“The highly virtuosic Sophia Violin Concerto is a poignant musical portrait of a fragile and intense human life. A story from diagnosis to farewell, a journey filled with tension, hope, despair, sorrow, and tender intimacy. As a musician, this piece moves me deeply, but as a human being, even more so. It is music that touches the very essence of what it means to be human.” – Lisa Jacobs
“Lisa Jacobs is among the absolute world-class of her generation. Her soulful playing and exceptional finesse made her the ideal soloist to bring this work to its full brilliance.” – Dirk Brossé.
The Sophia Violin Concerto was commissioned by the Sophia Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam on the occasion of Rotterdam being named Cultural Capital of Europe in 2001. It premiered at De Doelen in Rotterdam with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of the composer. Twenty-five years later, the work is being recorded for the first time by leading Dutch violinist Lisa Jacobs and the Brussels Philharmonic.
“The Sophia Violin Concerto is about life inside the Sophia Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam. I drew my inspiration from the beautiful Manon, eighteen springs young and a terminal cancer patient. During my time at the hospital, I spent hours talking with Manon, about her illness, her future, her dreams, and her final wishes. The concerto is a musical translation of her young life story. The violin represents all the emotions surrounding Manon; the orchestra symbolizes the outside world. The seven movements each portray an episode from her short life, with all its ups and downs. Manon passed away two weeks after the premiere. Her death was not without meaning, doctors learned from her case, and that knowledge may now help save other lives.”