Violinist Esther Yoo has returned with "Love Symposium," an album featuring works centered on the theme of love. This is her fourth album released through Deutsche Grammophon.
In a recent written interview with Seoul Economic Daily, she said, "I wanted to create a sonic world where listeners can fully experience the broad spectrum of love. I hope this album evokes memories of various forms of love."
She added, "I hope audiences discover the most personal and intimate layers of love."
The album, recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, includes not only violin concertos such as Bernstein's "Serenade after Plato's Symposium," but also a chamber music arrangement of the Adagietto from Mahler's Symphony No. 5 and "Never Enough" from the film "The Greatest Showman."
"As a classical musician, this was a project where I pushed myself to the limit and took risks," Yoo said. "But the tracks hold deeply personal meaning—they carry memories I've treasured."
Speaking about Bernstein's "Serenade," the work she considers most significant on the album, she explained: "Each movement encompasses everything from idealized visions of love to physical harmony, purity, and even its darker aspects. If Plato's 'Symposium' is a discussion and analysis of love, Bernstein's 'Serenade' makes you feel love with your whole being."
On her choice to include film music, she said, "I'm always drawn to great music regardless of genre. Film music enriches narrative, which makes it immediate and instinctive."
Why did she choose love as the album's theme? "Because love and music are borderless languages that unite everyone across time," she said. "Just as there's no single answer to love, there's no single way to express it through music. I wanted to freely convey music's universal message."
Yoo began playing violin at age four and gained recognition at 12 by winning the junior division of the Wieniawski Competition. She went on to place third at the Sibelius Competition in 2010 and fourth at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2012. In 2018, she served as artist-in-residence with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Last year, she made headlines as the first person of Korean descent appointed as a professor at the Royal College of Music in the UK.
"It's truly thrilling when a student plays free from conventional constraints," she said. "Teaching keeps me curious and helps me shed old habits."
She added, "I always remind young musicians not to forget why they make music. Technique is just a tool. The question of 'why' is the fuel that keeps a musician going."
Yoo will perform Bernstein's "Serenade" with the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Adrien Perruchon in Korea this April. She will also participate in the Symphony Festival at the Seoul Arts Center, followed by tours with the Philharmonia Orchestra led by Marin Alsop and performances with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
