Violinist raises £12k for disadvantaged children

A teenage violinist has raised £12,000 for disadvantaged children across the world, and has no plans to stop.

Anthony Knight, from Minehead, recently completed his challenge of playing his beloved violin in 12 countries over 12 months to raise money for Unicef.

During his travels, which spanned approximately 13,500 miles (21,700 km), Mr Knight, 18, played in European cities including Vienna, Riga, Paris, and Bern.

He has set a new target of £20,000, which he hopes to hit by playing in 20 cathedrals across Europe next year.

Mr Knight had previously raised money for Ukraine Appeal by playing the violin in churches across Somerset.

After deciding to do something on a more global scale, he began visiting cities across Europe in August 2023, fitting in his A-level studies by travelling in the school holidays.

His tour of hotels and public places took him to Berlin, Paris, Venice, Riga, Vilnius, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg, and Bern.

Vienna was a particularly special place for Mr Knight to visit.

"Two of my favourite composers of all time - Beethoven and Mozart - were buried there," he said.

"They spent a lot of time there as well, so to walk in their footsteps was inspiring."

Mr Knight, who started learning the violin when he was six to play 'Happy Birthday' to his grandmother, played in the lobbies of "posh" hotels, with one in Berlin even turning off a fountain so guests could hear him play.

"The hospitality of all the people we've met in all these hotels it's what's been inspiring for me and motivational," he said.

Mr Knight's parents, Paul and Solveiga, travelled through Europe with him, with his mum becoming "emotional" whenever he plays.

"How he conveys his emotions through his pieces... When I see other people being touched that makes me emotional as well," Mrs Knight said.

"I'm always emotional actually, when he puts in a lot of work and emotions and that comes across when he performs."

Mr Knight's decision to play at cathedrals next year was inspired by playing at Bern Minster in Switzerland, and experiencing the acoustics.

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.