Pianist Julien Cohen knows how to turn a public space into an impromptu concert hall. At Paris’s Carrousel du Louvre, Cohen played piano for a sweeping take on Keane’s 2004 classic “Somewhere Only We Know.” Teaming up with vocalist Mickey Callisto and a vibrant children’s choir, he transformed the subterranean shopping concourse into an uplifting stage.
This was far more organized than a spontaneous busking session. Cohen gathered young vocalists from groups including Le Cours Anna, Vocal Kids Savigny, and Mennecy Voices Crew, adding cellist Vlad Câmpean and drummer Martin Pennec to the mix. Cohen explained that the performance took place for Ocean Days, an ocean awareness festival celebrating the documentary The Last Dive. The resulting live ensemble gave Keane’s nostalgic pop ballad an entirely fresh, communal scale.
Cohen and Callisto already share a proven track record of creating musical spectacles. The duo previously made waves across the Paris Latin Quarter with an ambitious, thirty-musician rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Callisto, a Sunderland-born singer who turned heads on Britain’s Got Talent, brought that same theatrical vocal power to the Louvre complex. Rather than overpowering the arrangement, his soaring delivery anchored the piece and gave the young choir plenty of space to shine.
Their chemistry works because both artists know how to bridge classical craft and accessible pop drama. Cohen boasts serious credentials, having studied mathematics at Cambridge and trained at elite European music academies, and is known for playing pianos in public train stations. Callisto, who names Queen, Pink Floyd, and Tame Impala among his musical touchstones, frequently builds his own songs from basic piano chords. The arrangement brought together piano, cello, drums, Callisto’s lead vocal and the children’s harmonies and played directly to their combined strengths. Julien Cohen shared the full video of their elaborate Paris street performance of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” featuring Mickey Callisto on lead vocals alongside an ensemble of thirty musicians and singers.
The response online was immediate, with the upload gathering over 130,000 views within days. Listeners especially appreciated how thoughtfully the performers interacted. One fan noted that Callisto was “so respectful of the children,” while another praised his “outstanding voice and all the children harmonizing in the background.” The collaboration resonated because it treated the young singers as essential musical partners rather than a charming novelty.
Cohen and Callisto also launched the track as an official release across digital platforms. Moving outside traditional concert halls and taking over public thoroughfares has become Cohen’s signature, and pairing Keane’s poignant melody with an enthusiastic young ensemble made the Paris concourse feel remarkably warm. It proved once again that an inventive arrangement and the right collaborators can make a two-decade-old radio staple feel brand new.