Najda discusses the making of a very different and interesting Christmas album in the vid above, which includes elements from a number of different musical styles and genres.

Here young Najda making her New York debut at Carnegie Hall in 1982. What is shown is an excerpt from her exciting and passionate version of Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto. Najda was a Julliard competiton winner, and you wouldn’t know it, but she was about ready to give up on her violin at that time.

Here is more; a brief excerpt of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto from “Speaking in Strings”.

Najda is a courageous pioneer and her violin work is strong, unique and recognizable. I first saw her on the 1999 program, “Speaking in Strings”, and immediately ran out, searching for the album. I had to order it, but it was worth the wait. I’ve been hooked ever since. In the program, she struck me almost as if she were someone I knew; this tough little New York chick with the New York accent and leather jacket, who marched out to take breaks from rehearsals to smoke. It’s not surprising that she’s known as the ‘bad girl’ of violin. She said “feeling more than any person I know is a curse.”

She grabbed me somehow. Her renditions of Sibelius’ magnificent Violin Concerto, Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges, Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals: The Swan, and Shostakovich’s violin concerto, Rachmaninov -Paganini -are absolutely riveting. She was so much the complete opposite of any classical pianist, violinist or cellist I’ve ever known, that I was completely glued to the television set, watching the excerpts of her performances.

Although this program seemed to focus on her unusual personality more than the music, I would personally have liked to see more of the performances.

Purists may not appreciate her, particularly if they want pieces to sound the same no matter who plays it.

Exposure to Nadja’s work gave me a new appreciation for the classics. She has some very different music out there - including a tribute to the 40’s, so it’s not limited to the classics only. She offers a unique and unforgettable interpretation, which is hard to forget, and the performances will stay with you just like your first ride on a motorcycle.