Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti has disclosed that her father initially had reservations about her relationship with American trumpeter Wynton Marsalis due to their 25-year age difference. Benedetti, now 39, married Marsalis, 64, in 2021. The couple has a two-year-old daughter, Elise.
In an interview for the podcast Rosebud, Benedetti recounted the difficulties her Italian father, Giovanni, faced in accepting her decision to settle down with Marsalis. She explained that while her parents had grown accustomed to her making unconventional choices, such as leaving school at 15, her relationship with Marsalis presented a new challenge.
"By the time I said, 'This is the person I want to be with', my parents had been used to me making very bold and outlandish and highly risky choices, like leaving school when I was 15," Benedetti said. "They weren't in support of that at all, but I was convincing enough that it was the right thing to do."
She added that her parents were somewhat resigned to her forging her own path. "So I think by that point my parents were sort of a little resigned to 'OK, she's going to carve her own path and it's not necessarily going to be what we approve of.' But then, of course, they got to know Wynton."
Benedetti acknowledged that the age gap and differing life experiences were significant factors. "He is much older than me. We have grown up in such drastically different parts of the world, and effectively in different generations," she stated. "However, our view of the world is scarily aligned and similar."
Despite external doubts about the longevity of the relationship, Benedetti expressed unwavering conviction. "I remember somebody saying to me 'Is this relationship going to continue?', almost like 'surely this is not a long-term thing'," she recalled. "I remember saying, 'I would never have stepped into it if I wasn't utterly convinced that this was my life, this was going to be the person I would marry.'"
Benedetti also touched upon the dynamics within her marriage, noting that Marsalis, like her father, is not always an easy person to live with but is a devoted father. "Elise is his fifth child. What he will give to her and has given to his other children is a sort of world insight that is not easy to come by," she said.
She mentioned that their daughter Elise already shows an interest in music, possessing her own violin and enjoying playing it.
