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For the Record, Op. 372: Midori, Pekka Kuusisto, Daniel Lozakovich

March 7, 2026, 5:27 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.

Schumann Violin Concerto
Midori, violin
Festival Strings Lucerne, Daniel Dodds conducting
Özgur Aydin, piano

At the center of the album is Robert Schumann’s Violin Concerto in D Minor, composed in 1853 but withheld from publication for more than 80 years after Clara Schumann and Joseph Joachim questioned its place within his legacy. Long clouded by its troubled history and a problematic 1937 premiere, the concerto has only recently gained recognition as a powerful and distinctive late work. The program also includes Robert Schumann’s Five Pieces in Folk Style, Op. 102, and Three Romances, Op. 94, alongside Clara Schumann’s Five Romances, Op. 22, dedicated to Joachim and now fully restored to the repertoire after decades of neglect. "In preparing this album, I sought not only to honor the historical and musical context of these works, but also to share with listeners the deeply human aspects of Schumann’s late music: the intimacy, the struggle, and the moments of fragile hope," Midori said. BELOW: From Robert Schumann's Five Pieces in Folk Style, Op. 102: I. Mit Humor.

Willows
Pekka Kuusisto, violin
Sam Amidon, vocalist
Norwegian Chamber Orchestra

Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto reimagines "The Lark Ascending," recording it during a period marked by profound personal loss. Alongside is Ellen Reid’s Desiderium for solo violin, "inspired by family: the warmth of the highs, the anguish of the lows, the whole world.” The piece is dedicated to Pekka’s brother, Jaakko Kuusisto, who passed away in 2022. The album also stars American folk singer Sam Amidon, whose songs have been arranged for ensemble by Nico Muhly. "The Willows album, to me, is an embrace, a comfortable silence and a knowing look between friends," Kuusisto said. "A large part of the process of making the album revolved around grief, both personal and global." BELOW: Ralph Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending."

Lost to the World
Daniel Lozakovich, violin
Hélène Mercier, piano

Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich reflects on childhood and the redeeming power of music. His program places several great late-Romantic works – Fauré’s Après un rêve, Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise, Tchaikovsky’s D minor Nocturne, and Mahler’s Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen among them – alongside French chanson arrangements, including La chanson d’Hélène, Autumn Leaves, and Youkali. Lozakovich recorded the album – his second since signing with Warner Classics in 2024 - with pianist Hélène Mercier, his collaborative partner for more than ten years. BELOW: "Après un rêv" by Gabriel Fauré.

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.

You might also like:

• For the Record, Op. 371: Alena Baeva, Isabelle Faust, Turtle Island Quartet, Alberto Bologni, Anzû Quartet
• For the Record, Op. 370: Leila Schayegh, Esther Yoo, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Maiani da Silva
• For the Record, Op. 369: Neave Trio; PatKop; Leonkoro Quartet; Tamsin Waley-Cohen

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