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German cellist Constantin Heise is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Weimar under the tutelage of Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt. He reached the Semifinals at the Queen Elisabeth Competition (2022) and has graced the stages of international festivals such as the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and the Beethovenfest Bonn. As a soloist, Constantin has collaborated with esteemed orchestras including the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt, Jenaer Philharmonie, and the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie. In 2023, he made his orchestral debut with the Berliner Philharmonic. Constantin plays a cello crafted by Dietmar Rexhausen in 2022.
South African cellist Abel Selaocoe is redefining the parameters of the cello. He moves seamlessly across a plethora of genres and styles, from collaborations with world musicians and beatboxers, to concerto performances and solo classical recitals. Abel combines virtuosic performance with improvisation, singing and body percussion, and has a special interest in curating recital programmes that highlight the links between Western and non-Western musical traditions, with view to helping classical music reach a more diverse audience.
In 2016, Abel formed Chesaba – a trio specializing in music from the African continent, including many of his own compositions. He enjoys close collaborations with musicians from a medley of genres, including Bernhard Schimpelsberger, Tim Garland, Seckou Keita, Giovanni Sollima, Famoudou Don Moye and Gwilym Simcock. He has a close partnership with Manchester Collective, with whom he devised the hugely successful Sirocco programme which has been enjoyed both live and digitally by audiences since 2019. In 2020/21, Abel performed at Kings Place, Norfolk & Norwich and Ryedale Festivals, and performed with ensembles including BBC Concert Orchestra at the EFG London Jazz Festival, Manchester Collective and Britten Sinfonia.
Abel made his solo BBC Proms debut in August 2021, curating a programme with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Chesaba and Gnawa Ensemble. Other highlights of the 2021/22 season include a tour with Manchester Collective and Chesaba of their new collaboration, The Oracle; debuts with St Paul Chamber Orchestra and at Stanford Live; and performances both solo and with Chesaba throughout the UK and Europe.
Abel Selaocoe is an exclusive recording artist with Warner Classics and his debut album Where is Home? (Hae Ke Kae) on the subject of home and refuge will be released on Friday 23 September 2022.
Abel completed his International Artist Diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music in July 2018. Alongside his numerous awards and recognition throughout the industry, in May 2021, Abel was announced as an inaugural Power Up Music Creator participant in PRS Foundation’s new initiative to address anti-Black racism and racial disparities in the music sector.
Jian Wang began to study the cello with his father when he was four. While a student at the Shanghai Conservatoire, he was featured in the celebrated documentary film From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China. In 1981, at 12 years old, Jian made his professional debut playing the Saint Saens cello concerto with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra at the Shanghai Music Hall. In 1985, with Mr Stern’s encouragement, he entered the Yale School of Music under a special programme where he studied with the renowned cellist Aldo Parisot.
As a soloist, Jian Wang has performed with many of the worlds leading orchestras, including Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw orchestra, New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, Chicago, Boston and Detroit Symphonies, , London Symphony, the Halle, the BBC orchestras, Zurich Tonhalle, Gothenburg Symphony, Stockholm Philharmonic, Santa Cecilia, La Scala, Mahler Chamber, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de Paris, Czech Philhamonic, and NHK Symphony. These concerts have been with many of the greatest conductors, such as Abbado, Sawallisch, Jarvi, Chailly, Dutoit, Eschenbach, Chung, Gilbert and Gustavo Dudamel. Jian Wang also collaborates frequently with all the major Chinese Orchestras, including Shanghai Symphony, China Philharmonic, China NCPA orchestra, China National orchestra, Guangzhou, Shenzhen symphony orchestras and Hangzhou Philharmonic. These concerts have been with one of his closest musical partners Long Yu, as well as Muhai Tang, Chen Zuo Huang, Lu Jia, Zhang Guo Yong, Yang Yang, Xu Zhong, Lin Da Ye, Jing Huan and Zhang Jie Ming. Jian Wang was appointed as the first ever Artist in Residence by the China National Center for Performing Arts, also by the Shanghai Symphony orchestra. As a jury member, Jian Wang has judged many of the most important competitions, including the Tchaikovsky cello competition, the Queen Elizabeth cello competition, the Weiniawsky Violin Competition, the Isaac Stern violin competition and the Nielsen violin competition. Jian Wang now serves as the International Chair of the Cello for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. He also serves as a member of Artistic committee for the Shanghai Symphony and Hangzhou Philharmonic. Since 2022, Jian Wang is a cello professor at the Shanghai Conservatory.
Jian Wang has made many recordings, his latest releases being the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Sydney Symphony and Vladimir Ashkenazy. He has also recorded an album of short pieces for Cello and Guitar titled Reverie, the complete Bach Cello Suites and a Baroque Album with the Camerata Salzburg, Brahms Double Concerto with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Claudio Abbado and Gil Shaham, the Haydn Concerti with the Gulbenkian Orchestra under Muhai Tang, Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time (with Myung-Whun Chung, Gil Shaham and Paul Meyer) and Brahms, Mozart and Schumann chamber music with Pires and Dumay. His instrument is graciously loaned to him by the family of the late Mr. Sau-Wing Lam.
Ayanna Witter-Johnson is a multi-talented singer, songwriter, pianist and cellist. She has a phenomenal mastery for seamlessly crossing the boundaries of classical, jazz, reggae, soul and R&B, to imprint her unique musical signature with her virtuosic tap, strum and bow with her cello into her sound and vibe.
“As a second-generation Jamaican born in Britain, my music is a body of work that represents, celebrates and pays homage to my ancestral heritage, culture and identity,” explains Ayanna.
An acclaimed and celebrated performer, Ayanna has collaborated with many stellar artists, including Anoushka Shankar, Nitin Sawhney, Andrea Bocelli and Jools Holland. She has also toured extensively across the UK, Europe and the US.
After graduating with a first-class degree from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and the Manhattan School of Music, Ayanna participated in the London Symphony Orchestra’s Panufnik Young Composers Scheme. Soon after, as Emerging Artist in Residence at London’s Southbank Centre, Ayanna performed as a featured artist with Courtney Pine’s Afropeans: Jazz Warriors. Later, whilst studying in the USA at New York’s Manhattan School of Music, she became the only non-American to win ‘Amateur Night Live at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NYC.
As a composer, Ayanna has been commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra, Güerzenich Orchester, Ligeti Quartet, Kronos Quartet and The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company to name but a few. She was also selected as an arranger/orchestrator for the London Symphony Orchestra (Hugh Masekela, Belief) and the BBC Symphony Orchestra (Urban Classic).
Ayanna has released three EPs (‘Truthfully’, ‘Black Panther’ & ‘Ella, Reuben & Ay’) and put out her debut album ‘Road Runner’ in 2019, with its two subsequent singles’ Nothing Less’ and ‘Crossroads’, via her own independent record label (Hill and Gully Records). Ayanna has worked with producers Marc Mac (4Hero), James Yarde (Terri Walker, Jamelia, Eric Benet) and recorded with featured artists, including pianist Robert Mitchell and rapper Akala.
With her January 2021 surprise-released EP ‘Rise Up, Ayanna again combined reggae, classical, jazz and R&B to celebrate black culture and identity to uplift and inspire the next generation. The stunning collection of three tracks and videos featuring Akala on ‘Rise Up’, Cleveland Watkiss on ‘Declaration Of Rights’ and the ‘Rise Up Riddim’ have received a huge amount of critical acclaim.
Ayanna said, ‘In ‘Rise Up’, I created a song with a strong message specifically influenced by my Jamaican heritage. The starting point was a dancehall riddim that informed the main cello riff. Lyrically, I challenged myself to create something uplifting with an uplifting message, and it just flowed. I wrote the song for the next generation in the black community to remember they are the key to the future. To celebrate their culture and to be proud of it. Now is not the time to give up on your dreams. No matter how hard things seem, Rise Up, embrace our history and claim our birth rights of freedom and joy.”
Many of Ayanna’s remarkable tracks have received airplay on radio stations, including BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, 2, 3, 4, 6, BBC Radio London, BBC Manchester, Jazz FM and Scala Radio. Her TV credits include BBC One, London Live, Channel 4 (Sing It Loud: Black and Proud), BBC Proms and a stunning performance on Later…with Jools Holland (BBC One).
Despite the challenges of 2020, Ayanna took it all in her stride and continued to create music. She performed a special Livestream for Royal Albert Hall, took part in Trinity Laban’s Virtual Orchestra and picked up an AIM Award nomination for ‘Best Live Act’. In addition, she presented two shows at Wigmore Hall, appeared on BBC Radio 3’s ‘This Classical Life’ podcast, co-wrote and featured on Anoushka Shankar’s Grammy single ‘Those Words’ from the Grammy-nominated Love Letters EP. Ayanna also collaborated with and featured on Nitin Sawhney’s stunning single ‘Movement Variation II’ taken from his acclaimed recent album ‘Immigrants’.
2021 was a stellar year for Ayanna. Collaborating with Solem Quartet as part of their Beethoven Bartok Now series, she has also had her song ‘Draw the Line’, commissioned by The Hermes Experiment, and featured on their sophomore album ‘Songs’. Ayanna also featured on the track called ‘Flow My Tears’ with John Aram, the arranger for Phil Collins. The song is a slick, modern-day reimagining of English composer John Dowland’s 400- year-old music. That year saw Ayanna return to the live stage, headlining at London’s iconic Jazz Café and Kings Place. She made additional performances supporting Nubiyan Twist on their UK tour, participating in ‘Jazz Voice’ (the opening of the London Jazz Festival) at the Royal Festival Hall and a 22-date US tour with Opera superstar Andrea Bocelli.
Now in 2022, Ayanna continues her composition work with several commissions for ensembles and orchestras, including a Royal Philharmonic Society Commission for the Philharmonia Ensemble. Her talent has seen her compose for the sold out, hit theatre production, ‘The Collaboration’, at London’s Young Vic Theatre, and compose for the renowned documentary ‘Hostile’ whilst working on her sophomore album.
With two headlined shows at London’s Purcell Rooms, and a headlined show at Wigmore Hall featuring guest artists, Ayanna’s continues to inspire with her composition ‘FAIYA!’ performed by the LSO in Trafalgar Square (conducted by Sir Simon Rattle), and collaborating on a number of live performances with ‘Solem Quartet’ of her composition ‘Island Suite’, which was originally commissioned by them as part of their ‘Beethoven Bartok Now Part IV’ series.
Venturing into new territories, Ayanna has been cast in a cameo role in the new Amazon Prime series adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s ‘Anansi Boys’, alongside greats such as Whoopi Goldberg, which airs in 2023.
Ayanna is a performer of extraordinary versatility, due to her musical prowess, mesmerising vocals, non-compromising lyrics, and ability to deftly reinterpret songs on the cello. Her must-see live shows are intimate journeys that chronicle her experience as a female artist in the 21st century.
Ayanna Witter-Johnson is the very definition of eclectic soul.
A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Stefan Hadjiev has always looked beyond the main-stream and standard definitions of music-making, always aiming to remove the boundaries between musical genres. Recent classical engagements include a critically acclaimed performances as a soloist with the Stuttgart Philharmoniker, Staatorchester Kassel, Neue Philharmonie Munich and others.
As well as classical music, Stefan has always had a strong interest in other musical genres. He recently produced his first album of electronic music as part of the Klangbox series of Berlin-based label Feral Note. Stefan is also a co-founder of 180° — one of the most innovative festivals in Bulgaria for experimental music and interdisciplinary arts.
Australian cellist Benett Tsai gained international recognition after winning major prizes at the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann in Berlin in 2022. In 2023, he joined the roster of Young Concert Artists after receiving First Prize and the Stern Young Artist Award at the International Auditions in New York.
He has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Sinfonia Lahti and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. In the 2026/27 season, he will make his debuts with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Göttinger Symphonieorchester and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
In recital, he has performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center, the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, with the La Jolla Music Society and at City Recital Hall. He has also collaborated with distinguished artists including Esa-Pekka Salonen, Emanuel Ax and Jean-Yves Thibaudet.
Born in 2003, Tsai studies at The Colburn School with Clive Greensmith and performs on a 1719 cello by Giuseppe Guarneri ‘filius Andreae’.
Petar Pejčić studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in Leipzig with Peter Bruns. Winner of Fifth Prize at the 2022 Queen Elisabeth Competition, Petar also won the AENA Special Prize at the Pablo Casals Competition in Spain in 2020, Second Prize at the Anna Kull Competition the same year, and Third Prize at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University Competition in 2019. He has performed with orchestras including the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Graz Philharmonic, the Serbian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Camerata Balcanica. Keen to broaden his musical horizons, he collaborated with the choreographer Jacopo Godani and the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company on the project BACH OFF! Petar plays an instrument by David Tecchler (ca. 1707, Rome.
Korean cellist Claire Deokyong Kim earned her Bachelor of Music degree at New England Conservatory (NEC) and is now pursuing her master’s in the studio of Laurence Lesser. She previously studied with Myungwha Chung. In her first year of Bachelor of Music, Claire won the NEC Lower String Competition and was subsequently selected to perform with the NEC Philharmonia Orchestra under Hugh Wolff at Jordan Hall (Boston). She has won numerous competitions in Korea, including Third Prize at the ISANGYUN Competition (2022). She has also performed with orchestras including the Suwon, Gangnam, Prime, Gwangju, and Korean Symphony Orchestras. In addition to her appearances as a soloist, Claire has been a member of string quartets that have been selected as Honors Ensembles at NEC two years consecutively, the Nico String Quartet and the Tavola String Quartet.
Korean cellist Jaemin Han came to international attention in 2021 when he was awarded the Grand Prix of the George Enescu International Competition as the youngest prizewinner in the competition’s history. He won Third Prize at the Concours de Genève the same year and, in 2022, was awarded First Prize at the ISANGYUN Competition (Korea). Performance highlights in 2022/23 season include a recital at the Tongyeong International Festival, his New Zealand debut with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Shi-Yeon Sung, and a tour of Korea with Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg and its chief conductor Gustavo Gimeno. Jaemin has studied with Myung-Wha Chung and now attends the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts, where he works with Kangho Lee and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi. He was recipient of the 2020 Shinhan Music Award and currently holds a scholarship from the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo foundation. Jaemin plays a J. B. Vuillaume cello generously on loan from ‘the auditorium’.