Another string to her bow

Kate Chapman meets world-class violinist Freya Goldmark, who will be hosting a special festive concert in Stamford next month, ahead of the town’s 2025 International Music Festival.

Her career has seen her perform at venues across the world, but for violinist Freya Goldmark there’s no place like home – and she’s delighted to be returning to Stamford this Christmas.

Freya, who grew up in Uppingham and attended school in Stamford, is hosting a special festive concert on 21st December at Stamford Arts Centre, where she will be joined by a specially assembled string orchestra of extraordinary musicians.

During the evening, which promises to be a holiday highlight, Freya will perform Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’ and announce the 2025 Stamford International Musica Festival, a now annual event she founded when she was just 19 years old.

“The main festival takes place in May each year, but I can’t resist coming back through the year and doing other little things,” says Freya, who during the past few weeks has performed in America, Colombia, across Europe and with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in the Lake District.

“It’s going to be a really Christmassy, feel-good event. Normally when I’m programming concerts, I often include more obscure, challenging works, but this one will be much more familiar with pieces like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, which I’ll be playing solo. Everyone knows it, even if they don’t realise it!”

The evening continues with Corelli’s elegant and festive Christmas Concerto, along with a few other surprises.

“We’re holding the concert in the arts centre’s ballroom, which is a lovely space, perfect for chamber – it’s intimate, but still holds around 200 people.

“Although I’m performing all the time, I never get to see familiar people in the audience and that’s a very special thing, so I like to be able to play in Stamford. Everyone has really supported these concerts, and this venue is very special to many people locally and to me.

“It’s the first place I had any kind of musical education, attending a baby and toddler music class when I was two and now I do my warm-up in the same room!”

‘Pinch me’ moments
It’s been a busy year for Freya, who performs solo and as lead violinist for the Ligeti Quartet. As well as numerous overseas concerts recently, she’s also performed at London’s Barbican Hall this year, marking her first concerto in a big London hall.

Back in the summer, she also lived out another teenage dream by performing alongside one of her favourite bands.

“One of the big highlights of this year has to be playing with Pulp. I never thought I’d get to play with pop musicians. When I was a teenager, they were my favourite band. I went to see them at the Albert Hall when I was 15. I remember telling my parents ‘I’m going to play with them!’ and then I never thought anymore about it,” recalls Freya, who now lives in north Norfolk.

“This summer was totally surreal – I went to Amsterdam and Barcelona as part of a small string section, and we played alongside Pulp to crowds of 70,000 people! It was such a weird experience, usually I play acoustically but we were all miked up, we couldn’t hear anything but the crowd, who were making the stage vibrate they were so loud.

“It was quite an experience and one I will never forget.”

Performing with Pulp hasn’t been the only ‘pinch me’ moment for Freya in 2024; in July she was filmed performing ‘Carve the Runes’, by composer Erland Cooper, inside Stonehenge for a new music video.

The unique performance was orchestrated by Cooper, who persuaded English Heritage to allow the production to go ahead.

“It was such a massive feat, I really didn’t believe it was going to happen! We were taken to the stones and allowed to walk in the middle of them – something which people cannot do anymore.

“It was amazing to have my violin with me. While they were setting up, I played while I was waiting. The sound just bounced off the stones, it really amplified it. It was amazing – all the birds sat on top of the rocks watching.

“I don’t like to use the word spiritual, but it was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It had never been done within the stones before and it probably won’t happen again, it was such a massive privilege.”

Early training
Freya began playing the violin when she was four-and-a-half, after becoming obsessed with learning the instrument. She had lessons with Stamford tutor Jane Page until she was ten and was then taught by Maciej Rakowski, at the Royal College of Music, from where she graduated as a foundation scholar in 2018.

“I was four when out of nowhere I became obsessed with the idea of learning the violin. I didn’t have one at the time, and I can remember Mum telling me it would be hard, but I still wanted to do it,” recalls Freya.

“I remember my first one being brought home and getting it out of the box and how exciting that was.

“People don’t believe me, but it’s true, before I started playing I told my parents I was going to be a violinist, not just play it, it would be my career. I’ve always been driven and have never lost that.

“Again, many don’t realise it’s almost like training to be an Olympic swimmer or athlete. When you understand how they train and want to get to the top levels, it’s the same kind of process. You have to put in the hours every day and go to the best teacher. That’s what you have to do to succeed. My mum was amazing, she drove me to London every week from the age of 10, there was a huge commitment from my parents too.”

Freya is also the director of Stamford International Music Festival, which she launched nine years ago.

The event initially began with concerts in Uppingham but has now moved to Stamford. This three-day weekend chamber music festival comprises daytime, evening and late-night performances featuring young musicians from across Europe. Freya programmes, directs, gets the sponsorship for and plays at the festival, which has spawned Christmas and early spring concerts to complement the main event.

“While I was studying at the Royal College of Music in London, it felt super competitive. It was about what mark you were getting – rather than enjoying performing. I wanted to do a concert for people who were going to enjoy listening to the music,” Freya adds.

“It’s been amazing, there have been six festivals and the community really supports it. I get a lot of emails asking if I can programme in certain pieces and from people who have moved to the area from London, who didn’t expect to find that quality of music here. It’s something I love to hear. The community feels like it’s their festival – and it only grows because of them. I can’t wait to be back performing in Stamford.”

To find out more about Freya and her work, visit freyagoldmark.com and to book tickets for SIM Festival Presents: Vivaldi Four Seasons & More visit stamfordartscentre.com

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