Born in Singapore on October 27, 1978. Her family moved to London when she was four years old, at five she started her classical violin studies. At the age of 10, she had her musical debut at the Schleswig-Holstein Festival. That same year in 1988, Vanessa Mae performed with London's Philharmonia Orchestra in the United Kingdom.
Rise to Fame
Vanessa Mae is known as a crossover violinist, successfully fusing classical music with pop. Her musical style attracted millions of audiences worldwide, especially the younger audience. She is credited as being the youngest violinist to record the violin concertos of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. At the age of 13, she had already recorded and released 3 albums. At the height of her career, Vanessa Mae received many awards and performed in numerous venues and events around the world. She has released 8 albums under Sony BMG spanning from 1995 to 2002.
Notable Performances and Awards
- In 1995, her chart-topping debut album The Violin Player was released. It sold over 3.5 million units worldwide.
- Performed the U.S. National Anthem in Wrigley Field, was the first foreign performer to be invited to perform at the said venue.
- Had two concerts at the World Alpine Ski Championships in Vail, Colorado.
- Performed during the opening of the Para Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2002.
- Also performed for Queen Elizabeth II and her Royal family.
- Invited to perform during the historical Reunification of Hong Kong to China.
- Appeared on the covers of magazines including FHM and attended music awards night including MTV Asia Awards.
- In 2005, she performed at a benefit concert to raise funds for the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami.
When she performs Vanessa Mae conquers the stage and delivers a mesmerizing performance. As with any musician, she has admirers as well as critics. Vanessa Mae was once managed by her mother, but in 2004, there were reports that Vanessa Mae and her mom were feuding. Today she has laid low but still performs from time to time.
For more information on Vanessa Mae, visit her official web site.
