For the Record, Op. 363: Lili Haydn, Mateusz Smoczynski, Nikki Chooi

December 13, 2025, 9:56 PM · Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening! Click on the highlighted links to obtain each album or learn more about the artists.

Violinist Lili Haydn.

Lullabies for the Brokenhearted
Lili Haydn, violin
Paul Cantelon, piano

"When my mom was on her deathbed, I heard a melody, and I got my violin out and played it for her as she passed. I called it 'The Last Serenade,' and I believe these were the intervals she gave me to call in spirit, and I've since played it for seven people as they've left this world," said violinist . "So when my dearest friend and brilliant composer pianist Paul Cantelon lost his wife, the legendary singer Angela McCluskey last year, I knew we had to make something together. I invited him into our house for 10 days, and we created Lullabies for the Brokenhearted - eight pieces composed and played straight from the heart, with influences ranging from Chopin to Arvo Part, at once reverent, longing, and life-affirming." This album has been nominated for a 2026 Grammy Award in the category of Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance. BELOW: "The Entwined" by Lili Haydn.

Fallen Angel
Mateusz Smoczynski, violinist and composer
Dominik Wania, piano
Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw, Michal Klauza conducting

Violinist Mateusz Smoczynski is a former member of the legendary Turtle Island Quartet who has collaborated with musicians ranging from Branford Marsalis to Paquito D’Rivera. Smoczynski's "Fallen Angel " was written as a tribute to the late Janusz Olejniczak, the pianist whose hands brought Chopin to life in Roman Polanski's The Pianist) The recording features Mateusz alongside Dominik Wania, one of Poland's most celebrated pianists, with the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw under conductor Michal Klauza. It unfolds across eight contrasting movements. BELOW: Fallen Angel: I. The Fall

A Hero’s Life
Nikki Chooi, violin
Buffalo Philharmonic, JoAnn Falletta conducting

A Hero’s Life brings together two powerful works spotlighting the expressive range of the violin, featuring the world-premiere recording of Behzad Ranjbaran’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra alongside Richard Strauss’ monumental Ein Heldenleben. Recorded live at Kleinhans Music Hall in Spring 2025, this album showcases Concertmaster Nikki Chooi, whose performances illuminate both the ancient Persian colors woven into Ranjbaran’s concerto and the sweeping narrative of Strauss’ late-Romantic tone poem.

If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.

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For the Record, Op. 363: Lili Haydn, Mateusz Smoczynski, Nikki Chooi

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