Origins – Coco Tomita (violin)

“Winner of the Strings Final of the BBC Young Musician in 2020, Coco Tomita’s stunning debut album features a varied programme, including works by Enescu, Poulenc, Boulanger, Hubay, Ravel and Debussy. The choice of repertoire for her debut recording was entirely Tomita’s own: ‘Having complete freedom over what I wanted to share with the world was amazing, and put simply, I love all the pieces I’ve chosen deeply. They’ve resonated with me over the years, and I found really interesting connections between every piece and composer. The programme also relates to key figures of the 20th century, especially female violinists I hugely respect.’ Those violinists include Ginette Neveu, the driving force behind Poulenc’s Violin Sonata, and Jelly d’Aranyi – taught by Jenő Hubay, whose Carmen is one of the pieces on the album that Tomita played to such acclaim during the BBC Young Musician. She is particularly fascinated by the Poulenc and Ravel Sonatas, which are at the heart of the album: ‘there’s just so much to explore and express.'”