Winner of our Ambassador Programme Open Application

"Elise Bertrand impresses with her remarkable creativity. Her compositions showcase a blend of exceptional musical, technical, and expressive qualities, all contributing to profound and delicately nuanced poetics. Her artistic freedom and creative vigor establish her as a unique and distinctive composer, and certainly, one to watch!"

Born in 2000, Elise Bertrand began playing the piano at the age of 5, the violin at the age of 8, and began composing just three years later. After studying at the CRR in Toulon, Elise went on to obtain her master's degree at the CNSMDP in the class of Roland Daugareil and extended her career in higher writing classes in the same establishment (harmony, counterpoint, etc.). In 2022 she also became Artist in Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in the class of Augustin Dumay. 

After studying at the CRR in Toulon, Elise went on to obtain her master's degree at the CNSMDP in the class of Roland Daugareil and extended her career in higher writing classes in the same establishment (harmony, counterpoint, etc.). In 2022 she also became Artist in Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in the class of Augustin Dumay. 

She participates in the Academy of Villecroze (2019), in the Seiji Ozawa and International Menuhin Music Academy in the summer of 2021 and 2022, in the Jaroussky Academy (2021 and 2022) in the Tchaikovsky promotion and in the Stauffer Academy of Cremona with Gil Shaham in 2023.

Elise has also won numerous violin, chamber music and composition competitions, including 2nd Prize at the Ginette Neveu International Competition and the Special Prize for the best interpretation of the contemporary piece, in 2019; 1st Prize and Special Prize at the Léopold Bellan International Competition; and in 2022 she was awarded the 1st Prize of the Rotary Club Paris as well as 1st Prize – Honorary Prize at the International Competition for Young Talents in Normandy. 

Her first album "Lettera Amorosa" (on the Klarthe label) around her works is hailed by critics and the press.

Composer

Elise Bertrand

Elise Bertrand talks about her work as a composer, including the inspiration for Psalmodie (a world premiere that was commissioned by Classeek for her concert with us). She also discusses her teachers, mentors, and inspiration as she continues to build a thriving career as both a composer and violinist.

Elise Bertrand Interview

with Benjamin Woodroffe

Franco-Dutch violist Sào Soulez Larivière is quickly building himself a thriving career as a versatile musician. Captivating audiences with his playing and original programming, he endeavours to broaden the accessibility and understanding of classical music.He is the winner of the 2023 Prague Spring Competition, as well as a top prizewinner of the Tokyo Viola Competition '22, Oskar Nedbal Viola Competiton '20, Max Rostal Competition '19, Cecil Aronowitz Viola Competition '17 and Johannes Brahms Competition '17. He has also been featured at numerous renowned academies such as the Verbier Festival, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Ozawa Academy and IMS Prussia Cove.

Chamber music has always been at the heart of his musical upbringing, sharing his love for music with his sister, violinist Cosima Soulez Larivière, with whom he still frequently performs. Sào is a member of the Frielinghaus Ensemble, which released an acclaimed album in 2020, featuring sextets by Dvořák and Tchaikovsky. As a much sought after chamber musician, he has appeared at various festivals such as Festpiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Krzyzowa-Music Festival, and ‘Chamber Music Connects the World’ in Kronberg. 

An advocate for expanding the horizons of the viola repertoire, he enjoys arranging works for his instrument, as well as promoting contemporary music. Working with accomplished composers has offered him an unparalleled opportunity to delve deeper into the creative side of music. Notably, Sào received the prize for his interpretation of the commissioned work both at the Tokyo Viola Competition and the Max Rostal Competition.

Viola

Sào Soulez Larivière

Sào Soulez Larivière talks about his selection for the Ambassador Programme through our partnership with the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA), his musical family, his inspirations and mentors, and how he approaches programming his concerts.

Sào Soulez Larivière Interview

"Madelyn Kowalski is a truly individual musician, with an unusually enquiring mind, and the ability to express deeply felt emotions through her playing. She is also a unique person - a highly talented  visual artist as well as cellist; maybe that (partly) explains why her performances are so vivid!"

American cellist Madelyn Kowalski grew up in a creative family on a small island in the Pacific Northwest of Washington State, surrounded by woods, sea, mountains, animals, music, and art, which all contributed to the inspiration and imagination she searches for in her work.Madelyn began cello lessons at age seven with Mia Frederickson and Leslie Marckx. 

She made her concerto debut with the Cascade Symphony at age 14. In 2016, Madelyn moved to the UK to study with Alison Wells at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS). She graduated with her bachelor’s in 2020 and completed her master’s in 2022.​

In January 2023 Madelyn was invited by Steven Isserlis to give a recital at the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad, where her performance received the André Hoffmann prize for the best interpretation of the commissioned work for the festival: Fuego Negro, by composer Diana Syrse. She is currently a 2023 Lamp Fellow in Nova Scotia where her recent chamber music collaborators have included Kim Kashkashian, Jane Coop, Anna Han, and Catherina Lee.

Cello

Madelyn Kowalski

Madelyn Kowalski talks about her upbringing and musical background, how she came to play the cello and work with Steven Isserlis (who would go on to nominate her for the Classeek Ambassador Programme), and her programme for the Classeek concert.

Madelyn Kowalski Interview

"Clarissa has all the qualities necessary to make her mark on the music industry today. She is an incredibly well trained artist with a beautifully distinctive sound, who knows how to present herself in today’s ever changing musical landscape. We believe Clarissa has the right tools to reach international audiences and we are very much looking forward to working with her on the Classeek Ambassador Programme." 

Violinist Clarissa Bevilacqua is known to enchant audiences with her dazzling technical skills and deeply inspiring musicality. Music director and conductor Terry Lowry says she has that “rare star quality that is difficult to describe, but impossible to miss.” 

Clarissa debuted at the Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago in front of ten thousand people when she was nine years old. She has performed solo recitals and concerto engagements at venues throughout North America and Europe. Recent and upcoming soloist performances include the opening concert of the Mozartwoche 2023 with the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, the premier recording of the Augusta Read Thomas concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Cape Symphony, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Orchestra della Toscana, Orchestra Filarmonica di Benevento, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, El Sistema Orchestra and the Salzburger Orchester Solisten. 

Winner of several international competitions, she was awarded First Prize, Audience Award and Special Bärenreiter Award at the International Mozart Competition Salzburg. She was also awarded the Grand Prize at the Cape Symphony International Violin Concerto Competition. She is a Young Artist of the Classically Connected Organization in New York, and an Affiliate Artist of the Guarneri Hall Program in Chicago. An avid and enthusiastic learner, Clarissa received her Bachelor of Music at age sixteen, graduating summa cum laude. In 2021, she completed her Master of Music in Violin Performance at the Mozarteum University Salzburg with Pierre Amoyal. She is currently studying with Antje Weithaas at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin.

Violin

Clarissa Bevilacqua

Clarissa Bevilacqua talks about her involvement in the Classique Ambassador Programme,  her experiences studying in various places such as Italy, Salzburg, and Berlin, and her vision for Dynamic Fest, a festival she founded in Salzburg, Austria.

Clarissa Bevilacqua Interview

Dmitry Smirnov talks about his artistic influences, experiences as both a performer and leader behind the scenes, and learning to embrace experimentation in his music.

Dmitry Smirnov Interview

Martina Consonni talks about how she came to meet Sir András Schiff, her experiences with the Kronberg Academy, aspirations for her career, and her thoughts on teaching.

Martina Consonni Interview

Tomoki Park talks about how he met Sir András Schiff, the way that he approaches new music and commissions, the Classeek Ambassador Programme, and more in this interview with Benjamin Woodroffe.

Tomoki Park Interview

Russian-Greek violinist Alexey Stychkin comes from a family with deep musical and artistic roots. His devotion and love for a wide range of music and culture since a very early age brings an openness and depth to his musical approach. Born in Moscow, Alexey began his violin studies at the Central Music School for Gifted Children in the class of Galina Tourchaninova. He later moved to Belgium to continue his studies with Marc Bouchkov at the Liege Royal Conservatory and recently finished his masters degree Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne where he studied with Mihaela Martin.

In the 2022-23 season, Alexey was selected as an academy artist in the first violin section of the Staatskapelle Berlin, performing under the baton of Daniel Barenboim, Christian Thielemann, Antonello Manacorda, Lorenzo Viotti and many more. For the 25th Anniversary of the Academy, he will lead the orchestra at the side of Daniel Barenboim. Alexey also won the first ever application place on the Classeek Ambassador Programme. 

Alexey made his solo debut with orchestra at the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 with Moscow State Orchestra and further orchestral appearances have included Sibelius Violin Concerto in Gent with GUSO orchestra, Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in Moscow with Russian Philharmonic, Bach Concertos with Maestro Reinhard Goebel and musicians of Villa Musica. Alexey has also performed with the Klassische Philharmonie Bonn as concertmaster on numerous tours, and most recently led the Santander Festival Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Jaime Martín.

His chamber performances include collaborations with artists like Kirill Gerstein, Marc Bouchkov, Kristof Barati, Kian Soltani and Stephan Dohr. Other recent and upcoming performances include Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Festival “Samoborska Glazbena Jesen” in Croatia, Erfurt Music Festival, Leopold Auer Music Festival and more.  Alongside his classical career, Alexey writes music from electronic to orchestral, with a passion for expanding his horizons and combining music and art forms; having written music for film, brands, and more.

Alexey Stychkin

Alexey Stychkin talks about the Ambassador Programme, the Staatskapelle Berlin, his experience at the Kronberg Academy and his openness to chamber music and working with other artists, in this interview with Benjamin Woodroffe. 

Alexey Stychkin Interview

Born in Tbilisi, Georgia in 2000, Giorgi took his first piano lessons without ever thinking about becoming a professional pianist. Passionate about singing and arranging Georgian folk and pop songs, he successfully competed in various Georgian singing contests at the age of 12. He did however continue his formal musical training at the Paliashvili Central Music School for Gifted Children and at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, under the guidance of Revaz Tavadze.

Everyone has an idol, and for Giorgi it has always been Martha Argerich. His pianistic career’s turning point came about in April 2019 when he won the 1st Prize at the Vigo International Piano Competition, where Martha Argerich chaired the jury with Nelson Freire at her side. Some months later Giorgi also won the Third Prize and the Audience Prize at the 62nd Busoni International Piano Competition.

The outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic obliged him to remain in Georgia, where he began to write electronic music and songs which have become extremely popular.

2021, on the other hand, offered a fresh stimulus for Giorgi’s other calling, the classical piano: the Hortense Anda-Bührle Bursary, awarded to him at the 15th Géza Anda Piano Competition in Zurich, brought him an invitation to the KlavierOlymp in the German town of Bad Kissingen, where he won the 1st Prize as well as the Audience Prize. At the same time, he joined Nelson Goerner’s class at the Geneva University of Music.

Giorgi is supported by Martha Argerich for his studies in Geneva, by the Lisa Batiashvili Foundation and the Géza Anda-Foundation.

Piano

Giorgi Gigashvili

Giorgi Gigashvili talks about his life as a pianist, competition experiences, his mentor Sonia Simmenauer and what it's like to balance a concert pianist schedule with playing in a band, in this interview with Benjamin Woodroffe.

Giorgi Gigashvili Interview

Bilal Alnemr was born in Damascus in 1996. He discovered the violin thanks to a small toy violin given to him by his father and he continued to learn alone using only a DVD. Bilal won the Syrian national violin competition in 2007 and the Solhi Alwadi competition, and has since given concerts across India, Russia, Qatar, Jordan and Lebanon. Following his participation in the Mediterranean cultural exchange ECUME, he joined the conservatory of Aix-en-Provence in the class of Sophie Baduel and moved to Paris in 2012 to study with Suzanne Gessner at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Paris.  Four years later, he graduated from the Paris Conservatoire (CNSMDP) where he studied with Roland Daugareil and Olivier Charlier. He then joined the Barenboïm-Saïd Academy in Berlin to perfect his skills with Michael & Daniel Barenboïm. 

Bilal recently made his debut with the ORF Radio Symphonie Orchester Wien, under the direction of Thomas Zehetmair. Since the age of sixteen, his professional career has brought many successful collaborations, including performances alongside Renaud Capuçon, Hélène Grimaud, Barbara Hendricks and Daniel Barenboim. A special place in his repertoire goes to concertos for violin and orchestra. He is also very interested and curious to learn from the modern and contemporary repertoire, often performing programmes including works such as Anthème I and II by Pierre Boulez, as well as Sequenza by Luciano Berio. As an orchestral and chamber musician, Bilal Alnemr regularly plays in the Boulez Ensemble of Berlin and in the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble. Furthermore, Bilal has been a member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra since 2018.

In July 2022, he created Les Rencontres Musicales de Vauvenargues, a musical festival aimed at thanking this Provençal village for having welcomed his family fleeing the war in Syria. Bilal also co-founded UGARIT, a non-profit association aimed at developing cultural exchanges in the field of music, between Syria, France and the rest of the world.

Bilal Alnemr plays a 1774 Lorenzo Carcassi violin generously lent by Michael Barenboim.

Bilal Alnemr

Bilal Alnemr talks about his upbringing  as a violinist, his life experiences, connections in the musical world and upcoming opportunities, in this interview with Benjamin Woodroffe.

Bilal Alnemr Interview

Pianist Julia Hamos combines her American and Hungarian roots with an adventurous spirit to explore the essence of repertoire ranging from Bach to composers living today. Instinctive artistic expression, a forward-thinking attitude, a joyful physical flexibility at the instrument, and an unyielding fascination with the music she plays makes her an artist to watch. 

Julia is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London with Christopher Elton and the Mannes College of Music in New York with Richard Goode, and currently studies with Sir András Schiff at the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin and at the Kronberg Academy. She worked with Daniel Barenboim in a series of filmed masterclasses on Beethoven, and delved into György Kurtág’s 8 Pieces, Op. 3 together with the composer at the Budapest Music Center. 

Winner of the Sterndale Bennett Prize for romantic music at the Royal Academy, the Fidelman Prize for contemporary music from the Mannes School of Music, and the Grand Prix of the International Virtuoso Competition in New York City, Julia is in international demand as a soloist and chamber musician. She performs at the Pierre Boulez Saal and Konzerthaus, Berlin, the Wigmore Hall, London, in New York at Lincoln Center, 92nd St. Y and Carnegie Hall, the Liszt Academy in Budapest, as part of the Verbier Festival Academy, at the Prussia Cove festival in Cornwall, and at the Krzyzowa Festival in Kreisau, Poland. 

Recent notable performances are with Christian Tetzlaff and Tabea Zimmermann at Kronberg Academy’s Chamber Music Connects the World and performing the Ligeti Concerto at the Spoleto Festival USA and at the Trasimeno Music Festival in Italy. From 2017-2019 she taught at the 92nd Street Y School of Music in New York. She also gains new insights from working closely with other art fields, resulting in collaborations with the Martha Graham Dance Company, the New English Ballet Theatre and the New School’s Drama Division. 

She will appear in the Building Bridges series of concerts throughout Europe in 2022/23 (at the invitation of Sir András Schiff) in addition to performing at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, in King’s Place, London, at the new Casals Forum in Kronberg, with the National Radio Orchestra of Poland in Wroclaw, and in the Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam.  In the summer of 2023 she will record Mozart’s Concerto for three pianos with the Camerata Schweiz conducted by Howard Griffiths under the Alpha Classics label. She currently serves as the assistant to the musicology program at the Barenboim-Said Akademie and is also in the process of recording her first solo CD. 

Julia Hamos

Julia Hamos talks with Benjamin Woodroffe about her programming, upcoming concerts, travels around the world, and her experience on Sir András Schiff's Building Bridges series, as well as the Classeek Ambassador Programme.

Julia Hamos Interview

Born in 2002 in South Korea, Jeein You began playing cello at the age of five. Between 2009-2016 she studied with Myung-wha Chung at Korea National University of Arts Preschool and the Korea Institute for Gifted in Arts, at the age of 13, gained a place at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in the class of Michel Strauss, obtaining her Bachelors and Masters degree. She has engaged in masterclasses with renowned cellists such as Arto Noras, Frans Helmerson, Song-young Hun, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi and many others. 

Jeein was selected as a laureate for Gautier Capuçon’s Classe d'Excellence de Violoncelle at the Louis Vuitton Foundation during seasons 2019-2022, and in the 2022-23 season will also partake in the recently launched Fondation Gautier Capuçon. 

This season, Jeein will perform in recital at the Seoul Arts Center in IBK Hall, as well as on tour throughout Europe (including Konzerthaus Vienna, Konzerthaus Dortmund, Fondation Louis Vuitton Paris, Salle Métropole Lausanne and Victoria Hall Geneva) with Gautier Capuçon and ensemble Capucelli. In 2021 the ensemble of eight cellists recorded works to be released on Gautier’s upcoming album ‘Sensations’. Later this season Jeein will also perform at Classeek’s concert hall in Switzerland, as part of their Ambassador Programme concert season for emerging young artists. 

Championing many acclaimed competitions, Jeein has won several first and special prizes including the International Dotzauer competition for Young Cellists in Dresden, Germany (First prize and special prize), 23rd International Cello Competition in Heran, Czech Republic (First prize and grand prize), and the 11th OSAKA International Music Competition (First prize). Furthermore, she won both the first prize and contemporary music prize at the 10th International Competition for Young Musicians in Tallinn, Estonia, which was followed by a winners performance of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C with the Tallinn Philharmonic Orchestra. 

As a soloist, Jeein has performed concerti with the Philharmonia Korea Orchestra, Guro Arts Valley Orchestra, Gunpo Philharmonic Orchestra, Wonju Philharmonic Orchestra, Tallinn Philharmonic Orchestra, Kaunas Philharmonic Orchestra, amongst others. In recital, she has also performed in many established concert series and venues throughout Europe and Asia. 

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

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 studying with Françoise Gnéri, before continuing his studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris with teachers Sabine Toutain and Christophe Gaugué. 

Paul regularly participates in various international academies and masterclasses including the Kronberg Academy Festival and the Anton Rubinstein Academy in Düsseldorf. He had the opportunity to improve his skills with masters such as Tabea Zimmermann, Gérard Caussé, Tatjana Masurenko, Bruno Pasquier, Nils Mönkemeyer, Claire Désert, the Ebene Quartet and Laurent Korcia. In addition, he received a scholarship from the International Music Academy in Liechtenstein and took part in the academy's intensive weeks and activities. 

Paul has won several prizes at international competitions, including the 3rd prize at the prestigious “Lionel Tertis Competition” (Isle of Man), Grand Prix at the Safran Foundation, 1st prize at the “Concours de Cordes d 'Epernay” and 3rd prize of the “Autumn Musical Festival of Young Performers”, which paved the way to performances as a soloist with several orchestras under the direction of Nicolas Simon, Philippe Barbey-Lallia, Nicolas Krauze, Roman Dumas and Martin Lebel. 

At the age of just 16, Paul performed Bartók's Concerto with the Pasdeloup Orchestra, and has since performed as a soloist with the Republican Guard Orchestra, Column Orchestra, New Europe, Pocket Symphony and the COGE. 

Furthermore, he is passionate about chamber music, and has shared the stage with artists such as Valeriy Sokolov, François Salque, Pierre Fouchenneret, Jérôme Pernoo, Marc Coppey, Adam Laloum, Emmanuel Strosser, Adrien Boisseau, Liya Petrova, Adrien La Marca, Jérôme Ducros, Jérémy Menuhin, Victor Julien-Laferrière and Nicolas Baldeyrou, and many others. 

Paul Zientara

Paul Zientara talks with Michel Le Naour about his education, experiences, inspirations  and collaborations.

Paul Zientara Interview

with Michel Le Naour

“Avery Gagliano is a distinctive young talent who has already graduated to the big league of professional pianists while still a student at music college.” – International Piano magazine  

Having recently made her Carnegie Hall debut and released her debut album “Reflections” on the Steinway & Sons label, 21-year-old pianist Avery Gagliano captures audiences with her sensitivity, emotional depth, and musical expression. She gained international attention as the First Prize and Best Concerto Prize winner of the 2020 National Chopin Piano Competition, and as the only American semifinalist at the 18th International Chopin Competition in 2021. 

Recent performance highlights include appearances at world-renown stages such as the Verbier Festival, Gilmore Festival, Bravo!Vail Festival, Ravinia Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Swiss Alps Classics Festival, Carnegie Hall, Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, Cavatina Hall, Louis Vuitton Foundation, Salle Cortot, and WQXR Greene Space.

Avery has soloed with orchestras throughout the United States, including the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra, Tuscarawas Philharmonic, MostArts Festival Orchestra, Oregon Mozart Players, the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphony in C.  A passionate chamber musician, she regularly collaborates with ensembles, most recently sharing the stage with the Balourdet Quartet at Bravo!Vail. She also frequently performs as a guest artist with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players in New York.Avery received the Audience Prize at the 2019 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition, and was the winner of the Aspen Music Festival Concerto Competition, MostArts Festival Piano Competition, and 2019 National YoungArts Competition. She is an alumna of the Verbier Festival & Academy, Gstaad Piano Academy, and the Lang Lang International Music Foundation’s Young Scholars Program, a four-year winner of the US Chopin Foundation Scholarship, and has made several appearances on Philadelphia’s WRTI classical radio and National Public Radio’s (NPR) From The Top.

At the invitation of Sir András Schiff, she will join the Building Bridges concert series and appear in recitals throughout Europe in the 2022/23 season.  She will also make her debut with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Fort Collins Symphony, and Avanti Orchestra.

Avery is originally from Washington, D.C., where she studied with Marina Alekseyeva. She currently resides in Philadelphia and studies at the Curtis Institute of Music with Robert McDonald.  She has also studied with Gary Graffman and Jonathan Biss while at Curtis. 

Avery Gagliano

Avery Gagliano talks with Benjamin Woodroffe about her recent competition success, CD release and joining the Classeek Ambassador Programme. 

Avery Gagliano interview

Born in 1999, Bernard Kim started studying piano at age 5 with Michèle Mary. Upon meeting Bernard d’Ascoli and Eleanor Harris he began studies at the Piano Cantabile academy in Aubagne in 2008, as well as at the Toulon Conservatory with Célimène Daudet, graduating with highest honors in 2011. The following year, he won the first prize at the Montrond-les-Bains International Competition in the under 17 category as well as first prize at the Nuits Pianistiques competition in Aix-en-Provence. 

In 2013 he was admitted to the Lyon National Superior Conservatory, where he studied with Florent Boffard and Laurent Cabasso. He earned his masters degree in 2018 and then went on to begin a Concertiste program at the Paris Regional Conservatory. Later that year he won the third prize at the Cziffra International Competition in Senlis. 

Kim has performed at the MuCEM in Marseille, at the Petit Palais in Paris for the Jeune Talents program, and at several festivals in the South of France. In April 2021 he was selected to join Gautier Capuçon’s concert tour, “Un été en France,” and soon after became the first laureate of the Fondation Gautier Capuçon, which helps launch the careers of promising young artists. With support from the Fondation, Kim recorded his first album, “Chopin, Debussy, Ravel” in January of 2022, which will be released on Warner Classics & Erato in summer 2022.

Kim Bernard

Kim Bernard talks with Charlotte Gardner about his debut album release, his choice and relationship with the works and his musical upbringing.

Kim Bernard interview

with Charlotte Gardner

Performing regularly as a concert pianist in Japan, Kiana Reid has also given concerts in Italy, Germany, Austria, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. She has been invited to perform at many prestigious venues, including the Suntory Hall and Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall in Japan. She has performed with many professional artists and in various orchestras, including Orchestra Sinfonica Metropolitana di Bari,Tochigi Philharmonic Orchestra, Geidai Philharmonia Orchestra, Takamatsu Symphony Orchestra, Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra and Seto Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Born in Japan in 1995, Reid studied the piano from the age of six, and at the age of eleven she was awarded the first prize at the PTNA Piano Competition. In 2010, she was accepted by The Music High School attached to The Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts and started to study with Hirosh Arimori. When she was seventeen, she performed at the Salzburg Music Festival. In 2014 She received a Scholarship funded by YAMAHA and Rohm music foundation. She won the 5th prize at the 3rd Takamatsu International Piano Competition, won 1st prize at the Città di Albenga International Piano Competition, won 1st prize at the Amigdala International Prize for Piano Interpretation and 46th Palma d'Oro International Piano Competition.

In March 2017 she graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts at the top of her year and performed for the Imperial Family at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. She received Ariadne Musica Prize, Oga Norio Prize, Mitsubishi Chisyo Prize, Acanthus Music Prize, Ataka Prize, and Doseikai Prize from Tokyo University of the Arts. She also received the Next Generation Cultural Award and Art Encouragement Prize from Shiga prefecture. She is a selected 2021-22 artist of  “Building Bridges for the Next Generation of Pianists” produced by Sir Andràs Schiff.

She studied under Prof. Pasquale Iannone, and graduated from Conservatorio di Musica “Niccolò Piccinni” Bari with the highest score. She currently continues her studies under the tutelage of Prof. Eldar Nebolsin at Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin.

Kiana Reid

Kiana Reid talks with Classeek about her recital programme and life as an artist in Europe and Asia.

Kiana Reid interview

with Classeek

Hailed as a “wonderful pianist” with “absolute devotion to the music” and “admirable technique” (Globes), pianist Shir Semmel has performed in Europe, the United States, and her native Israel to critical acclaim. Praised for her “unstoppable energy and personality” (timesunionPLUS), her performances have been described as “gripping from beginning to end” (The Jerusalem Post). 

Semmel has recently been invited by Sir András Schiff to play recitals throughout Europe as part of his “Building Bridges” series, created to highlight young pianists of unusual promise. First Prize winner of several competitions, she has participated in international festivals such as the Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, Music@Menlo, IMS Prussia Cove, IMS Open Chamber Music, the Gstaad Piano Academy at the Menuhin Festival, Mänttä Piano Festival in Finland and the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New-York. She has appeared in such venues as Carnegie Hall (Weill and Zankel), Merkin Hall, Steinway Hall, Shriver Hall, Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater and Rose Studio, the Jerusalem Theater, Tel-Aviv Museum and many more. Future engagements include concerts in Israel, the United States (west and east coasts), Germany (including at the Konzerthaus Berlin) and Switzerland. 

​An avid chamber musician, Semmel cofounded the Jerusalem Piano Duo together with her brother, pianist Dror Semmel, and is also on the roster of the Manhattan Chamber players. She has collaborated with such artists as Gilbert Kalish, Colin Carr, Isabel Leonard, Hagai Shaham, Zvi Plesser, members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and members of the Israel Philharmonoic Orchestra. As a former member of Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble ACJW, she performed regularly at Carnegie Hall among other venues, and worked to engage with the community and enhance music education throughout New York. ​Many of her concerts were recorded for the radio and some have been released on CD. A consistent recipient of the American-Israel Cultural Foundation excellence scholarships, Semmel has worked with renowned pianists such as Sir András Schiff, Murray Perahia, Richard Goode, Robert Levin, Jonathan Biss, Yefim Bronfman, and many others.

​In addition to her busy performance schedule, Shir has also taught undergraduate piano and chamber music students at Stony Brook University. She has given masterclasses in schools and universities in the US, and led workshops at the Juilliard School in New York. She currently teaches at the Israel Conservatory of Music, Tel-Aviv. ​

Born in Jerusalem, Semmel studied with Lena Nemirosky-Wiskind. She graduated summa cum laude from the Jerusalem Music Academy as a student of Alexander Tamir and Asaf Zohar. She completed her Master of Music degree with honors at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music where she studied with Emanuel Krasovsky. She spent four years at the Peabody Institute as a student of Leon Fleisher, and has recently completed her DMA at SUNY Stony Brook under the tutelage of Gilbert Kalish.

Shir Semmel

Shir Semmel talks with Charlotte Gardner in an insightful discussion about her programme, her relationships with the composers of these works, and more about her musical upbringing. 

Shir Semmel interview

After studying with Jérôme Pernoo at the CNSM in Paris and then in Gautier Capuçon's class of excellence at the Vuitton Foundation, Caroline Sypniewski perfected her skills with Clemens Hagen at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. At the same time, she obtained the DEM in piano at the CRR in Paris as well as a DEM in accompaniment at the CRR in Boulogne-Billancourt. Throughout her career, she has notably benefited from the advice of Gary Hoffman, Lluis Claret, Ivan Monighetti, Wolfgang Boettcher, Colin Carr.

Caroline has performed as a soloist and in chamber music in many festivals such as Prades, Debussy, W Krainie Chopina in Warsaw, the Orangerie de Sceaux, Vézère, Val d'Aulnay, Edinburgh Festival, Tons Voisins, Notes in Irancy, Instants de Grasse, Music at l'Empéri, Music at Versailles, Music and wines at Clos-Vougeot, Musical Thursdays in Royan, Monsieur Haydn's Holidays at Roche Posay; and in large halls European institutions such as the Victoria Hall in Geneva, Philharmonie de Paris, Kurhaus in Baden-Baden, La Seine Musicale, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Schloss Elmau, Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, and the Chorégies d'Orange. In April 2018 she represented the Van Cleef & Arpels brand at a private event at the Summer Palace in Beijing.

She has taken part in numerous varied projects including the Seiji Ozawa Academy, Jaroussky Academy, Villecroze Academy, and masterclasses at Kronberg. She is a resident at the Villa Musica Foundation in Germany within the Mona Quartet, also a resident at ProQuartet, and she founded a string trio with her two sisters Magdalena and Anna. On the chamber music platform, she has shared the stage with Adam Laloum, Abdel Rahman El Bacha, Marie-Josèphe Jude, Gautier Capuçon, Philippe Graffin, Emmanuel Pahud, Jérôme Pernoo, Michel Beroff, Laurent Naouri, Philippe Bernold, amongst many others. As a soloist, Caroline has performed with the Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestra, Dijon-Bourgogne Orchestra, Appassionato Ensemble, Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and the New Europe Chamber Orchestra.

Caroline was named Adami's Classic Revelation 2017, Young Talent 2019 at the Music and Wine Festival at Clos-Vougeot, is supported by the Safran Foundation and won the Ginette Neveu prize at the Carl Flesch Academy 2015 as well as the Grand Prix of the 2018 Ravel Academy.

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 

Born in 1995 to a family of musicians, Nathalia Milstein began the piano at the age of 4 with her father Serguei Milstein and continued her studies with Nelson Goerner at the Geneva Haute Ecole de Musique as well as with Sir András Schiff at the Barenboim-Saïd Akademie in Berlin.

Nathalia launched her international career in 2015 by winning 1st Prize at the Dublin International Piano Competition and has been since then invited to renowned halls such as the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Zankel Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin and the Radio France Auditorium in Paris, as well as performing with orchestras such as the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss, Boulez Ensemble, Paris and Geneva Chamber Orchestras, amongst conductors such as Mikko Franck, Matthias Pintscher, John Storgårds and Arie van Beek.

In 2017 she was awarded the Young Soloist Prize by the Médias Francophones Publics and in season 2021/22 Nathalia was selected for the “Building Bridges” series curated by Sir András Schiff. Throughout her studies, Nathalia Milstein has received valuable teaching from renowned professors and pianists such as Daniel Barenboim, Menahem Pressler, Emanuel Krasovsky, Elena Ashkenazy or Enrico Pace.

A keen chamber music player, Nathalia also performs regularly with renowned musicians and is invited to international chamber music events, such as the Intonations Festival in Berlin, the West Cork Festival in Ireland, Lavaux Classic in Switzerland, the Schiermonnikoog Festival in the Netherlands. She also appears on the latest CD recording of the Prazak Quartet dedicated to works of Smetana. For several years she has been playing in duo with her sister violinist Maria Milstein, with whom she recorded two albums together - “La Sonate de Vinteuil” (2017) and “Ravel Voyageur” (2019) - both on the French label Mirare and praised by international critics. Supported by the Safran Foundation (Paris) and the Foundation “Tempo” (Geneva), Nathalia's debut solo CD, featuring works of Prokofiev and Ravel, is released in 2018 on Mirare. Her second album « Visions Fugitives » is released in September 2021 and is awarded a « Choc Classica » as one of the best recordings of 2021.

Nathalia Milstein

Nathalia Milstein's discussion with Charlotte Gardner about her career experiences and recital programme performed at Classeek in March 2022.

Nathalia Milstein interview

Gautier Capuçon is a true 21st century ambassador for the cello. Performing internationally with many of the world's foremost conductors and instrumentalists, he is also founder and leader of the 'Classe d'Excellence de Violoncelle' at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris and a passionate ambassador for the Orchestre à l'École Association, which brings classical music to more than 40,000 thousands school children across France. A multiple award winner, he is acclaimed for his expressive musicianship, exuberant virtuosity, and for the deep sonority of his 1701 Matteo Goffriller cello "L'Ambassadeur".

Gautier Capuçon

"It's an incredible space dedicated to the arts, dedicated to the young generation... they can experience, they can feel secure, they can try new repertoire, they can show themselves to the world" 

- Gautier Capuçon on the Classeek Showroom

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