Esther Abrami Announces New Album Cinéma Out On Sony Classical on September 22, 2023
Esther Abrami Announces New Album
Cinéma
Out on Sony Classical on September 23, 2023
Featuring Unique Versions of Abrami’s Favorite Soundtracks
Internationally acclaimed violinist and social media sensation Esther Abrami announces the release of her new album, Cinéma, set for release on September 22, 2023 on Sony Classical and available for preorder here.
With a captivating collection of lush new arrangements for violin and orchestra of film and TV scores, classical music from the movies, anime hits and new compositions by Oscar-winning composers, Cinéma showcases Esther Abrami’s versatility, musical sensitivity and technical mastery. She carefully curated each piece on the album, noting: “I am so thrilled about my new album. I wanted to curate a diverse collection that reflects my classical background, my French and Jewish heritage, my support of women in music, the films & anime that moved me the most and to offer a rich tapestry of music that spans genres, cultures & generations. I often reflect on the similarities between film music & classical music – the intricacy of the orchestral arrangements, the emotional depth, and the timeless beauty of both – and I hope that listeners will fall for the music of ‘Cinéma’ just as I have.”
Cinéma features unique new arrangements of blockbuster hits such as Naruto, Demon Slayer, The Witcher and The Hunger Games alongside iconic French music such as Amélie and Les Choristes as well as beloved classics by Pjotr Tchaikovsky, Dmitri Shostakovich and Astor Piazzolla. The album also includes two world premiere recordings by OSCAR-winning composers Anne Dudley and Rachel Portman. Anne Dudley wrote her new work especially for Esther Abrami and Rachel Portman has reworked her music for The Little Prince with Esther in mind. Esther Abrami came to the violin through her grandmother, has Jewish roots and since childhood already established a particularly emotional connection to the movies Life is Beautiful and The Diary of Anne Frank, hence their inclusion on Cinéma. Another particularly emotional piece on the album is a new arrangement of the protagonist's theme “Zeyn” from the Lebanese social drama Capernaum. The Oscar-nominated movie from 2018 is about the survival of a young boy in the slums of Beirut. Composer and film producer Khaled Mouzanar wrote this new arrangement especially for Esther Abrami.
Esther Abrami has been working closely with a variety of arrangers to create her own, unique arrangements for Cinéma. With stunning clarity, virtuosity, and expression, she brings this range of repertoire to life with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Ben Palmer. For two of the pieces on the album, however, Esther Abrami chose a very different type of instrumentation. In one – “Comptine d'un autre été, l'après-midi” from Amélie, originally written for piano - Esther incorporated a loop station and thus accompanies herself on the violin. In another, young guitarist Marcin features as her duet partner in “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla from Le Pont du Nord.
For the recording of Cinéma, Esther Abrami chose the legendary Smecky Studios in Prague, one of the busiest soundtracks recording studios in the world. In its 80-year history, many famous composers have recorded soundtracks there, including Rachel Portman, Daniel Pemberton, Philip Glass, Howard Shore, Alexandre Desplat, Bear McCreary, Johann Johannsson, and Brian Tyler.
CINÉMA Tracklist:
Toshio Masuda: Naruto: Alone Theme
Dmitri Shostakovich: The Gadfly, Op. 97: III. Youth (Romance)
Michael Nyman: If (From "The Diary of Anne Frank")
Anne Dudley: Chasing Rainbows
Composer Go Shiina: Demon Slayer: Kamado Tanjirou no Uta
Sonya Belousova / Giona Ostinelli: The Witcher: Toss A Coin To Your Witcher
Bruno Coulais: Vois sur ton chemin (From "Les Choristes")
James Newton Howard: The Hanging Tree (From "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1")
Astor Piazzolla: Libertango feat. Marcin
Shigeru Umebayashi: Yumeji's Theme (From "In the Mood for Love")
Rachel Portman: The Little Prince Orchestral Suite
Khaled Mouzanar: Zeyn (From "Capharnaüm")
Yann Tiersen: Comptine d'un autre été, l'après-midi (From "Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain" / “AMÉLIE”)
Nicola Piovani: Buongiorno Principessa (From "La vita è bella")
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Valse sentimentale, Op. 51, No. 6
ESTHER ABRAMI
Esther Abrami is much more than a musician: she's an inspiration to a new generation of music enthusiasts. Through her large social media platform, Esther shares her passion for music, performance and practice sessions and shares behind-the-scenes glimpses into her life as a musician with an ever-growing community worldwide. With her dazzling talent, infectious personality and boundless enthusiasm for music-making, Esther Abrami is a rising star and her new album Cinéma is not to be missed.
The 26-year-old violinist studied at the Royal College of Music and completed her master's degree at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, for which she received a full scholarship. In 2019, she became the first classical musician ever to win the ‘Social Media Superstar’ category at the Global Awards and in 2021 she was featured in Classic FM's ‘30 under 30 Classical Artists to Watch’ series, curated by Julian Lloyd Webber and was listed as a “Rising Star” by BBC Music Magazine. In the UK, Esther Abrami is considered one of the most promising young classical artists of her generation and has been appointed Creative Partner and Artist in Residence by the English Symphony Orchestra. With her debut album Esther Abrami (2022) and an EP dedicated to women composers recorded with ‘Her Ensemble’, a free-form group that seeks to address the gender gap and gender stereotypes in the music industry, Esther has become an artist who achieves wide attention outside the classical sphere. In her podcast “Woman in Classical,” Esther Abrami regularly interviews outstanding women musicians and composers from the world of classical music with the hope of inspiring young people to pursue a career in music.
Esther Abrami plays a violin by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, kindly provided by Beare's International Violin Society.
Sony Music Masterworks comprises Masterworks, Sony Classical, Milan Records, XXIM Records and Masterworks Broadway imprints. For email updates and information please visit www.sonymusicmasterworks.com/.
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