Classical music had a 1 percent market share in recent statistics, according to billboard/Nielsen, placing it 12th out of 12 genres. In a world filled with long-gone composers like Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, or Beethoven, ancient concert etiquette, and a continuously aging audience, it may seem impossible for new classical artists to innovate. But even within the long-lived and enduring bubble of classical music, new ideas certainly continue to thrive and flourish.
Even when straying from the very exclusive world of classical music, we all keep witnessing the extent to which classical music continues to inspire new and old mainstream artists. Abba, the popular 80’s band could be considered a very good example of this, seeing how they pay tribute in their newest album to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake in their song Ode to Freedom, matching it to the standard 4/4 bar often preferred by pop musicians.
It is not a surprise either, that Classic FM’s Hall of Fame elevated John Williams as the most famous living composer today. Responsible for the music scores of Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and Star Wars, among so many others, the 89-year-old composer stands as a symbol of how classical music continues to grow and evolve, capturing audiences across the globe.
Classical music is for sure alive and well, and bringing new ideas to the table continues to remain a precious goal for young classical artists. London-based violinist Rebeca Nuez Suarez is one of them.
A world filled with musical influences
Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Spanish violinist was exposed to music from the tender age of three. Her father undertook her musical training, which started at the age of three, but Nuez Suarez found herself studying the violin by her uncle’s side at the age of six.
Rebeca Nuez Suarez grew up in a family of professional artists. Her parents used their free time to explore the rich traditional musical culture of the islands, while her uncle and aunt are members of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria. Her early musical upbringing resulted in her first public appearance on stage at the age of seven. From then on, she was encouraged to regularly perform in public. At the age of fourteen, Nuez Suarez made her solo debut under Zdzislaw Tytlak with the Joven Orquesta de Gran Canaria.
A breath of fresh air to the classical scene
The passion Rebeca Nuez Suarez demonstrates for her craft is undeniable. She has publicly remarked her interest in making classical music more accessible to a broader audience, a goal she has intertwined with her own studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she is currently undertaking doctoral research.
She became the first Spanish classical musician to ever be featured on Vevo, in 2019, with her music video The Furies, offering a brilliant performance of the fourth movement of the famed second violin sonata by Belgian composer and violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. One year before, in 2018, her recording of the piece Alone, written by Spanish composer Laura Vega, was also the first recording of this piece to ever be internationally released on all mainstream digital platforms.
Expected for release soon are another two music videos: After a Dream, in which she performs Après un Rêve, a piece by the French composer Gabriel Fauré, and Allemande, featuring her performance of the first movement of J.S. Bach’s Second Partita for violin solo.
An international journey
It was never really doubted that Rebeca Nuez Suarez would eventually leave Spain and the paradisiacal Canary Islands she hails from to continue her studies abroad. The city of Rotterdam, in The Netherlands, was her first destination. After a year of training at the Codarts University for the Arts under the tutelage of Soviet pedagogue Natasja Morozova, she joined the Maastricht Conservatorium, where she obtained a Bachelor Diploma in violin performance four years later. From then on and during the next couple of years, Nuez Suarez was to be found on stage regularly across Europe and Asia, and she notably became the first classical artist to perform at the Cinémoi Charity Gala in Cannes during the 70th Cannes Film Festival in 2017, benefiting Children Uniting Nations.
In 2019, she was one of only two musicians awarded support from a leading scholarship program by La Caixa Foundation, in Spain, which turned into a unique opportunity for her to continue her graduate studies at the Royal College of Music, in London.
After years of experience within academia and the world of higher education, Nuez Suarez has stated her concern for education inequality as an issue she feels deeply about, as she has been keen to recognize the extent to which being able to develop her craft has indeed been the result of life-changing opportunities offered by her education. It is now too soon to know whether some serious activism at this front will become a stronger part of her career in the years to come, but one thing is certain: Rebeca Nuez Suarez is here to stay, and with her presence, new ideas will continue to flourish in the world of classical music.
Story by Virginia Sagal
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