A violinist influencer with quarter of a million followers
NewsThe French violinist Esther Abrami, a student of Wen Zhou Li in Manchester and Birmingham, is one of the fastest growing classical influencers on Instagram and Tiktok.
She works hard on the optics, and the rest follows.
Her website describes her as a ‘brand ambassador’.
She plays a Vuiillaume, on loan from Beare’s.
I do like the cats. I could manage without the violin schmalz
I enjoyed hearing her improvisation to the Satie.
How many classical violinists actually can improvise?
Plenty of them can, and she is not doing so! The arrangement played here is by Svetoslav Karparov, as is stated in the notes on the video.
I really wonder whether Richter or Heifetz would have been, in our times, “growing classical influencers on Instagram and Tiktok”… But hey, didn’t our world desperately need another dreadful arrangement on this overplayed Gymnopédie?
Heifetz would be kicked off the platform being accused of cheating. No person could be this good.
The lady may be a perfectly fine violinist for all I know but why, when I hear the word “influencer”, do I want to take to the hills?
Too often “influencer” seems to mean “narcissist.”
If you are a proprietor of a business, “influencer” is a free-loader. Effluencers would be a more appropriate usage for these annoying people.
It does require quite a bit of camera work to create a video like this, plus creative thinking about how to set up the scene, time of day with lighting, clothes, and of course she added an improvisation which many classical musicians are not comfortable doing.
As Norman said, she has worked on the optics. No one here is denying that. She’s not improvising, however; this is an arrangement by someone else. The playing is nothing special.
For a better example of what a serious musician can do with Satie’s music, here’s Daniel Hope, someone I’m pretty sure built his career on actually being able to play. https://youtu.be/D_8tCNvpwXY
Great, another “influencer”… Too bad so many people are literally addicted to their vacuous, a-social, social media accounts that they can’t have a REAL life. Pathetic…
As much as I like cat vids, I won’t be becoming a “follower” whatever that is.
Learn La Campanella and try again.
She has worked hard on the optics, the rest seems to be following far behind. Reading the comments on her postings, it is clear what drives her subscriber counts.
Big ego. What about artistry?
Don’t hear much.
When I read the word “influencer” my first reaction is stop reading. But I usually go on to check what kind of stupidity it is about. The “influencer” always ends up in a kind of mental blacklist. However, it is unfortunately easy to forget the name of some non-entities.
I want to be an influencer too:
Sneakers? (Brisk morning walk)
Sunglasses? (Looking cool in cafe)
After shave? (Patting cheeks)
Expensive watch? (Is that the time?)
Large companies with lots of money — please contact me via Slipped Disc.
Esther Abrami is truly amazing. A class act. Extreme beauty, a glowing personality, and a spectacular talent!
Pity Beare’s didn’t find a more deserving candidate for the loan of their Vuillaume. The arrangement is very easy, which puts her poor technique on full display. She seems uncomfortable with her setup. Perhaps her teacher could ask her to focus on her bow changes and developing a more relaxed left hand, which would help her shifts and her vibrato. Of course, to be a really excellent musician takes a dedication to the craft, not just an ability to record Muzak with visuals.
Check out her YouTube video “My Violin Practice Routine.” Skip to 14:12 (tenths), and see if you can do it, too.
Yes, I can play tenths. And I’d rather go practice than waste time watching a beginner.
You take the time to slam a player who can shift and vibrato quite well. You should post your own video to show how it should be done. I’ll wait.
Go practise instead of commenting on this then!
No, I cannot play tenths ( only three years violin, as second instrument for diploma), so I’m not watching hers !
The problem is not being an influencer, but those who are influenced…
This comment section stinks of jealousy. How about we just be happy for her success? Don’t we want to see more people take an interest in the violin?
Many of the people taking an interest in her videos are there for something else, and would not hit the subscribe button if their eyes were closed. If she had average person looks, her numbers would be much, much lower.
No, we don’t want to see more people take an interest in the violin. Already too many, and not enough jobs, which explains why this lady is concentrating her efforts on her online image instead on her profession. And after reading the comments on her postings, I’d say those followers aren’t exactly burning with desire to _take up_ the violin. They aren’t even burning with desire to _hear_ the violin.
Improvising? Only a couple of worked out ad libs. And she appears to be miming to her previously studio recorded performance; no microphones or piano in sight and hall-like ambience. Can’t quite see the point. Oh, silly me, I forgot, she’s an influencer!
Reading some of the comments is making me laugh! So much unpleasantness, bitterness and jealousy. Most probably written by a bunch of sad miserable has-beens with no careers. I wonder if the above commentators are very accomplished artists with Heifetz/Oistrakh like artistry and international respect…. I highly doubt it.
I must admit, I went straight to the comments. I love how stuff like this drives all the cranky old reactionaries on this site around the bend.
It is very obvious that Mr Lebrecht only posted this ‘article’ to create some sort of reaction to drive traffic to this ‘news site’. It worked!! I’m here unfortunately observing – with fascinatinion – the strange human need to be nasty to others.
Anyway… Reading the cranky comments I can’t help but notice so much jealousy. Sour grapes is my bet.
In all fairness, she plays well, albeit indistinctively. I don’t hear any schmaltz, quite the opposite. And I doubt there is any improvisation, though I may be wrong.
She is good, but does not influence me.
Muti?
Does “optics” mean she has worked hard on her make up or the poses she adopts. Who writes this stuff for her? Get rid of them.
Could she do a tour with Astanova?
I would like to listen to her in some more serious stuff, so that we can really make an opinion.