{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Variety Show","title":"From Robbie Williams to Escala: a journey shaped by dedication and practice - Helen Nash","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2045,"description":"To stay updated on future episodes, follow us on:TikTokInstagramYouTubeIf you have any comments about the podcast or are a performer who wants advice please do email info@thevarietyshowpodcast.co.ukArtist bioHelen Nash is a Cornish-born pianist and cellist whose career spans live television, orchestral performance, crossover string work, and high-profile collaborations across classical and popular music. Raised in rural Cornwall, she began piano and cello as a child and later studied cello at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. After an early break playing for Robbie Williams, Helen built a varied freelance career performing with artists including Andrea Bocelli and Cher, while also appearing on major television shows such as The Graham Norton Show and Britain’s Got Talent. As a member of Escala, she has helped bring string music to wider audiences through inventive arrangements and outreach work, while continuing to reflect on arts access, education, and the realities of sustaining a life in music.Episode summaryIn this episode of The Variety Show, Adam Sternberg talks with pianist and cellist Helen Nash about growing up in rural Cornwall, finding music early, and building a career that moves between classical training, live television, and crossover performance. Helen shares how an unusual combination of family influences, countryside life, and a chance encounter with a local cello teacher led her into music, even though no one in her immediate family was a professional performer.She reflects on studying cello seriously, stepping away from it after music college, and then being drawn back in through an unexpected mix of songwriting, freelance opportunities, and high-profile gigs. From playing for Robbie Williams at the Royal Variety Performance to joining Escala and working across television and live events, Helen describes a career that has often developed organically rather than through one fixed plan. The conversation also explores the pressures of...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/JHRDqil-H1p__PcBxkFKeWgvmzANKXqZzhsKiqUP0gc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mODc5/NmZkY2I4Nzk5OWNi/MjFiNDFhNzY5MTNi/NzI1Ni5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}