Tamsin Waley-Cohen, 23, was only two when she heard her first violin on television. I couldn't even pronounce the word “violin”, but I knew that was what I wanted to do.'

Her parents – a sculptor and a theatre producer – arranged lessons when she turned three and from then on she was rarely far from her bow.

At 18, she studied with Itzhak Rashkovsky, a leading violin professor at the Royal College of Music. He taught me that music is alive, it should be telling a story.'

As well as winning the school's concerto
competition and String Player of the Year, she formed The Honeymead Ensemble, which gathers young musicians from around the world to play three concerts for charity each April.

Tamsin lives with friends in Chiswick. It's good to be surrounded by people who aren't musicians. Silence can be nice sometimes.'

Which violin do you play?
A Stradivarius, formerly played by Lorand Fenyves, which was made in 1721. It's worth about £1 million; I have it on loan from a trust. There are about 500 in the world, most of which are locked up or in museums. I feel very lucky to play it.

How often do you practise?
Between four and eight hours a day, including rehearsing. But every day is different.

Do you ever get stage fright?
I get nervous but it's a positive energy. It heightens the experience. I'd be disappointed if I didn't have it.

Have you ever hit a bum note in public?
No, but in Chiltern a couple of years ago there were horrible floods. As I started playing at a recital, the lights went out. I continued to play and when they came back on there was water everywhere. If anything ever happens I just try to keep the audience's attention.

What was your favourite performance?
There is a festival in Florence I always perform at, which takes place in the Bargello Museum. To play surrounded by all those great sculptures is amazing.

What's next?
I'm having a piece written for me by Richard Causton, which I will premiere at the
Royal Festival Hall in January. There are also a couple of recordings in the pipeline for next year: a concerto and a collection of unrecorded English work.

Sylvia Mulder Tamsin plays The Red Hedgehog, 255-257 Archway Road, N6, on 13 December (020 8348 5050; theredhedgehog.co.uk)