Aisha Syed-Castro, violinist

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music and who or what have been the most important influences on your musical life and career?

I first heard the sonatas and Partitas by J. S. Bach when I was 8 years old and that for me was my first memory of knowing I wanted to play the violin for the rest of my life. Later my love for Bach tied in with my main purpose as a Christian musician which is to dedicate my playing to the Lord Jesus, just as Bach did with his compositions, writing Soli Deo Gloria.

What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?

My last teacher/mentor was Ida Haendel and unfortunately even though she was unparalleled at the end of her life she was very lonely as she had no family. I decided to have a family and a career but even though it is a challenge to balance things out for sure, one thing nurtures and inspires the other.

Which performances/recordings are you most proud of?

Performing at the Stern Hall of Carnegie Hall, the recital Hall at the Berlin Philharmonic, the Kennedy Center and the Victoria Hall are for sure four concerts I remember fondly. My disc ‘Heritage’ is one that we put so much love and care into. I wanted to make sure that my personal heritage was represented through the music and that meant having African, Indian and Spanish pieces.

Which particular works/composers do you think you perform best?

I’d like to leave that to the audience.

What do you do off stage that provides inspiration on stage?

I visit hospices, orphanages, schools, correctional centres and hospitals to play for the people in those institutions/facilities. This for me is very humbling, to see people with so much need be it in health, social or economic spectrums and yet enjoy the gift of music is truly inspiring for me.

How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?

Sometimes I get to suggest pieces but other times I get to choose. For 2026 the two violin concertos I am performing the most are Florence Price No. 1 and Korngold.

Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in and why?

I had the chance to perform when I was in my teens at the Wigmore Hall as a graduation gift from the Yehudi Menuhin School and I remember the acoustics were remarkable. The acoustics of the Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall are also stunning.

What do you feel needs to be done to grow classical music’s audiences?

We need to involve other segments of society, continue to invest in children’s programmed at schools and also go to those vulnerable areas and offer concerts to those who aren’t able to get to a concert hall for whatever reason. One cannot love what one hasn’t known.

What is your most memorable concert experience?

One of them is having Ivry Gitlis attend a concert when I was a student in Oldenzaal, Holland.

As a musician, what is your definition of success?

To have a purpose and not deviate from that no matter what. My purpose is to play for God and in that give the best I possibly can. To be content with the present and celebrate others too.

What advice would you give to young/aspiring musicians?

To persevere and have courage. Without discipline you get nowhere.

What do you feel needs to be done to grow classical music’s audiences?

Make sure people get to know classical music, governments should subsidize concerts in areas where people have never heard a complete Beethoven symphony, this way they at least have a fair play in life with regards to choosing if they like classical music or not.

What’s the one thing in the music industry we’re not talking about which you think we should be?

I think the music industry has grown a lot in that it is now including many more composers of Latino and African descent. I feel much more represented and free to be able to perform for instance the programme for our Wigmore Hall concert, which includes works by Wynton Marsalis, Florence Price, William Grant-Still and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. The work the African Concert Series and its founder Rebeca Omordia, for instance, are a true testament of what music means as a universal language and that should be celebrated and encouraged.

Aisha Syed-Castro performs in the African Concert Series at London’s Wigmore Hall on Saturday 15 March. Information/tickets