Vanessa Mae
Vanessa Mae
Vanessa-Mae is a British violinist with album sales reaching several million, having made her the wealthiest entertainer under 30 in the United Kingdom in 2006. She competed under the name Vanessa Vanakornfor Thailand in alpine skiing at the 2014 Winter Olympics. She was initially banned from skiing because a qualifying race for her benefit was alleged to be corrupt, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport later nullified the ban, citing lack of evidence for her own wrongdoing or any...
NationalityChinese
ProfessionViolinist
Date of Birth27 October 1978
CountryChina
To even get to the Olympics, I have to qualify for the 2013 World Championships and the standard is high. I know I am always going to be a few points behind the top guys.
Music is about the performance.
People find it hard to understand how I can risk ruining my career as a musician by injuring myself on the slopes, but I've always been a tomboy.
The stage is the best experience in the world. It's a great compliment to be able to share the music, because people can hear my album but they don't get to make the connection in the same way as when it's one-to-one.
Kids can be born with potential but unless it's encouraged - pushed, even - I don't think it will ever come to fruition.
I started skiing around the same time as I began playing the piano, at around four, before moving to the violin at five.
Music will always be my greatest passion.
Violin playing is a physical art with great traditions behind it.