Esther Yoo gave the world premiere of Raymond Yiu’s Violin Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and conductor Clemens Schuldt on March 20, 2024 at Barbican Hall. Written specially for the American-born Korean violinist, the 37-minute work explores themes of identity, displacement and homesickness whilst reflecting on the eternal plight of all those forced into exile.

Yiu’s first concerto for violin was a co-commission with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic and Seattle Symphony. He describes the work as “a meditation on the turbulent history of China in the 20th Century, and the place of Chinese musicians in the realm of western classical music.”

The highly-anticipated performance was a huge success, with Bachtrack noting “The opening was magical, with the soloist trilling and the orchestra gradually weaving a texture around it. From the start, Esther Yoo was able to present both delicacy of tone and a cutting edge.”

In another rave from The Times: “Beginning unobtrusively with the quietest of trills gifted Yoo rarely had time off, and carried the soulful slow movement, elaborated from authentic Chinese material, all by herself.”

This new work combines diverse musical styles with the customary richness of Yiu’s orchestral writing and Yoo’s interpretation highlights the connection between composer and artist.