"..a completely wonderful event on Saturday.... lovely messages from all 3 sets of parents afterwards saying what a lot the students gained from the session. Apparently Julia actually went home and practised for a further 3 hours at home afterwards, so inspired was she! And she's also found a youth summer school run at the RCS by Andrea, which she is now looking into, to apply for.
...a fantastic opportunity for the students having somebody of Andrea's calibre and amazing charisma come to give a masterclass locally."
Masterclass for Carlisle Music Festival, February 2024
"Andrea has it all - technical ability, wonderful musicianship, great presentation, and her introductory explanations were the best I have ever heard. She gave the background to each work, how each had evolved, and even demonstrated violin techniques which enhanced some of the pieces. It was amazing that Andrea had the entire programme committed to memory.... virtuosic violin playing"
The Orcadian, 10/5/14
"...dazzling ... Andrea, made her instrument talk in so many languages and moods that a member of the audience, at the interval said:- '…..I have not been so close to such violin virtuosity and witnessed a range of bowing techniques used in one performance."
Cowal Music Club, 25/10/15
"... such a wonderful concert... privileged to be there to hear you play for us... a wonderful programme enhanced by your introductions and brought to vibrant life by your playing.....the way you made your violin speak in so many languages and moods was really fantastic."
Balerno Music Festival, 10/10/14
Andrea Gajic / violinist
Please contact daisy@classicalmusiciansscotland.com for more information or to book Andrea.
Violinist Andrea Gajic received her early musical training at St Mary’s Music School, Edinburgh. When she was twelve, she performed the Bruch Scottish Fantasy at St James’ Palace, London for Yehudi Menuhin’s 70th Birthday celebration. Two years later, she was invited by Sylvia Rosenberg to study at the Peabody Institute, Baltimore USA, where she won first prize at the American String Teachers’ Association Violin Competition. From 1990, Andrea studied for five years at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music in Moscow with Khalida Akhtiamova where she gained her Masters Degree and Diploma in Solo Performance, before continuing her post-graduate studies with Felix Andrievsky at The Royal College of Music in London. Throughout her studies, Andrea received generous financial assistance, being the youngest recipient of The Scottish International Education Trust and also receiving awards from The Martin Trust and Sir James Caird Travelling Scholarships.
Andrea has performed as a soloist and chamber ensemble player in Britain, United States, Russia, Lithuania, Finland, Germany, Australia, Yugoslavia and France, and she has been invited to give recitals and Masterclasses in Serbia, at the Victoria International Arts Festival, Gozo, at Dartington International Music Festival, and at the Menstrelle International Chamber Music Academy, St Petersburg.
She enjoys performing regularly with husband Djordje Gajic on classical accordion as duo AdLibitum. She has also led the Fibonacci Sequence chamber ensemble at the Conway Hall in London and worked with the Research Ensemble, which resulted in a number of contemporary music performances including birthday celebrations for Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and James MacMillan. In April 2013 she gave a recital of Beethoven Sonatas in the Max-Joseph-Saal at the Munich Residenz with pianist Michael Leslie.
For radio, she has recorded for BBC Radio, Bavarian Radio, Lithuanian Radio, Yugoslavian Radio and Radio Baltimore. On television, she has appeared on BBC, STV, ITV, and on Russian and Yugoslavian stations. CD releases include a recording of Beethoven’s Theme and Variations Op 107, performed with Michael Leslie, Thomas Rugge and Michael Shopper for Bavarian Radio and released by Büchergilde Gutenberg. In addition to her numerous performing commitments, Andrea is a dedicated teacher.
International pop star, Madonna, studied with Andrea for several months before pulling out of Wes Craven’s Hollywood film “50 Violins,” also known as “Music for the Heart,” which eventually starred Meryl Streep. Andrea was also invited to be the strings advisor for the film.
Currently Andrea teaches violin at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow where she was made Professor in 2018, and this year looks forward to joining the string faculty at the Royal Northern College of Music. She has given classes and workshops for the European String Teachers’ Association, University of Music and Performing Arts (Graz), Rostov State Conservatory (Russia), Sydney Conservatorium (Australia), Sabac Music School (Serbia), Kragujevac Music School (Serbia), Victoria International Arts Festival (Malta), University of Delaware (USA), Peabody Conservatory (USA) Komitas State Conservatory (Armenia) and the Benedetti Foundation. Since 2014, she has been course leader for the String Summer Course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, which attracts students from all round the world.
Andrea has performed at a number of international festivals throughout Europe and USA. Her most recent concerto performances include performances of the Sibelius Violin Concerto, Barber Violin Concerto, Brahms Violin Concerto. She is also a regular performer with the Malta Philharmonic at the closing concerts of Victoria International Arts Festival, Gozo having performed Brahms’ Violin Concerto, the Sibelius Concerto, and more recently in July 2022, Beethoven’s Concerto in D major.
She was a major contributor to the COP26 concert ‘Vital Signs of the Plant’ held in Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall in November 2021, where she played excerpts from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the RCS chamber orchestra, and recently she was interviewed by the Strad magazine. She was also honoured with a Professorship at the RCS and in August 2023 was promoted to Head of Strings.
Recently Nicola Benedetti has restarted sporadic lessons with Andrea to help regain confidence after a wrist injury that forced her to pull out of a residency last summer at the Aldeburgh Festival.
Andrea plays on a violin made by Nicolaus Gagliano in 1766.
