The internationally-successful musician Esther Abrami uses social media to bring classical music to a younger audience. The Frenchwoman posts videos about her day-to-day life as a violinist and it's catching on.
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00:00 (violin music)
00:02 Are TikTok and classical music a good fit?
00:06 Esta Abrami says they go together like a hand in glove.
00:11 The violinist is becoming a classical music sensation
00:14 on social media.
00:16 She's got 418,000 followers on TikTok alone.
00:19 - My name is Esta Abrami.
00:23 I'm a classical violinist.
00:24 And what I love about classical music
00:27 is the fact that it can make you feel very deep emotions.
00:31 (violin music)
00:33 - Whether in the concert hall or at home,
00:39 Esta's fans follow her daily musical routine
00:42 up close and personal on social media.
00:44 Her mobile is always close at hand,
00:51 even when she's practicing at home.
00:53 - Three, two, one.
00:55 (violin music)
00:56 - One, two, three, four.
00:57 I use it really just as a platform,
00:59 as a way in order to make classical music more accessible.
01:03 And it's also a great way to have a community,
01:06 to build a community of people
01:07 who have nothing to do with classical music
01:09 and who have kind of their first,
01:12 sometimes their first access to classical music.
01:15 - Abrami was born in France,
01:17 but we meet her at her chosen home in Manchester.
01:20 At age 14, Esta started at Chetham School of Music.
01:24 At first, she couldn't really speak English.
01:26 Even back then,
01:27 she knew she wanted to be a professional violinist.
01:30 (violin music)
01:34 - Never a plan B.
01:37 I don't know.
01:37 I wanted that.
01:40 I think I only thought of,
01:43 oh, I didn't think of a plan B when I was 18
01:46 and all my friends around me,
01:48 that's the moment when you question yourself
01:49 what you want to do.
01:50 But I knew since like I was 10 years old
01:53 what I wanted to do,
01:54 so I never really questioned myself,
01:56 which is a bit scary actually.
01:57 - It's a reunion.
02:00 John Middleton was Esta Abrami's piano teacher.
02:04 Mastering just one instrument wasn't enough for her.
02:06 He was one of Esta's favorite teachers.
02:09 Esta brought her third album along for today's visit.
02:12 It's only been eight years since she left school.
02:14 - Very, very proud.
02:21 Whether that's the right emotion, I don't care,
02:24 because I just feel really, really proud to have taught her
02:27 to have something, some little input.
02:29 And I always believe it's a little input
02:33 that makes a big difference.
02:35 - And of course, this trip back to Abrami's own past
02:40 is being recorded for fans on social media.
02:43 But her real passion is music,
02:50 and to get where she wants to be with it,
02:51 she has to practice, practice, and practice some more.
02:55 Esta shares this part of her day online too.
03:05 - I have, for example, on YouTube as well,
03:08 watch me practice videos.
03:09 So people literally, I open the camera
03:11 and they come into my world of practice.
03:14 Again, it's something that hardly anyone does
03:19 because it is uncomfortable.
03:20 You do have to have to be really confident
03:23 in order to show something that is not perfect.
03:26 - The hard work pays off.
03:31 Esta's concerts are well-received all across Europe,
03:34 and new appearances have been scheduled soon
03:36 in conjunction with her new album.
03:38 She'll be playing in venues in Britain,
03:41 France, and Switzerland.
03:43 - A lot of the time, I have people coming to me
03:47 at the end of the concert saying,
03:48 "This was my first classical concert,
03:50 and this feels really nice."
03:53 It's always so nice, I think,
03:54 when you actually get to meet people.
03:56 And also, they tell you,
03:58 "Oh, I've been following you for that many years,
04:01 and I've seen you grow."
04:02 And that's really nice.
04:04 That's what you want, right?
04:05 To have a, I don't know, that's what I love about it.
04:07 - Esta Abrami brings two worlds together
04:11 that rarely overlap.
04:14 And with that, she's opening up new horizons
04:17 to her friends on social media.