of the 89 athletes who took part, she was able to finish both runs, taking the last, 67th, place and losing 50.10 seconds to the winner.
It subsequently turned out that Vanessa’s results during the selection for the Games were falsified at the Slovenian stage of the World Cup, commissioned by an unnamed Thai company. The four officials involved in the conspiracy were suspended from work for 4 years by decision of the Slovenian Ski Federation. In November, by decision of the FIS disciplinary commission, May was disqualified for 4 years, and five tournament organizers were suspended from work for a period of one to two years. May appealed this decision.
CAS concluded that the FIS did not have sufficient evidence to establish that May had falsified the results and overturned the disqualification. At the same time, the court rejected the second appeal of the 36-year-old athlete (to cancel her results in qualifying competitions due to a violation of FIS rules), and therefore she did not have the right to compete at the Olympics in Sochi.
Violins
In most of her performances, Vanessa May uses Guadagnini's Gizmo violin, made in 1761 and bought at auction by her parents for £250,000. In January 1995, the violin was stolen, but in March of that year the police returned it to its owner. Once the artist fell with her violin on the eve of one of her performances and broke it. After several weeks of painstaking work, the instrument was restored.
The artist also uses Zeta Jazz Model electric violins, made in the USA - white, with the colors of the American flag and, since 2001, silver-white, and three Ted Brewer Violins electric violins.
From time to time, Vanessa Mae buys other violins and then sells them at charity auctions.
Vanessa Mae
I really want to talk about Vanessa Mae, one of my favorite musicians. A truly brilliant violinist who made a breakthrough in the history of music.
Mae Vanakorn Nicholson was born on October 27, 1978, the same day as the great violinist Paganini, only 196 years later.
According to the Chinese calendar, she was born on the day of the horse - this is a good sign for the Chinese. It symbolizes speed and loyalty, which is expressed in good development in career and business, as well as in the personal - family satisfaction. Vanesa May was born in Singapore to a Thai father and a Chinese mother. Her mother, Pamela, divorced when Vanessa was 4 years old and took her to London, where she married British lawyer Grahm Nicholson. Pamela Nicholson is professional enough to notice Vanessa's musical talent; Pamela herself is a semi-professional pianist. She played a huge role in her daughter's musical career. The violin is not Vanessa's first instrument. She first studied piano at a children's school in Singapore with Ruth Nye when she was 3 years old. Her adoptive father Grahm Nicholson played the violin and forced Vanessa to take the violin and accompany him. Vanessa's first performance was at the age of nine. She played with the Philharmonie Orchestra when she was ten. Under Professor Felix Andrievsky, Vanessa was the youngest student at the Royal College of Music. In October 1991, Vanessa Mae recorded her debut CD "Violin" and released it for UK charities and the NSPCC in March 1991, at the time she was only 11 years old. In 1992 she picked up her Zeta electric violin for the first time. In 1994, she teamed up with EMI to record her first pop album, described by Vanessa as a "techno-acoustic fusion". The ratings of her new album “The violin Player” soared on the worldwide charts in more than 20 countries immediately after its release. In 1996, she was nominated for "Best Female Artist" in the BRIT Awards competition held in the UK. She is the first musician and classical musician to be nominated for this competition, and was awarded the award by an overwhelming number of votes due to her popularity. Then she released some other albums. After her pop album, The Violin Player, she dropped a classic record, Classical Album 1. In 1997, Hong Kong honored Vanessa with an invitation to perform in Hong Kong at the Chinese Reunification Ceremony, she was the only non-local performer. It also ended with the release of another album, "China Girl", as a further reflection on her Chinese roots. It has been fifteen years since her grandfather died. Almost immediately after this, she released her second techno-acoustic album, “Storm,” on which she also sings. Then she recorded her third classic album, “The Original Four Seasons,” after “The Violin Player.” In 2001, another of her pop albums, “Sebject To Change,” was released. In most of her performances, Vanessa May uses a Guadagnini violin, made in 1761 and bought at auction by her parents for £150,000. In January 1995, Guadagnini was stolen, but in March of that year the police returned it to its owner. Once the artist fell with her violin on the eve of one of her performances and broke it. After several weeks of painstaking work, the instrument was restored. Now the instrument is valued at 458 thousand dollars. The artist also uses Zeta Jazz Model electric violins, made in the USA - white, white with the colors of the American flag and, since 2001, silver-white, and three Ted Brewer Violins electric violins. From time to time, Vanessa Mae buys other violins and then sells them at charity auctions. Vanessa currently lives in Kensington, London. Interesting facts: The asteroid "(10313) Vanessa Mae" is named after Vanessa Mae. Vanessa Mae was born on the same day as Niccolo Paganini, the world famous Italian violinist and composer.
Unfortunately, not all video performances with Vanessa on YouTube can be copied.
Vanessa Mae - Storm (Live) Vanessa Mae - Fur Elise Techno Remix The Phantom Of The Opera - Vanessa Mae Vanessa Mae - Tecno New Age
