With the English violinist’s new recording about to be released, she chats about the intellectual challenges of Bach.

What made you fall in love with the violin?

I grew up in a musical family, so there was always music around. Both my parents sang a lot. My father was a choral scholar at King’s, Cambridge as a boy and then later as a tenor while my mother grew up playing instruments and singing. They formed a choir so there were often rehearsals at home. One day we were watching Blue Peter – a UK children’s show – and these kids were playing the violin. They were Japanese and learning the Suzuki method, walking around playing the Bach Double. I was three and I was glued to the telly. I said, “Mummy, I want to do that,” and I wouldn’t let it go. Finally, after I had nagged for about two years, I got a violin. My older brother got one as well. We started with Suzuki and that got me completely hooked. I just loved the sound of it.

Was your musical education pretty normal?

I think it was unusual. I think most string players grow up learning the string repertoire...