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

Piano

Martina Consonni

Nominated by the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) jury, violist Sào Soulez Larivière joined us in concert in March 2024 as part of the Ambassador Programme. He was joined by fellow Ambassador Programme artist Martina Consonni.

Sào Soulez Larivière and Martina Consonni | R. Schumann: Märchenbilder, Op. 113

Märchenbilder, Op. 113

Classeek Showroom performance, 27 March 2024

Sào Soulez Larivière and Martina Consonni | A. Pärt: Fratres

Fratres

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

with Benjamin Woodroffe

Saò Soulez Larivière, viola  / Nominated in collaboration with the ICMA

Wherever my viola takes me, I will be happy to be by its side.

Larivière: Playing ensemble and in ensemble 

Hand-in-bow with his instrument, Franco-Dutch violist Sào Soulez Larivière will share his love of chamber music that blossomed through childhood play with his sister and violinist, Cosima. His open and sensitive musicality was especially drawn to the role of the viola in ensemble playing, “As a violist, you use your ears more than your voice, so to speak!” Although the siblings still frequently perform together, this programme will be presented with Italian pianist Martina Consonni, another artist of Classeek’s Ambassador Programme.

 (‘brother’ in Latin) by Arvo Pärt. It is an exploration of 

 - the rich complexity of pealing bells, unfurled through inversions and variations of a chord progression. Simultaneously, its unfolding patterns and sequences reveal Pärt’s underlying uncertainty: 

“Tintinnabulation is an area I sometimes wander into when I am searching for answers…In my dark hours, I have the certain feeling that everything outside this one thing has no meaning. The complex and many-faceted only confuses me, and I must search for unity. What is it, this one thing, and how do I find my way to it?” 

 (“Rain Sonata”), the final movement of Brahms’ 

 No.1, Op. 78 quotes melodic motifs from his own art song 

 (“Rainsong”). A romantic sonata, viola and piano intertwine to paint literary and musical allusions to rain. Amidst this shower, the text of 

 spills over: “Pour rain, pour down/Wake again in me those dreams/That I dreamt in childhood…” 

Fairytales make many childhood dreams, as in Schumann’s 

 (“Fairytale Pictures”). A series of four meticulously crafted miniatures, 

 dives into different moods, comparing and contrasting to create small artistic gems. Tonally centred around D, we begin with a wandering tenderness in the minor. With a buoyant dotted figure, the second movement 

 propels us into an active curiosity. We return to D minor for a virtuosic whirlwind in the third movement, before settling into a final movement that leaves us with childlike yearning. 

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Sào Soulez Larivière

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