Franco-Belgian cellist Camille Thomas has released a new recording of the traditional Persian song Chera Rafti (“Why Did You Leave?”), collaborating with Persian-Canadian countertenor Cameron Shahbazi and French pianist Aurélien Froissart. The project brings together rising international talent to create a moving interpretation of a Persian classic.
The song’s lyrics reflect themes of absence, longing, and emotional connection, capturing the deep feelings that arise when someone is no longer present. The recording is accompanied by a video that emphasizes the work’s expressive and cultural significance, inviting listeners to reflect on the universal experience of loss and remembrance. Thomas shared the release on social media, highlighting music as a form of care and a source of comfort, healing, and reflection during challenging moments.
Thomas, a graduate of Berlin’s Hanns Eisler Hochschule für Musik and the Franz Liszt Hochschule für Musik in Weimar, has studied with renowned mentors including Stephan Forck, Frans Helmerson, and Wolfgang-Emanuel Schmidt. She signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon in 2017, and her second album, Voice of Hope, featured Fazil Say’s Never Give Up, a cello concerto composed specifically for her.
Throughout her career, Thomas has performed with leading ensembles such as the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Sinfonia Varsovia, and Brussels Philharmonic, collaborating with world-class conductors including Paavo Järvi, Kent Nagano, and Stéphane Denève. With Chera Rafti, Thomas combines technical mastery with emotional expression, using music to bridge cultures and connect audiences worldwide. The release underscores her belief in the power of music to communicate universal feelings, offering both beauty and solace to listeners everywhere.