Artists & projects

Simon Höfele, 25, is one of the most exciting trumpeters of the up-and-coming generation. He was BBC Radio3 new generation artist, Rising Star of the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO) 2019-20, nominated by Philharmonie Cologne, Konzerthaus Dortmund and Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and “Junger Wilder” at Konzerthaus Dortmund.

Founded in Barcelona, Kebyart is one of the most promising ensembles of the current music scene. These four talented musicians share an endless passion for chamber music and wish to bring fresh air in the way classical music is communicated. Their endeavour to transform their performances into a unique experience results in an explosive and vibrant staging, which has been praised by audiences and specialized critics. The distinctive signature of Kebyart is revealed in a creative and open approach to the repertoire, which goes in three directions: the original literature, the commitment with nowadays music and their own arrangements of wide variety styles.

On his new album, Benedict Kloeckner creates an intercultural dialogue between the six cello suites of Johann Sebastian Bach and contemporary miniatures by composers from six different continents

"Berlin Freizeit" combines works commissioned by the Kuss Quartet over the last years as well as artistic companions and musical friends. It transforms "the public silence to an inner, internal sound. [...] is there a better way to use creative "spare time/Freizeit"?"

The 2021/22 season of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra with its new principal conductor Michael Sanderling is focussed on the large, late Romantic repertoire, top-class soloists and (un)expected programmes.

The Paris based Quatuor Modigliani, which was founded in 2003, is a regular guest of the world’s top venues and finest String Quartet & Chamber Music series.

The Molyvos International Music Festival (MIMF) is a unique project in the North Aegean region that brings together the greatest international young talents for a four-day celebration of world- class classical music. The motto of the 2019 edition was "Dia-logos".

Hailed by Gramophone Magazine as "one of the finest among the astonishing gallery of young virtuoso cellists", German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser has performed with the world’s leading orchestras. His latest recordings include the concertos by Dvořák, Lalo, Elgar and Tchaikovsky, which have gained him the prestigious Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik and the Diapason d'Or. Johannes Moser records exclusively for the label PENTATONE.

Fabian Müller could establish himself as one of the most remarkable German pianists of his generation. He caused a great sensation at the International ARD music competition in Munich 2017, when he not only won 2nd prize in the overall ranking, but was awarded with not less than four additional prizes. He is releasing his third studio album, entitled "passionato", on the Berlin Classics label amid the coronavirus shutdown., a statement full of musical passion that casts a fresh look at standard classical works by Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms and Rihm in the here and now.

As a conductor, Alejo Pérez possesses an inherent stylistic awareness and the ability to bring every detail of the most complex score to life. This has consistently secured him a firm place on the international opera and concert scene. Since the 2019/20 season, Alejo Pérez is Music Director of the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen.

In 2019 Theo Plath was appointed principal bassoon player of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and won 3rd Prize at the ARD Competition in Munich. In 2019 he recorded a solo CD with the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, due for release on the Genuin classics label in 2020. In May 2021 his second album with works for bassoon and piano will be released on the label CAvi with works by Saint-Saëns, Boulanger, Debussy und Franck.

With her flexible and expressive high soprano Eva Resch is one of the most exciting singers. The press raves: Resch, who knows how to switch expertly between dramatic expression and lyrical delicacy, sounds authentic in every single tone, in every urgently expressed emotion and expressiveness (Bremer Nachrichten); A new star in the lieder-singing firmament (Concerti).

In November 2021 Fedor Rudin releases his new album with the pianist Boris Kusnezow on Orchid Classics. The program includes works written by composers of different generations in the middle of the last century - Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich and his known grandfather Edison Denisov. The listener will find well-known, regularly performed works, among previously unperformed and even unpublished works.

What happens when a pianist specialising in contemporary classical music joins three avantgarde musicians and they compose in real time? When modern piano pieces are structurally thought ahead and hence played by a trio with vibraphone, drums and bass?

The three brothers Mark, Erik and Ken Schumann have been playing together since their earliest childhood. In 2012, they were joined by violist Liisa Randalu, who was born in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and grew up in Karlsruhe, Germany. Those who experience the quartet in performance often remark on the strong connection between its members. The four musicians enjoy the way they communicate without words: how a single look suffices to convey how a particular member wants to play a particular passage. Although the individual personalities clearly manifest themselves, a common space arises in every musical work in a process of spiritual metamorphosis.

Intelligent clarity and an in-depth and always curious musicality characterize Markus Stenz' work. Worldwide much valued, he has held a number of high-profile positions with international orchestras and opera houses including Principal Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra (2012-2019), Principal Guest of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (2015-2019), Conductor-In-Residence of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (2016-2019). He was General Music Director of the City of Cologne and Gürzenich-Kapellmeister for 11 years.

The South Korean conductor Shiyeon Sung is a real trailblazer of her profession. She is the first female conductor out of South Korea to make the leap to the podium of internationally renowned orchestras, including the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin, the Bamberg and the Nuremberg Symphony.

At the age of 27 Ildikó Szabó is already a cello-institution in her home country Hungary. In 2014 she was awarded 2nd prize, the audience award and 7 special prizes at the International Pablo Casals Competition. She is currently studying at Kronberg Academy and lives in Berlin.

French harpist Anaëlle Tourret is one of the leading soloists of her instrument. In March 2018, at the age of 25, she was appointed Principal Harpist of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in Hamburg. In October 2021 she releases her debut album with works for harp solo of the 20th century (Caplet, Britten, Holliger, Hindemith) on the record label Es Dur.

After a break caused by the pandemic, the Ohrknacker series is now continuing in 2021 with four new online events in streaming format, featuring compositions by Daniela Terranova (15 Feb.),Tomi Räisänen (8 Mar.), Irene Galindo Quero (29 Mar.) and Sara Glojnarić (19 Apr.). The live streams each last an hour. The musicians from Trio Catch, together with the composers, invite the audience to take part in online discussions before and after the performances.

The oboist Juri Vallentin is always looking for new forms of expression and storytelling on his instrument, a quest that has earned him a place among the most outstanding young musicians of our time. His objective is to constantly develop modern contexts for classical music from baroque to contemporary. In 2021, he won the Berlin Prize for Young Artists, curated by VAN magazine, which recognises new concert formats devised by young soloists, for his solo performance INNER VOICES, developed in collaboration with the director Neil Barry Moss.

Belgian clarinettist Annelien Van Wauwe is forging a reputation as one of the most exciting and original clarinettists of her generation, captivating audiences with her expressive, intense and lyrical performances. A former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist, Annelien has won numerous international competitions. Her debut album Belle époque with the Orchestre National de Lille conducted by Alexandre Bloch was released in 2019 on Pentatone. She is the co-founder of Brussels-based CAROUSEL Chamber Music Ensemble.

Brimful of energy, Antje Weithaas’ brings her compelling musical intelligence and technical mastery to every detail of the music. Her charisma and stage presence are captivating, but never overshadow the works themselves.