Violinist and composer Anna Phoebe, who is also one half of AVA, recommends her favourite classical pieces and pieces for the violin:

When did you start playing the violin and why?

I started playing at age 7 – my mother also plays violin and so it was sound i was familiar with from before i was born.  I actually wanted to start earlier than this but i wasn’t allowed until i was old enough to make a ‘deal’ with her to practice every day.

What is your favourite piece of music for the violin?

It really depends on my mood – it can be Anne Sophie Mutter playing Mendelssohn’s violin concerto to Lakshminarayana Shankar’s violin on Shakti’s Natural Elements album. Or Laurie Anderson’s layering and textures on her electric violin. Something where the music and the way the violin is played becomes a gateway to connect emotionally on a deeper level.

Describe your own music in 3 words.

Music I write can cross into many genres, but the three words i would use to describe my violin playing are intuitive, raw, human.

Tell us your first memory of London.

My most significant early memory of London is arriving on the train from a village in Scotland to go to an interview at London School of Economics. I was immediately filled with the energy of the city and excitement at the prospect of starting adulthood and a new chapter in my life.

What is one piece of classical music you couldn’t live without?

Bach Cello Suites. Whether I’m walking along the beach in Deal taking a break from my studio, or packed into the London tube at rush hour, these never fail to bring me back to a sense of equilibrium.