Kennedy 'prevented' from playing at Classical Brits

May 8 2008 Media Wales

Nigel Kennedy has been ousted from tonight’s Classical Brits.

The maverick violinist, 51, who lashed out yesterday at the showpiece musical event for being run by “old farts”, was one of the biggest draws of the televised awards ceremony.

He said event organisers had tried to “dictate” his “musical decisions” and vetoed his plans to play with the Bond string quartet.

Kennedy, 51, said he originally planned to perform Mozart or Beethoven but was told by organisers that his performance must last around the same length as a pop song.

When he suggested playing jazz instead, he said the idea was also rejected.

He eventually settled on a gypsy violin piece Czardas, by Vittorio Monti.

But organisers vetoed his plans when the famous violinist said he wanted to perform with the Bond string quartet rather than the Brits orchestra.

Kennedy’s manager Terri Robson said the Bond quartet were rejected because they had not been through the committee voting process.

She said Kennedy was “baffled” and “dumbfounded” by the decision, which came after two days of rehearsals with the British/Australian quartet.

She said Kennedy had not pulled out of the event at the Royal Albert Hall, adding: “If he is not allowed to play with people he wants to play with he can’t play.

“I can’t think of any other musician who would accept being told who to play with. He has been prevented from playing.”

Kennedy said: “I have just found out that I have been prevented from performing in the Classical Brits awards show.

“I was looking forward to this because the quartet Bond had agreed to perform the gypsy song Czardas with me, and having just finished rehearsing, it had become clear that this was going to be one of my best performances of that music, not just musically but as a visual TV spectacle as well.

“However, the Classical Brits committee have had other ideas.

“The Brits committee have correctly identified Bond as a ’star’ band who they didn’t elect to play and, because they didn’t choose Bond as a committee, we are not allowed to present our version of Czardas on the show.

“Seeing that the words ’music business’ still place the word ’music’ first, I am not going to let some old farts dictate my musical decisions.”

He said rival record companies on the committee had made the decision because they were “threatened by me” which “can only be taken as a compliment”.

“I am mindful that a few people might have wanted to hear me and have been prevented from doing so by amateur politicians beyond my control,” he said.

A Classical Brits insider said there was not enough dressing room space for the quartet and blamed “insurmountable artistic differences”.

Dickon Stainer and Thomas Kaurich, co-chairmen of the awards, said: “It is regrettable that Nigel Kennedy will no longer be performing on this year’s Classical Brit awards.

“Nigel is a great artist with a unique vision, but artistic differences have proved insurmountable.”

The ninth annual Classical Brit Awards take place at the Royal Albert Hall with the likes of Bryn Terfel, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman and Anna Netrebko performing.