The Atlanta Journal
'Pop' album release set for teen violinist

Since her auspicious 1995 pop/classical debut album, ''The Violin Player, '' Vanessa-Mae has been declared one of the ''50 Most Beautiful People in the World'' by People magazine, performed on the title track of Janet Jackson's ''The Velvet Rope'' album, and toured with Tina Turner and Rod Stewart. Now, with the planned May 19 release of her Virgin Records debut, ''Storm,'' the 19-year-old classically trained violinist seems poised to take her self-described ''techno/acoustic fusion'' music to the next level.
 
''I call it a 'pop' album because it's contemporary music played on violin,'' says the London-based, Singapore-born musician, whose full name is Vanessa-Mae Vanakom Nicholson. The album offers covers of pop hits, such as Focus' ''Hocus Pocus'' and Donna Summer's ''I Feel Love.'' Included, too, are originals co-written by her and producer Andy Hill.