Esther Abrami: Classical violinist channels Demon Slayer, Naruto, The Witcher and geeky hits

Oddly, it’s good that Royal Albert Hall-level violists might be associated with anime and geeky series like The Witcher.

It’s good because it means geeks like me can go beyond celebrating the exceptions or novelty and start curating favourites from talented musicians. Esther Abrami is one such talent.

Abrami was the first classical musician to win the ‘Social Media Superstar’ category at the Global Awards. The violinist studied at the Royal College of Music and completed her master’s degree at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, there with the assistance of a full scholarship.

In 2019, Esther was the first classical musician to win the ‘Social Media Superstar’ category at the Global Awards. Later, 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.

Sony Classical signed Esther in 2021, made her Royal Albert Hall debut in 2022, and has been appointed Creative Partner and Artist in Residence by the English Symphony Orchestra.

The new album, Cinéma, is out on the 22nd of September 2023 on Sony Classical.

The album features a range of music, many quintessentially geeky, such as the Alone Theme composed by Toshio Masuda from Naruto.

Esther told the press;

There are so many great anime movies but ‘Naruto’ is undoubtedly one of the greatest ever and I simply adore the ‘Alone Theme’. In my version, I bring the iconic melody of the theme, originally recorded with synthesizers, into the sound-world of a grand philharmonic orchestra. I am so excited to finally share my recording with everyone!”

Other covers and arrangements include music from The Hunger Games, Demon Slayer and The Witcher and more classically familiar titles such as Amélie’ and ‘Les Choristes’ as well as beloved classics by Pjotr Tchaikovsky, Dmitri Shostakovich and Astor Piazzolla.

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.”

I found The Hanging Tree from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay to be particularly moving and The Little Prince uplifting.

In fact, Rachel Portman, the OSCAR-winning composer, reworked The Little Prince with Esther in mind.

Esther Abrami debuted in 2022, and an EP dedicated to women composers recorded with ‘Her Ensemble’, a group that seeks to raise awareness of the gender gap and gender stereotypes in the music industry.