Solitude: Joo Yeon Sir
Joo Yeon Sir Violin

Joo Yeon Sir writes in the booklet to her solo recital album ‘Solitude’, ‘Solitude was the state I found myself in along with the rest of the world in 2020. Concerts were suddenly postponed…and I was left eerily by myself at home’. When, the following year, and the time had come to record the album, Lockdown was reinstated.

Joo Yeon used this period of self-reflection, to discover new works for solo violin, and to re-visit solo repertoire that were firm favourites. Walking through strangely empty streets to the first recording session with her violin was a combination of raw emotion and loneliness, together with the familiarity of going to work with her instrument. The experience of playing became far more intense. Solitude is a musical time capsule of an artist alone, overcoming the shock of being deprived of audiences, the company of fellow musicians and finding solace in the music for solo violin.