Press Enter to search
Born in Beijing, pianist Yuja Wang made her international breakthrough in 2007 when she replaced Martha Argerich as soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Since then, critical superlatives have continuously followed her dazzling career, her numerous awards and accolades including being Musical America’s 2017 Artist of the Year, and a 2019 Gramophone Award for The Berlin Recital on Deutsche Grammophon, with whom she has been an exclusive artist since 2009. Recent highlights include an Opus Klassik Award for her world-premiere recording of John Adams’ Must the Devil Have all the Good Tunes? with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel, performing at Carnegie Hall’s 2021/22 season Opening Night Gala with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and tours with her regular chamber partners, violinist Leonidas Kavakos and cellist Gautier Capuçon.
Born in 1986 in Fribourg, Florian Favre has now completed his Masters degree in Compositition & Theory with DJANGO BATES and DIETER AMMAN at the High School of Arts in Bern (HKB).
After a brief experience in the classical world of piano, he began to study jazz at the Conservatory of Fribourg with Richard Pizzorno. He received his Certificate in 2007, with a special commendation from the jury. He entered the Swiss Jazz School the same year and had the opportunity to study with Andy Scherrer, Bert Joris, Frank Sikora, Patrice Moret, William Evans, Dejan Terzic, Colin Vallon, Andreas Scherrer, and Thierry Lang. In 2010 he was selected to be part of the DKSJ All Star project with Pierre Audétat. That same year he received his Bachelor of Arts and the Friedelwald grant.
Supported and guided by Sir Yehudi Menuhin at a young age, Kirill Troussov is now widely recognised as one of the leading violinists of his generation. The international press describes his playing as “…impressive elegance, irreproachable technique, an exceptional musical sensitivity and sonorities of immaculate beauty…“. Kirill Troussov is a regular guest at prestigious concert halls and renowned international music festivals, all over the world.
His collaboration with celebrated conductors such as Sir Neville Marriner, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Daniele Gatti, Lawrence Foster, Jiri Belohlàvek, Michail Jurowski, David Stern, Christoph Poppen, Vladimir Spivakov, Mikko Frank and Louis Langrée as well as with major orchestras such as the Staatskapelle Berlin, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestre National de France, Radio Orchestra of Hessischer Rundfunk, Radio Symphony Orchestra of Baden-Baden, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and Bamberg Symphony Orchestra has brought him, among others, to Tonhalle Zürich, Berliner Philharmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Palais des Beaux Arts Brüssel, Théâtre du Châtelet, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, De Doelen, NCPA in Beijing, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Auditorio Nacional de Musica in Madrid, Verbier Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Festival and Menuhin Festival Gstaad.
His passion for chamber music and friendship connect Kirill Troussov with artists like Sol Gabetta, Yuja Wang, Daniel Hope, Joshua Bell, Gautier und Renaud Capucon, Yuri Bashmet, Mischa Maisky, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Julian Rachlin, Christian Zacharias und Natalia Gutman.
Substitution for Gidon Kremer in Paris, Asia Tour with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, his spectacular performance at the BBC Proms and his activity as jury member at international competitions, a.o. at the “Schoenfeld International String Competition”, are just some of numerous highlights of his past concert seasons.
His international awards include the European cultural award “Pro-Europa”, the Davidoff-Prize of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, the international Yamaha Prize and the Reuters-Prize of the Verbier Festival.
Kirill Troussov regularly gives master classes at the Mozarteum Salzburg, European Music Intstitute Vienna, in Cremona, Milan, Madrid, Dublin, Berlin, Munich ,Oslo, Budapest, USA and Hong Kong.
Kirill Troussov’s recordings — among others for EMI Classics, Warner Classics, Dabringhaus und Grimm, Naxos and Farao Classics — have been repeatedly awarded by the international press. Furthermore he can be seen with Yuja Wang on her DVD with Kurt Masur.
His recent CDs “Emotions” (MDG) and “Memories” (MDG) have been highly praised by the international press and the public — among others by “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and the French music magazine “Diapason”. He completed his studies with Zakhar Bron and Christoph Poppen. His mentors have been Igor Oistrach, Herman Krebbers und Sir Yehudi Menuhin.
Kirill Troussov plays the Antonio Stradivari violin “Brodsky” of 1702, on which violinist Adolph Brodsky performed the world premiere of Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, on December 4, 1881.
Born in Budapest, Gábor Takács-Nagy is considered one of today’s most authentic exponents of Hungarian music and was awarded the Liszt Prize in 1982 and in 2017 the prestigious Béla Bartók-Ditta Pásztory Prize. In March 2021 he received the Érdemes Művész award for Artist of Merit, presented to artists of long service in Hungarian national culture, and in December 2021, the Prima Primissima Prize, reserved for artists, athletes, and representatives of scientific life, culture, and education for their performances and exemplary human qualities and values. In March 2024 he received the highest award in Hungary, the Kossuth Prize, which acknowledges outstanding achievements in the fields of culture and the arts.
From 1975 to 1992 he was founding member and leader of the acclaimed Takács Quartet. In 1996 he founded the Takács Piano Trio and in 1998 established the Mikrokosmos Quartet
In 2003 he turned to conducting and in 2007 was appointed Music Director of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra. In September 2011, he became Music Director of the Manchester Camerata, one of the UK’s leading chamber orchestras, and is also Principal Guest Conductor of the Budapest Festival Orchestra since September 2012. He was Professor of String Quartet at the Haute École de Musique in Geneva until August 2021 and was awarded honorary membership of the Royal Academy of Music in London in June 2012. In 2013 he became a Swiss citizen.
Gábor Takács-Nagy has conducted the Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Philharmonic of Bologna, , Japan Philharmonic, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de l’Opéra de Toulon, l’Orchestre Les Siècles, Royal Danish Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic , Japan Philharmonic, Hungarian National Philharmonic, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, BBC Symphony Orchestra Wales, Orchestra della Scala Milan, Paris Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de Chambre de Genève and Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne amongst others. Since June 2024 he is Artistic Partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota.
In June 2023 Deutsche Grammophon released the live recordings of the nine Beethoven symphonies with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra.
In June 2016 he debuted with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra as conductor and solo pianist. No less than two months later, his appointment as Chief Conductor was announced and he became the youngest conductor to hold the position in the orchestra’s history. The Rotterdam Philharmonic with Shani have an exclusive recording contract with Warner Classics.
Shani’s close relationship with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra began well over 10 years ago. He debuted with the orchestra aged sixteen, and in 2007 performed Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto under the baton of Zubin Mehta aged eighteen. He then went on to play regularly with the orchestra as a double bassist. In 2013, after winning the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg, the orchestra invited him to step in to conduct their season-opening concerts. Since then, he has returned to the orchestra every year as both a conductor and pianist.
Recent and upcoming guest conductor highlights include engagements with Wiener Philharmoniker, Berliner Philharmoniker, Gewandhaus Orchester, Münchner Philharmoniker, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, London Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris and Philharmonia Orchestra. In March 2022 Lahav Shani conducted Munich’s Benefit concert in aid of Ukraine at the Isarphilharmonie with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the three orchestras of the city, Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and Münchner Philharmoniker. In the 2022/2023 season, he began his 3-year residency at the Konzerthaus Dortmund.
Born in Tel Aviv in 1989, Shani began his piano studies aged six with Hannah Shalgi, before continuing with Prof. Arie Vardi at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music. He went on to study conducting under Prof. Christian Ehwald and piano with Prof. Fabio Bidini at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler, Berlin and was mentored by Daniel Barenboim during his time there.
As a pianist, Shani has performed as a soloist with Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta and Gianandrea Noseda. He has play-directed piano concerti with many orchestras including the Vienna Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, Staatskapelle Berlin and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Shani also has considerable experience performing chamber music and in recital and is a regular performer at the Verbier Festival, and has also appeared at the Aix-en-Provence Easter and Jerusalem Chamber Music Festivals, and in duo recitals with Martha Argerich.
Liv Redpath is quickly becoming a leading soprano leggero on the opera and concert stage. She has been engaged by the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, The Santa Fe Opera, Edinburgh International Festival, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Bregenzer Festspiele, Seattle Symphony, LA Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, and Aspen Music Festival, among others, and has collaborated with conductors Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Gustavo Dudamel, Vasily Petrenko, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, William Christie, James Conlon, Emmanuel Villaume, Barbara Hannigan, and Christophe Rousset. Her wide-ranging operatic repertoire includes Le nozze di Figaro, Der Rosenkavalier, Hänsel und Gretel, L’elisir d’amore, Ariadne auf Naxos, Les Huguenots, The Golden Cockerel, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cendrillon, and Lakmé. She is a graduate of Harvard University and The Juilliard School.
Julien Quentin’s remarkable musical depth, clear and distinct sound, combined with flawless technique, make him a highly sought-after artist as both a soloist and chamber musician worldwide. Born in Paris, the French pianist began his studies at the Geneva Conservatory, then at Indiana University and the Juilliard School. He created “Musica Litoralis,” a concert series in the spirit of the Roaring Twenties that is enjoying growing success. He regularly explores new art forms and other musical genres with numerous visual artists, with pianists Kelvin Sholar, Kaan Bulak, and Francesco Tristano, as well as producers Adrien de Maublanc and Cesar Merveille, in projects ranging from improvisation to electronic music.
For nearly four decades, Thomas Quasthoff has established himself on the international stage, overwhelming countless listeners with his art. He completed his outstanding singing career in 2012, earning multiple titles and awards However, the German bass-baritone has kept close links with singing and music as a professor at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin and in various masterclasses. This dedication led him to found the International Singing Competition Das Lied in the German capital in 2017. He has explored many other fields, revealing his talents as a conductor, jazz singer, actor, narrator and actor, from Shakespeare’s works to the colourful world of cabaret.
Born in Dresden, Pape has been a member of the Berlin State Opera since 1988, but considers New York’s Metropolitan Opera his operatic “home away from home.” Since his house debut in 1995, he has appeared at the Met in 18 roles and more than 160 performances, including four major debuts: Méphistophélès in Faust, Gurnemanz in Parsifal, Escamillo in Carmen, and the Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila. But it was at the famous Unter den Linden – home of the Berlin State Opera – where Pape honed most of the great roles of his career.
Music Director Daniel Barenboim was an early supporter, and the Berlin State Opera has played host to Pape’s performances as King Marke in Tristan und Isolde; King Heinrich in Lohengrin; Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte; Pogner in Die Meistersinger; Rocco in Beethoven’s Fidelio; Fasolt in Das Rheingold; Hunding in Die Walküre; and the title role in Don Giovanni. The opera house was also the venue for Pape’s appearances as Ramfis in Verdi’s Aida; Figaro in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro; Leporello in Don Giovanni; and Orest in Strauss’s Elektra. In 2006 he expanded his repertoire to include the title role in Boris Godunov, which won him the title “Artist of the Year” from the German Critics Association.
Mr. Pape’s 2019/20 season highlights include Don Carlo and Parsifal at the Wiener Staatsoper; Don Carlo and Boris Godounov for Opéra national de Paris, Tristan und Isolde at the Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor, Die Zauberflöte, the New Year’s Concert Galas singing Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 at the Staatsoper Berlin.
He also sings two Lieder recitals with pianist Camillo Radicke: at Graz’s Musikverein and at the Wiener Staatsoper, where he will also perform at the Europäische Kulturpreis Pro Europa.
His 2018/19 season included Tristan und Isolde at the Opéra Bastille, Elektra, Die Zauberflöte and Parsifal at the Wiener Staatsoper, Fidelio, Elektra, Die Zauberflöte, Macbeth and Tristan und Isolde at the Staatsoper Berlin, a new production of T.H.A.M.O.S. in Salzburg and Parsifal at the Bavarian State Opera.
In recent seasons, Pape has also starred in the title role of Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, and has increased his recital activities around the world. Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times praised Pape’s role debut as Boris at the Metropolitan Opera: “With his towering physique and unforced charisma, Mr. Pape looks regal and imposing. Yet with his vacant stare, the haggard intensity in his face, his stringy long hair and his hulking gait, he is already bent over with guilt and doubt. Mr. Pape has vocal charisma as well, and his dark, penetrating voice is ideal for the role. Not knowing Russian, I cannot vouch for the idiomatic quality of his singing. But his enunciation was crisp and natural. And in every language, Mr. Pape makes words matter.”
Of his Wigmore Hall recital in 2018, Peter Reed from Classical source stated “Pape has the gift of reeling you in with his focus and stillness, and gestures such as one warning finger (in the Mozart) or both arms expansively raised in just one of his Sibelius set were more or less it in terms of dramatic emphasis. It was all down to the authority and intensity of his singing that leaves you with the impression that his voice is inexhaustible, with colour, substance, imagination and nuance to spare from pitch-black to a quietness of exceptional delicacy.”
Camilla Nylund, born in Vaasa (Finland), first studied with Eva Illes, later in the opera and song class at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In December 1995 she was awarded the Lilli Lehmann Medal by the International Mozarteum Foundation.
After permanent engagements in Hanover and at the Semperoper Dresden, Camilla Nylund is now one of the internationally most sought-after singers in her field and is a regular guest at all major opera houses – at the Vienna State Opera, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, the Metropolitan Opera New York, La Scala di Milano, the Paris Bastille, the Berlin and Hamburg State Operas, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, at the Bayreuth and Salzburg Festivals, in Barcelona, Valencia, Zurich, Helsinki, Cologne, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Tokyo, San Francisco.
The artist’s repertoire includes all major parts of the classic-romantic repertoire. Especially with her interpretation of Richard Wagner – Elisabeth, Elsa, Sieglinde, Senta, Isolde, Brünnhilde- and Richard Strauss – Marschallin, Arabella, Gräfin (Capriccio), Chrysothemis, Kaiserin (Frau ohne Schatten), Ariadne, Salome – Camilla Nylund is always anew setting artistic standards.
In addition to her active work on the international opera stages, she is also a regular guest in all major concert halls – Konzerthaus and Philharmonie Berlin, Herkulessaal Munich, “Isarphilharmonie” Munich, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Wiener Musikverein, Wiener Konzerthaus, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Tonhalle Zürich, in Rome, at the BBC Proms, in Philadel-phia, Cleveland, Boston.
Both within the opera and concert field Camilla Nylund is working with all major Maestri of our time – such as Zubin Mehta, Sir Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Christian Thielemann, Andris Nelsons, Daniel Barenboim, Simone Young, Carina Kanellakis, Vladimir Jurowski, Gianandrea Noseda, Riccardo Muti, Marek Janowski and Susanna Mälkki.
For many years Camilla Nylund has been giving distinction to the Bayreuth Festival. In 2011 the artist made her debut on the “Green Hill” as Elisabeth in Tannhäuser. In the following years she appeared as Sieglinde (Walküre), Eva (Meistersinger), as well as in the role of Elsa (Lohengrin), in which she could also be heard at the Bayreuth Festival 2022.
In 2017 Camilla Nylund added an exciting new part to her repertoire: Marie in Wozzeck (Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf). 2021 saw her first Jenufa (Berlin State Opera). In January 2022 she celebrated an acclaimed debut at the Frankfurt Opera in the part of Eine Frau in Arnold Schönberg’s monodrama Erwartung. The highlights of the 2021/22 season were her debuts as Isolde (Tristan und Isolde) and Brünnhilde (Walküre) at Zurich Opera. Her interpretation of Katerina (Lady Macbeth of Mzensk) in a new production at the Hamburg State Opera in January 2023 was enthusiastically received by audiences and press alike. The debuts of the Siegfried and Götterdämmerung Brünnhilde will follow in the next seasons also in Zurich.
Camilla Nylund also pays a particular attention to the genre of the recital. Together with Helmut Deutsch she is dedicating her recital programs to the romantic German songs as well as to the composers from her Scandinavian homeland, especially Jean Sibelius.
The versatile artist showed previously unknown facets during the Corona pandemic. Following an idea by André Heller, whom she met during a new production of Der Rosenkavalier at the Berlin State Opera, the project “Great American Songbook” was born. In this concert film recorded for ORF III, she interprets love songs in the spirit of US show business from the 1930s to the 1970s together with the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna conducted by Marin Alsop in varied arrangements ranging from “combo” to large symphonic orchestra. A DVD and CD of the project has been released in December 2022 by Naxos.
In recognition of her artistic achievements, Camilla Nylund has received numerous awards. In November 2022, she was presented with the Lotte Lehmann Memorial Ring – one of the world’s most prestigious awards for female opera singers. In September 2022, she was awarded with the European Culture Prize alongside other high-profile laureats in the Zurich Tonhalle. To honour Camilla Nylund’s long and successful artistic relationship with the Vienna State Opera, the artist was awarded the title of Austrian Kammersängerin (2019). The Semperoper Dresden has also appointed Camilla Nylund as Saxon Kammersängerin. She is also recipient of the Christel Goltz Prize of the Semperoper (2000), the Culture Prize of the Swedish Cultural Fund in Finland, the Pro Finlandia Medal, awarded by the Finnish President (2013), and the Finnish State Prize for Music (2019).