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

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. 

Sào Soulez Larivière, viola | Martina Consonni, piano

Violin Sonata No. 1, Op. 78

Viola Recital

We are delighted to announce 10 very promising open application instrumentalist finalists for the Ambassador Programme 2023-2024. Like last year, we were extremely impressed with the high standard of the applicants and thank everyone sincerely for the time and effort that has gone into applying. 

Here are the 10 finalists of our Ambassador Programme (instrumentalists) open application, for season 2022-23:

Next week we will be announcing the final instrumental artist and composer joining our Ambassador Programme from our open application, along with all nominated artists. Stay tuned for the final result! 

Open Application Finalists 

Ambassador Programme 2023-2024

Paul Zientara

Nominated by Renaud Capuçon, violist Paul Zientara  joins the Classeek Ambassador Programme for the 2022-23 season.

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.

Paul Zientara & Arthur Hinnewinkel | Brahms, Viola Sonata No 2 in Eb major, Op. 120

Viola Sonata No 2 in Eb major, Op. 120

Classeek Showroom performance, November 2022

Paul Zientara & Arthur Hinnewinkel | Prokofiev, Extracts from Romeo and Juliet

Extracts from Romeo and Juliet

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

Paul Zientara Interview

with Michel Le Naour

Following our first open application for the final place on our 2022-23 Ambassador Programme, we were impressed by the number of  astounding young artists who applied. It made our decision very difficult, but makes us more determined as an arts organisation, to support and provide a platform for as many artists as we can. 

In particular, one of the application finalists who caught our attention, was Iranian-American violist, Muriel Razavi. A multi-faceted artist, Muriel is in demand as a soloist and chamber player, as well as holding the position of assistant principal violist of the MDR Symphony Orchestra Leipzig. She continues to further her education, studying a doctorate at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre under the artistic supervision of Daniel Barenboim, where she is conducting research on Re-Orientalism in Music.  Most recently she was also announced as a teaching professor at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg. 

"As an artist and composer, you have to look for and find your own way anyway, and this is always the case, regardless of place, origin or culture. Only in this way can a work of art become a work of art." 

Muriel's impact within the arts world is incremental, dedicating herself to creating innovative concert formats, promoting contemporary music by female Iranian composers. She recently debuted Golfam Khayam's Concerto for Viola and Orchestra 'her path through clay and silk' and a solo performance project, 'ancient eve is once again offering apples'.

'ancient eve is once again offering apples' is a solo performance presenting music by Iranian composers Aida Shirazi, Bahar Royaee, Niloufar Nourbakhsh and Farzia Fallah. The performance tells of the life of a woman who opposes political and social restrictions, her suffering and her ways to cope, is depicted. Told in five scenes, her suffering, but also her way of dealing with it, is depicted. She goes through a development in front of the eyes of the audience and gives hope and courage to other women through her newly gained freedom. The inspiration for the project being the hope of a better world for all girls and women. 

In April 2023, Muriel will perform  the 'ancient eve is once again offering apples' at the  

Muriel Razavi making an impact

Ambassador Programme application finalist

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

Nominated onto the Classeek Ambassador Programme by esteemed French violinist Renaud Capuçon, Paul Zientara performs a trio of lyrical viola works alongside pianist Arthur Hinnewinkel. They open the recital with Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, one of the best loved works in the orchestral repertoire, which has undergone many arrangements for every imaginable instrumentation. Extracts of the ballet are heard here for viola and piano, adapted by renowned Soviet violist Vadim Borisovsky. The drama and heightened intensity of the large-scale production are stripped back to expose the raw emotion of Prokofiev’s writing and storytelling. 

To follow, Brahms’ Viola Sonata No. 2, a mellow, intimate work with a contrasting, impassioned central movement. Originally written for the clarinet, the sonata was written at a time when the combination of clarinet and piano was rarely heard, but Brahms enjoyed experimenting with the rich variety in the clarinet’s sound and tonal colours. The altered arrangement for viola also exploits the rich colours and timbres of the instrument, before ending on a sweet, tranquil note that brings us to a calm, contented conclusion. 

To complete this expressive programme is Enescu’s Concertstück, a piece written at the turn of the 20th century as a commission from Fauré for a work for the annual viola concours at the Paris Conservatoire. It is, by its very nature, a show piece, exhibiting the full potential of the instrument and its player – but is rigorously demanding of both. Its composer Enescu was a virtuoso string player himself, still remembered as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history. His cultural heritage manifests throughout the piece with a bold, rhapsodic style, with influences and elements of Romanian folk music. 

Paul Zientara, viola | Arthur Hinnewinkel, piano

Extracts from Romeo and Juliet (arr. for viola and piano)

Viola Sonata No.2 in E flat major, Op.120

Concertstück for viola and piano

Duo Recital

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Filipe Johnson, Dor Sperber, Natalia Morozova, Nimrod Borenstein

5 Pieces for 2 violins and piano

Souvenir d’un lieu cher Op.42

Reminiscences of childhood Op.54 - Lucilla’s beehive and Uchti-Tuchti

Souvenirs Op.49

Quasi una cadenza Op.26b

Rondo in B minor, D 895

Chamber Recital 

In this opening concert of Classeek's 2021-22 season, violinist Filipe Johnson, violist Dor Sperber, and pianist Natalia Morozova join forces performing a selection from Shostakovich's 5 Pieces for 2 Violins and Piano. 

Filipe Johnson, Dor Sperber, Natalia Morozova | Shostakovich, 5 Pieces for 2 Violins and Piano

5 Pieces for 2 Violins and Piano

Classeek Showroom performance, October 2021

In this opening concert of Classeek's 2021-22 season, violinist Filipe Johnson, violist Dor Sperber, and pianist Natalia Morozova join forces performing a selection of chamber and solo works. 

Here, violist Dor Sperber performs Nimrod Borenstein's Quasi una cadenza, Op.26b.

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