We are delighted to announce the appointment of world-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis, as a Classeek Ambassador.

Acclaimed for his unique and distinguished career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, author and broadcaster, Steven is very much a passionate advocate for young artists. Sharing Classeek's mission of Discovering, Following and Supporting artists globally, he has been a mentor to many young musicians, and has been a strong advocate for the importance of music education.

“Nourishing and encouraging young musical talent is an important part of my life; so I am very happy to become an Ambassador for Classeek. I hope that we will collaborate in various ways in order to assist in the emergence and development of young talent.”

“When I met Steven I was immediately struck by his energy and commitment towards the younger generation. He will be a great addition to our roster of Ambassadors and we’re thrilled with this collaboration.”

 - Catarina Amon, Classeek Founder & CEO

We are very proud to have Steven join us as a figure of our Ambassador Programme, a powerful advocate for the importance of the future of music, and a valuable mentor providing advice and guidance to artists on their musical journey. We are thrilled to have Steven on board!

Announcing Steven Isserlis' Ambassadorship

Classeek Ambassador

Cello

Jeein You

Jeein You talks with Benjamin Woodroffe about her studies and life in Paris, insights into her musical background, and upcoming concerts and projects.

Jeein You interview

with Benjamin Woodroffe

Jeein joins the Classeek Ambassador Programme for season 2022-23, following her nomination by Gautier Capuçon. 

Jeein You was born in South Korea in 2002 and began studying cello at five. When she was seven she joined the Korea National University Of Arts Preschool under her tutor Chung Myung-Wha. Her ambassador Capuçon says, “Jeein is such a talented cellist and a very sensitive musician with an incredible ability to carry her emotions through music."

Jeein You & Samuel Parent | Rachmaninov, Sonata in G minor, Op.19

Sonata in G minor, Op.19

Classeek Showroom performance, December 2022

Jeein You & Samuel Parent | O Holy Night (encore)

O Holy Night

Jeein You & Samuel Parent | De Falla, Danza Española No.1 from “La vida breve”

Danza Española No.1 from “La vida breve”

Jeein You & Samuel Parent | Bizet, Carmen Fantasy

Carmen Fantasy (arr. Buxton Orr)

Jeein joins the Classeek Ambassador Programme for season 2022-23, following her nomination by Gautier Capuçon. Jeein You was born in South Korea in 2002 and began studying cello at five. When she was seven she joined the Korea National University Of Arts Preschool under her tutor Chung Myung-Wha. Her ambassador Capuçon says, “Jeein is such a talented cellist and a very sensitive musician with an incredible ability to carry her emotions through music."

Jeein You & Samuel Parent | Granados, Intermezzo from 'Goyescas' (arr. G. Cassadó)

Intermezzo from 'Goyescas' (arr. G. Cassadó)

In partnership with the Conservatoire de Lausanne, Classeek is proud to present this preconcert series, performed by the students of the conservatoire. 

Preconcert | Clara Schlotz

Cesar Franck, Cello Sonata (Mvt I & II)

in partnership with the Conservatoire de Lausanne

Following last week's announcement of the finalists of our Ambassador Programme open application, we are excited to announce the final artist on our programme this season as violinist Alexey Stychkin!

Alexey, our first ever open application winner, joins eight other exceptional young artists who were nominated on the Ambassador Programme this season. Each musician will have the opportunity to perform a concert, broadcast live and in high definition from the stunning setting of Classeek’s private recital hall in Aubonne, Switzerland, and will receive opportunities for career enhancement, throughout the one-year programme.

Nominated by Sir András Schiff, 21-year-old pianist Avery Gagliano recently made her Carnegie Hall debut and released her debut album “Reflections” on the Steinway & Sons label. She gained international acclaim as the First Prize and Best Concerto Prize winner of the 10th National Chopin Piano Competition and was the only American semifinalist at the 18th International Chopin Competition in 2021.

Nominated by Renaud Capuçon, 22-year-old Paul Zientara began studying the viola at the age of seven at the Music school of Yerres in Yves Pruvot's class. In 2015, he joined the CRR (Regional Conservatory) of Paris in Françoise Gnéri's class. He regularly participates in international academies and masterclasses including the Kronberg Academy Festival

Nominated by Gautier Capuçon,  20-year-old cellist Jeein You was born in South Korea in 2002 and began studying cello at five. When she was seven she joined the Korea National University Of Arts Preschool under her tutor Chung Myung-Wha. Her ambassador Capuçon says, “Jeein is such a talented cellist and a very sensitive musician with an incredible ability to carry her emotions through music."

Nominated by Sir András Schiff, pianist Julia Hamos performs a programme of Bach, Bartók and Schumann. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London, Hamos currently studies with Sir András Schiff at the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin and at the Kronberg Academy. In 2021 she worked with Daniel Barenboim in a succession of filmed masterclasses on Beethoven's solo piano and string sonatas.

Nominated by Sonia Simmenauer, violinist Bilal Alnemr began to study violin at the age of eight, at the Solhi-AL-WADI Conservatory. In 2007, he won the first prize in the national competition for young Syrian talents. His mentor Sonia Simmenauer says, “I was stricken when I met with Bilal the first time and his seriousness about being a musician. I admire his courage and dedication to music.”

Nominated by Sonia Simmenauer, 22-year-old Gigashvili is a frequent soloist and chamber musician working with various orchestras and taking part in festivals and masterclasses all over the world. He has always been passionate about music and was trained by famous Georgian pianist and teacher Revaz Tavadze where he continued his formal musical training at the Paliashvili Central Music School for Gifted Children. 

Nominated by Emmanuel Pahud, 24-year-old flautist Alberto Navarra began his studies under Maurizio Valentini at the Ghedini Conservatory in Cuneo. His ambassador Emmanuel Pahud says, “Alberto Navarra is a leading talent of his generation.” Alberto is also a laureate of the Severino Gazzelloni International Flute Competition and the Carl Nielsen Flute Competition.

Nominated by Sir András Schiff, 21-year-old pianist Tom Borrow began playing the piano at the age of 5 and has performed as a soloist with many native orchestras of his country, including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the Israel Symphony Orchestra.

Welcomed onto the programme via the open application, Russian-Greek violinist Alexey Stychkin, born in Moscow in 2000, comes from a family with deep musical and artistic roots. He began his musical studies at the age of five and continued on to study with Marc Bouchkov at the Liege Royal Conservatory. Alexey is currently studying his masters degree at the Hochschule fur Musik und Tanz in Cologne with Mihaela Martin, and this season  holds an academy position in the first violin section of the Staatskapelle Berlin. 

Each artist on the programme will perform at the Classeek concert hall during the season, in a variety of solo, duo and chamber recitals. Find out more about our 

Ambassador Programme Artists 2022-23

Latest news

This season we have 8 wonderful emerging artists nominated onto the Classeek Ambassador programme, by our ambassadors, including pianists Avery Gagliano, Julia Hamos, Giorgi Gigashvili and Tom Borrow, flautist Alberto Navarra, violinist Bilal Alnemr, violist Paul Zientara, and cellist Jeein You. 

This year for the first time, we also opened up the programme to applicants all over the world, to fill our last space on the programme. Having received applications from very high level musicians and a diverse range of instruments and applicants, the process has been difficult. We are thankful to all artists who applied this year as we have been amazed to discover so much talent through the application process.

We are delighted to announce the 13 finalists of our Ambassador Programme open application, for season 2022-23

Following the next round of the application process, we will be announcing the final artist of our Ambassador Programme, next week. 

Open application finalists

Ambassador Programme 2022-23

Cellist Jeein You joins the Classeek Ambassador Programme under the recommendation of Gautier Capuçon, bringing us a wide-ranging virtuosic recital programme with pianist Samuel Parent. Bookending the evening are arrangements and reimaginings of much-loved operas: Granados’s Goyescas and Bizet’s Carmen.

Goyescas was the last of Granados’s six operas, beginning life as a series of piano pieces inspired by the lavish paintings of Francisco Goya, a fellow Spaniard who had dominated the art scene a century earlier. These were later expanded into an opera, but the Intermezzo doesn’t feature in the original scores. It was added later – as many intermezzos are – to allow for staging changes between scenes. Despite this late edition, it has developed a life of its own beyond the opera halls, becoming a popular independent concert piece, performed in both orchestral and chamber arrangements. Evocative and dramatic, it is full of technical and musical challenges for both cellist and pianist, with Spanish influences heard throughout.

Moving from the sounds of Spain to the textures and sonorities of the Russian church, we are introduced to Rachmaninov’s Cello Sonata in G minor, one of his most famous pieces of chamber music. Neither instrument is dominant here, with the piano introducing themes which are then embellished and expanded upon in the cello line. Written in 1901, it was a particularly critical time for Rachmaninov as a composer. He had endured a nervous breakdown and subsequent mental health crisis in 1897 following the failure of his First Symphony. 1901 signalled his return to his creative powers. His now hugely popular Second Piano Concerto was premiered in November, around the same time he started work on this sonata. 

We are brought back to the opera hall to finish, with Buxton Orr’s brilliant rendering of Bizet’s much-loved Carmen. Devised as an encore piece for a recital in 1985 New York, Orr’s Fantasy exploits the cello’s capabilities with double stopping, plucked notes and fast passages, while also remaining loyal to the original keys and Bizet’s musical style. It’s far from a whistle-stop tour of the opera’s famous tunes – they are merely hinted at, instead offering us an entirely new virtuoso composition.

Jeein You, cello | Samuel Parent, piano

A Carmen Fantasy (arr. Buxton Orr)

Duo Recital

Last night saw a memorable concert here at Classeek with a performance by Ambassador Programme artist and pianist Kim Bernard, joined on stage by our Ambassador, Gautier Capuçon.

Kim Bernard performed a lyrical and sensitive interpretation of Chopin's Ballade in F minor Op.52 and a spirited selection from Debussy. Joined by Gautier Capuçon for the latter half of the concert, the pair united to perform Grieg's Cello Sonata in A minor, followed by four captivating encores. 

Our season opened with a chamber concert by violinist Filipe Johnson, violist Dor Sperber, pianist Natalia Morozova, and composer/Classeek Ambassador Nimrod Borenstein. The season continued with artists of our Ambassador Programme, such as pianists Shir Semmel, Nathalia Milstein and Kiana Reid (nominated by Sir Andràs Schiff) and cellists Caroline Sypniewski and Anouchka Hack. 

We continue to collaborate with the Conservatoire de Lausanne in our pre concerts, offering the students a valuable platform to perform. We're looking forward to bringing you a whole new season of concerts with emerging young classical artists. Stay tuned for news on our upcoming season. 

Season 2021-22

Looking back on Classeek's season highlights

Gautier Capuçon

Piano

Kim Bernard

Kim joined the Classeek Ambassador Programme in season 2021-22, following his nomination by Gautier Capuçon. 

Born in 1999, Bernard Kim began studying piano at age 5 with Michèle Mary. He later went on to study at the Lyon National Superior Conservatory with Florent Boffard and Laurent Cabasso where he earned his masters degree in 2018, after which he began the Concertiste program at the Paris Regional Conservatory. With support from the Fondation, Kim has recorded his first album, “Chopin, Debussy, Ravel” on Warner Classics & Erato (2022).

Kim Bernard & Gautier Capuçon | Improvisation & Piazzolla, Oblivion (Encore)

Oblivion

Classeek Showroom performance, June 2022

Kim Bernard & Gautier Capuçon | Monti, Czardas (encore)

Czardas

Chopin’s fourth and final Ballade in F minor has been viewed as a masterpiece ever since its creation in 1842. After a seven-bar introduction in A flat major, it tips into its famous, slavic-sounding F minor theme which – eventually joined by a rocking, chorale-like second theme in B flat major – is subjected to increasingly florid variations. The Ballade then concludes with a turbulent and highly virtuosic final coda, full of contrapuntal complexities. And all this via a narrative voice whose most beguiling quality, besides its melting lyricism and the passion of its heroic climaxes, is the way in which, in its reflectiveness, it appears to be frequently hesitating and turning back on itself.‍

Composed two years later, the Berceuse in D flat major is equally a series of variations. Sixteen of them, over a ground bass. Its own notable quality is that its dynamics remain soft throughout, the dramatic arc coming instead through texture and sonority.‍

Another ostinato-like bass underpins the Barcarolle in F sharp major, completed in 1846. While the barcarolle was a popular nineteenth century musical genre, evoking the lilting boat songs of Venetian gondoliers, Chopin’s took the form in revolutionary new directions through both its sophisticated and even dissonant harmonies, and a climax of almost oceanic drama and power.‍

Debussy’s ‘Reflets dans l’eau’ is the first of three pieces which make up his first book of Images, completed in 1905. A musical depiction of light reflecting off the surface of water, its harmonically complex ornamentations and fluidly shifting rhythms feel full of the influence of Chopin.‍

‘Masks of the commedia dell’arte, young women singing and dancing; everything culminating in the glory of the setting sun’ is how Debussy himself described L’isle joyeuse of 1904. Sparklingly energetic, with the whole-tone scale occasionally lending a more ambiguous note to its joy, it culminates in radiant and highly virtuosic waltz writing. ‍

Spontaneity and passion are equally present across the first movement of Grieg’s Cello Sonata, composed for his cellist brother in 1882/3. Also, subtle shades of his famous Piano Concerto in A minor, whose key it shares. 

Discover the next generation of artists in Classeek’s online concert series, broadcast live here on the Classeek website, and social media channels. 

Kim Bernard, piano | Gautier Capucon, cello

Ballade in F minor No.4, Op.52

Berceuse in D flat major Op.57

Barcarolle in F sharp major Op.60

Reflets dans l’eau

L’isle Joyeuse

Sonata for cello and piano in A minor, Op.36, I. Allegro agitato

Cello & Piano Recital

Caroline Sypniewski

Cellist Caroline Sypniewski's general discussion with Charlotte Gardner in May 2022, about her musical upbringing, studying in Salzburg, and more.

Caroline Sypniewski interview

with Charlotte Gardner 

Masterclasses with cellist Caroline Sypniewski and pianist Pierre-Yves Hodique, given to the students of the Conservatoire de Lausanne (Constance Lengagne, Leonor De Andres, Aïna Rodel, Lorian Castioni and Adrien Huber).

In partnership with the Conservatoire de Lausanne, Classeek is proud to present these masterclasses to the students of the conservatoire, offering important insightful experiences on their educational journey. Bringing together two generations of young artists, Classeek's masterclasses see artists of the Ambassador Program transmitting their knowledge and sharing their wealth of experience, to an even younger generation.

Caroline Sypniewski & Pierre-Yves Hodique masterclass highlights

Caroline joined the Classeek Ambassador Programme in season 2021-22, following her nomination by Gautier Capuçon. 

After studying with Jérôme Pernoo at the Conservatoire national Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and then in Gautier Capuçon’s Classe d’Excellence de Violoncelle at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Caroline Sypniewski went on to study with Clemens Hagen at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. She was named Classical Revelation by Adami (2017) and Young Talent of the Music and Wine Festival in Clos-Vougeot (2019) and was awarded the Ginette Neveu Prize at the Carl Flesch Academy (2015) and Grand Prix of the Académie Ravel (2018). Caroline is supported by the Safran Foundation.

Discover, Follow and Support Talent Globally

Cello

Classeek's Community

Latest