CONCERT violinist Nicola Benedetti has called for pupils to be exposed to the works of the great classical music composers at school.

"Just like children would read Great Expectations, they should absolutely listen to classical music," she said.

"The kind of skill and soul and ability to create a symphony like Beethoven did - it's a phenomenon. It's something that children should be exposed to.

"Listening to masterpiece compositions through history, by Bach or Beethoven or even just ­playing 10 minutes of a symphony after explaining who wrote it and what the world was like at the time. That would count as music education to me."

Benedetti also said learning a musical instrument was particularly valuable in the current environment where so much focus was on instant gratification.

"I think there is a desperate need for some kind of counterbalance to that kind of culture," she said.

"I can't describe the level of satisfaction you get from working your way through the development of a skill."

Benedetti, 27, first came to prominence when she won the BBC Young Musician of the Year aged 16, and was speaking before performing with primary pupils during a live lesson to be streamed on the website of the Times Educational Supplement.