Violin (Joint Assistant Leader)
Adopted by Val Willis, and an anonymous patron
Mihkel Kerem is Joint Assistant Leader First Violin of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Originally from Tallinn (where his father played with the Estonia Opera for 40 years), he moved to London to study at the Royal College of Music with Levon Chilingirian. He has now lived in the UK longer than Estonia!
A particular recent highlight with the Orchestra was a performance of Don Quixote, with cellist Jonathan Aasgaard as soloist.
As well as being a musician, Mihkel is also an award-winning composer, and the Orchestra even gave his piece Divertimento its UK premiere back in 2022. His works – which include eight symphonies, ten string quartets and multiple concertos and sonatas – have been performed all around the world.
When he’s not on stage performing, you’ll find Mihkel conducting or composing – music is his profession and his hobby! He’s always wanted to be a musician, although there was a time when he was young that he wanted to be a bus driver.
Fun Fact:
Mihkel is the face of Big Brother in the 2021 adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984. He also received the LIFA Award for Best Original Score for his work on the film.