Hans Christian Aavik

Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks turned 80 this April. I had the pleasure of meeting him one summer at the Pärnu Music Festival, where he came to speak with me after my concert.
�I remember watching his eyes, and I’m not even kidding - his music started to make so much more sense in that moment. :D
Now, sometimes I find myself thinking of him, his gentle presence, the way he spoke about music with such genuine curiosity and warmth… it actually helps a lot when I come back to his works.

Here is a snippet of his Piano Quartet!

Played with my friends .cello at Kronberg Academy 🥰

This video is from my Mittwochskonzert a year ago at Kronberg Academy !

A pure and almost sacred variation from the Goldberg Variations by Bach, created together with THE magicians Bryan Cheng .cello and Haesue Lee 🥰

You can still watch the full concert on The Violin Channel !

And I’m excited to share that this year’s my Mittwochskonzert will take place already on June 10th at the Bechstein Saal, Kronberg Academy — hope to see you there!

Part IX/IX

“Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky�arr. Jacques Cohen

Movement X — The Great Gate of Kiev

Mussorgsky ends the suite on a truly monumental note, bringing back earlier ideas and transforming them into something grand and radiant!

This was one of the happiest moments for me after leading this project. Every musician gave their all, and I’m so grateful for each and every one of them. 🙏🏼😊

This summer’s programme (for the progamme lovers to read, like me 😄) — Rooted Soundscapes:

Veljo Tormis – It is Late Summer (from Autumn Landscapes), arr. for string orchestra�Tõnu Kõrvits – Night Music (2025)�Jaan Rääts – Concerto for Chamber Orchestra, Op. 16
�Béla Bartók – Divertimento for Strings, Sz. 113

Already sold out, but you can watch it via Pärnu Festival TV.

Pärnu Music Festival 🎻

Part VIII/IX

“Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky
arr. Jacques Cohen

Movement X — The Great Gate of Kiev

Often performed in Ravel’s orchestration, but hearing it in this string version brings out a completely different color and intensity.
Such a good buildup to the final climax… everything coming together towards the end — the coda already in the last video! 😊🔥

Pärnu Music Festival 🎻

This is the ending of Violin Concerto No. 2 by Erkki-Sven Tüür.

Quite technically challenging on the violin — but so worth it in the end!!

Together with .ee and !

Very happy to see my album receive this beautiful review in , featuring Violin Concerto No. 2 by Erkki-Sven Tüür:

“Thereafter Tüür’s angelic fiddler ups the tempo for the closing moments of this majorly imaginative Angel’s Share, which fills the air like the aroma of a prize malt. It’s a pleasure to hear, whether or not you listen while sipping a dram or three.”

I am very grateful for such words!

Part VII/IX

“Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky
arr. Jacques Cohen

Movement X — The Great Gate of Kiev

Inspired by a grand architectural design for a city gate in Kyiv that was never actually built.
And the viola quartet at the end 😍

Pärnu Music Festival 🎻

Part VI/IX

“Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky
arr. Jacques Cohen

Movement X — The Great Gate of Kiev

Such an epic melody… powerful & grand!!!

Pärnu Music Festival 🎻

I’ve recently been performing another incredible Estonian work — the Violin Concerto No. 2 by Erkki-Sven Tüür !

It’s an amazing piece, full of raw energy, rock-inspired rhythms, and striking contrasts, shifting between intensity and moments of extreme stillness and calm. I’m sharing a snippet here from the final movement - always such a thrill to play! The adrenaline levels are usually quite high at this point 😄

A big thank you to the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra .ee and Olari Elts for a wonderful week!

You can listen to the full concerto on ERSO TV, or on my album recorded with the Odense Symphony Orchestra and Gemma New !

Part V/IX

“Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky
arr. Jacques Cohen

Movement VIIIa — Cum mortuis in lingua mortua

The whole world just stands still… and the harmonies… and that deep dissonance.

Pärnu Music Festival 🎻

Part IV/IX

“Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky
arr. Jacques Cohen

Movement IX — The Hut on Fowl’s Legs

One of the best movements, in my opinion — so much fieriness and energy, and incredibly arranged for strings… 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Pärnu Music Festival 🎻