Summer season 2024

Sergey Ostrovsky is a solo violinist, conductor, founder and first violin of the Aviv String Quartet for 27 seasons, founder and Artistic Director of the ‘Ensemble Symphonique de Genève’ and has taught violin at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève and Neuchâtel since 2009. He was First Solo Violin of the ‘Orchestre de la Suisse Romande’ from 2007 to 2012. He was also First Solo Violin of the ‘Orquesta de la Communidad Valenciana’ from 2012 to 2015.

Sergey Ostrovsky won the Grand Prize at the 3rd Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition. He is a laureate of the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, 2nd Prize winner of the ‘Schubert and Modernity’ International Competition in Graz (Schubert Prize), as well as a laureate of the ‘Prague Spring’ International Competition and the Rodolfo Lipitzer Prize.

As a soloist, Sergey Ostrovsky plays with prestigious orchestras such as the ‘Orchestre de la Suisse Romande’, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra (Poland), the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the ‘Orquesta de la Communidad Valenciana’, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the ‘Luzerner Sinfonieorchester’ and the Israel Chamber Orchestra.

A passionate conductor, Sergey Ostrovsky is regularly invited to conduct in Switzerland, Spain, Russia, Estonia, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Latvia and Israel.

In 2015, Sergey Ostrovsky created a string ensemble, the ‘Solistes de Neuchâtel’, and in 2023 the ‘Ensemble Symphonique de Genève’. Sergey Ostrovsky's role as artistic director of the’ Ensemble Symphonique de Genève’ is multifaceted, both as an ‘artistic manager’ and as a musician ‘involved’ in the performances. From the latter point of view, he will be able to conduct the orchestra from the podium but also conduct the violin as a soloist.

As a chamber musician, Sergey Ostrovsky has played in the world's most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Louvre Auditorium, the ‘Théâtre du Châtelet’, London's Wigmore Hall and the Sydney Opera House. His ‘Aviv String Quartet’ has also made numerous recordings (Hoffmeister, Dohnanyi, Shostakovich, Schubert, Schulhoff, etc.), some of which have received critical acclaim.

Noémie Bialobroda has been the violist of the Aviv Quartet since 2014, leading an active international career with the ensemble. Their performance of Beethoven’s complete string quartets at the Ansermet Studio in Geneva in 2018-2019 was a great success and strengthened their presence in French-speaking Switzerland.

Noémie Bialobroda, passionate about teaching, is since 2025, viola professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon. She is also Chamber Music Professor and Chamber Music Coordinator at the Haute École de Musique de Genève. Previously, she taught at the Conservatoire de Lausanne and the Conservatoire de Genève. During the summer, she teaches at the Flaine International Music Academy. Her students have won prizes in prestigious national and international competitions.

In recognition of her contributions to music, Noémie Bialobroda was awarded the Leenaards Foundation cultural grant in the music category in 2024.

As a performer, she is invited to renowned concert seasons and festivals, including Wigmore Hall (London), the IRCAM Manifeste Festival, and the Cité de la Musique (Paris), among others. She performs with artists such as Abdel Rahman El Bacha, Yovan Markovitch, Luis Claret, Boris Garlitsky, François Guye, Philippe Müller, Tedi Papavrami, Jean Sulem, Jean-Pierre Wallez, and the Rosamonde Quartet, giving concerts across Europe, Israel, and the United States.

Dedicated to contemporary music, Noémie has premiered two solo viola pieces at IRCAM: Caprice for Solo Viola and Electronics by Japanese composer Keita Matsumiya (2012) and Drifting by Pierre Stordeur (2013). She is also regularly invited to perform with the Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt and the Contrechamps ensemble in Geneva.

Noémie Bialobroda studied with Nobuko Imai and Miguel Da Silva at the Haute école de Musique de Genève and later at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where she completed an Artist Diploma (third cycle) with Professor Jean Sulem.

Noémie Bialobroda is the co-founder and artistic director of the Geneva International String Academy.

This is one of the best CD recordings of the year – perhaps of the decade […]. Here we encounter the closest we have witnessed […] to a new Casals.”

(Early Music Review on the CD recording of J.S. Bach’s 6 Suites for Solo Cello)

“Peter Bruns does what he does best on his Tononi cello from 1730: he declaims, just like Pablo Casals, who also used to own the instrument. Peter Bruns once confirmed the closeness to Casals, saying: ‘I also try to speak with the instrument.’”

(Maja Ellmenreich in Deutschlandradio Cologne)

The cellist Peter Bruns has established an excellent reputation in the international music world as one of Germany’s leading cellists. Born in Berlin, he studied with Professor Peter Vogler at Berlin’s “Hanns Eisler” Academy of Music.

Peter Bruns has performed as soloist and chamber musician in renowned concert halls throughout all continents, including the Berliner Philharmonie, the Carnegie Hall in New York, the Wigmore Hall in London, concert halls in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul, in the Semperoper Dresden, in the Leipziger Gewandhaus as well as at the most important festivals including the Kuhmo, Bergen, Berlin and Dresden Music Festivals, the Budapest Spring Festival, the Seoul Spring Festival and Gidon Kremer’s Lockenhaus festival.

The artist has also performed as soloist with many major orchestras and has toured with the Staatskapelle Dresden as well as with the RAI, MDR and Berlin symphony orchestras. He has collaborated with conductors such as Giuseppe Sinopoli, Eliahu Inbal, Gianandrea Noseda, Christoph Prick, Marc Albrecht and Bruno Weil.

His fascination with the ancient language of music and the instrumentation of the various stylistic periods has led to close collaboration with renowned orchestras in this field, in particular with the “Akademie für Alte Musik” Berlin, with whom Peter Bruns has played for CD productions, concerts and festivals (Bergen, Brügge, Berlin, Regensburg, Köthen).

From 1993-2000, Peter Bruns was Artistic Director of the Moritzburg Festival. From 1998 to 2005, he was Professor for Cello at the Dresden School of Music and, since 2005, has held the same position at the Academy of Music in Leipzig.

Master classes led Peter Bruns to many German cities as well as to London, New York, France, Sweden and Australia.

Developing also a career as conductor, Peter Bruns is the Artistic Director of the Mendelssohn Kammerorchester Leipzig since 2014, and performs regularly in its own concert series in the Gewandhaus Leipzig as well as on tours.

Peter Bruns has recorded a series of award winning CDs including Brahms’s Cello Sonatas, Bach’s Six Suites for Cello Solo, the works of Gabriel Fauré, Ernest Bloch, Charles Koechlin and Robert Schumann, a recording of a Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach concert which won the Cannes Classical Award for “Best CD of the Year”, Antonin Dvorak’s works for cello and orchestra with the Staatskapelle Dresden and his highly acclaimed recordings of Haydn’s, Schumann’s and Volkmann’s Cello Concertos with the Mendelssohn Kammerorchester Leipzig.

Peter Bruns plays on a cello from Carlo Tononi, Venice 1730, which was once owned by Pablo Casals.

“Annegret Kuttner’s playing is characterised by considerable professionalism and perfection, by her contagious electrifying joy in performing music and by the great stylistic sureness of her interpretation.”
Sächsische Zeitung

„...Kuttner's ... light-fingered playing was impressive for its airy clarity..."
Irish Times

Pianist Annegret Kuttner impresses the audience with the naturalness of her interpretation and the lightness and clarity of her playing.

After successfully participating in the Robert Schumann Piano Competition in Zwickau, Annegret has performed already at the age of 16 as a soloist in concerts in Germany and other European countries, including with the European Union Youth Orchestra. She completed her piano studies at the Dresden Academy of Music with Professor Peter Rösel, and received further musical impetus from masterclasses with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, Pavel Gililov and Amadeus Webersinke. Annegret augmented her training with postgraduate studies on piano accompaniment (as a répétiteur) with Professor Monika Raithel as well as studying harpsichord with the internationally renowned expert on ancient music, Professor Ludger Remy.

Annegret Kuttner now teaches at the Academy of Music and Theatre, Leipzig.
In addition to her teaching post, the highly sought-after pianist regularly performs as a soloist and chamber musician in diverse musical and cultural centres in Germany and abroad.
Concert tours have taken her to the Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey, Latvia, Ireland, South Africa and the USA.

Annegret performs regularly with Benjamin Schmid, Antje Weithaas, Natalia Prishepenko, Pauline Sachse, Ivan Zenaty and Robert Oberaigner. In New York, she played Beethoven’s complete works for cello and piano together with cellist Peter Bruns. This concert was extremely well received by the public and press alike (New York Sun). Various internationally acclaimed CD recordings are released, including works for cello and piano by Louis Vierne and Charles-Marie Widor, by Robert Schumann and Robert Volkmann as well as for the Beethoven anniversary in 2020 together with Peter Bruns/cello the cycle "Beethoven – Most Complete 1-3“, expanding his known repertoire of five cello sonatas and three sets of variations with another three sonatas and arrangements by Beethoven himself and by composers from his context, for instance the sonata op. 64 (!) and the "Kreutzer“- sonata arrangement for cello by Carl Czerny.

HunJu Sohnn, Korean born pianist, has been performing both solo and chamber music concerts in Switzerland, England, Germany, France, South Korea, Thailand, Costa Rica, as well as throughout the United States.

Highly appreciated for her qualities in collaborative work, HunJu has been invited to appear with various instrumentalists and performed with the wind ensemble Ensemble Five ±, as well as the European-based Varias Ensemble at the New Year’s Music Festival in Gstaad, Switzerland. HunJu has collaborated in masterclasses for world-famous artists such as Pinkas Zukerman, Nobuko Imai, Kyung-Wha Chung, Tabea Zimmermann, Yuri Bashmet, as well as Yo-Yo Ma, Franz Helmerson, and Ralph Kirshbaum. She has been the pianist/coordinator of the viola masterclass at the Verbier Music Festival and Academy. HunJu has participated in a television documentary featuring Nobuko Imai, which was distributed worldwide and performed with Ms. Imai for France Musique Radio program during the Verbier Festival.

HunJu Sohnn continues to perform in Europe and the US, while holding a teaching position at the Conservatoire Populaire de Musique Danse et Théâtre in Geneva. She also participated in studio recordings, most recently in a project of complete works for piano and winds by Francis Poulenc released by Kleos Classics. HunJu Sohnn received her Master's degree from New England Conservatory and holds a Doctoral degree for Piano Performance from Rice University.

Natalia Grines is a graduate of the Nizhny Novgorod piano school. In 2004 she graduated the Nizhny Novgorod State Glinka Conservatory (Academy) with professor Bella Alterman. In 2006 she followed her post-graduate courses at the chamber music faculty (studio of Natalia Matveeva) and straightaway began to work at the homeland Academy, where she was working until her repatriation to Israel in 2022.

Being a professor of music (chamber music and piano duo departments), she brought up a lot of students – prize winners of international piano competitions, served in jury in different contests, travelled with master-courses all over Russia, as well as in Armenia, Bosnia, South Africa, Spain, USA.

Natalia has performed in Russia, Israel, USA, Taiwan, Spain, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, South Africa, Armenia, Ukraine.

At the XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition (2019) she played together with a cellist Anastasia Kobekina, who was eventually awarded the title of the 3rd prize winner. Natalia also took part as an accompanist of the XIII and XV Tchaikovsky competitions and was awarded the diploma of the best accompanist.

Since 2007 she was regularly collaborating with Vladimir Spivakov foundation.

Since 2016 Natalia has been tutoring a chamber ensemble at the AIMS Academy-Festival in Catalonia (Spain). She is also taking part at the Keshet Eilon string Academy as an official accompanist.
In 2017 together with Evgeny Brakhman and the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra of soloists, she took part in a series of concerts in Taiwan, including a performance in one of the best halls in the world - Taipei National Concert Hall.

Among Natalia’s chamber partners are violinists Alena Baeva, Daniel Lozakovitch, Sergey Ostrovsky; trumpetist Sergey Nakariakov, clarinetist Valentin Urupin, cellists Anastasia Kobekina, Alexander Ramm, Boris Andrianov, Zvi Plesser and others.

Since 2016, together with Evgeny Brakhman, Natalia has been a founder and codirector of the unique festival and art project in Russia - “Musical Landscapes” www.musiclandscape.ru The project combines arts of music and painting, consists of concerts with world-famous classical artists and mastercourses. In 2022 the 5th edition of “Musical Landscapes” brought together more than 150 participants.

Helene Freytag was born into a family of musicians in Leipzig (Germany) in 2005. She received her first violin lessons at the age of five. In 2013, she passed the entrance exam at the Dresden Carl Maria von Weber Academy of Music in the class of Prof. Uta-Maria Frenzel. Currently, she is in the class of Hellen Weiß. Since 2019, she has also been at the Julius-Stern-Institute of the Berlin University of the Arts. There she is taught by Prof. Latica Honda-Rosenberg.From the winter semester 2024/25, she will continue her Bachelor's degree at the MUK in Vienna with Julian Rachlin.

Helene attended master classes with Prof. Mihaela Martin, Prof. Natalia Prishepenko, Prof. Zakhar Bron, Prof. Pawel Vernikov and Prof. Boris Brovtsyn. In addition she is a scholarship holder at the "International Music Academy Liechtenstein" and takes part in the "Intensive Weeks" with Prof. Ana Chumachenco, Prof. Ingolf Turban and Marc Bouchkov.

Helene is multiple first prize winner in the national competition "Jugend musiziert” with highest number of points. In this connection, she received spezial prizes as as soloist, as well as a chamber musician, including a prize of the "Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben", the concert series "Freunde Junger Musiker" and the "WDR3-Klassik radio prize". Together with her sister at the piano she was awarded the 2nd prize at the "Carl-Bechstein-Wettbewerb" in Berlin (2021).

At international level Helene won the 3rd prize at the "International Kocian Competition" in Usti nad Orlici (2019) as well as at the "15th International Violin Competition in Honour of K. Lipinski and H. Wieniawski" in Lublin (2021).

As a soloist Helene performed with the "Staatskapelle Halle", the "Sion Festival Orchestra" and the "Elblandphilharmonie Sachsen", among others. In addition, Helene has a great passion for chamber music. Together with her siblings, she successfully plays piano trio, since 2023 in the class of Prof. Boris Kusnezov at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig. Additionally, Helene was a participant in the chamber music projects, such as "Meister von heute und morgen” in Dresden, the "China Youth Music Academy" in Dresden, "Mit Musik-Miteinander” of the Kronberg Academy and the "Geneva international String Academy". There she got inspiration from Prof. Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, Anastasia Kobekina, Prof. Walter Küssner and Sergey Ostrovsky. Since 2019 Helene is a member of the "National Youth Orchestra of Germany".

As a laureat of the 28th competition of "Deutscher Musikinstrumentenfond", she has the honour of playing an Italian violin by L. Ventapane (1806) and being additionally supported by a scholarship as well as concerts of the foundation "Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben". In September of 2022, she was also accepted into the "Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes" and the "Hans und Eugenia Jütting Stiftung".

Varvara Vasylieva is a Ukrainian violinist based in Berlin. As a soloist over the last few years she performed with the Sinfonieorchester Basel in Stadtcasino Basel, the Mriya Orchestra in Die Glocke, Laeiszhalle and Berlin Philharmonie and regularly gives concerts with the Kyiv Philharmonic Orchestra.

She is a laureate of several competitions, such the Max Rostal International Competition (2nd Prize), the Odesa International Violin Competition (3rd Prize) and the Ysaÿe International Music Competition (1st Prize) among others.

Varvara finished her Bachelor at the Hochschule für Musik Basel in classes of Prof. Barbara Doll and Claudio Martínez Mehner and currently pursues her Master Degree at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler, Berlin with Prof. Antje Weithaas.

She has actively participated in numerous festivals, such as the Zwischentöne Engelberg, Beethovenfest Bonn, Riehener Serenaden, Im Spiegel, Fiskars Summer Festival and performed alongside inspiring musicians such as Valentin Erben, Claudio Martinez Mehner, Rafael Rosenfeld, Winfried Rademacher, and Silvia Simionescu to name a few.

Since 2023 she’s a founding member of the Arda String Quartet.

Varvara is currently playing J. B. Vuillaume made in 1866 generously on loan from Wilhelm Geigenbau.

Sofija Dodig is a Serbian violinist born on August 30th 2005 in Belgrade. At the age of 17, she became the youngest finalist in the history of International Jeunesses Musicales Violin Competition in Belgrade and won the 5th prize, and the special prize for the best domestic candidate.

Sofija has been playing the violin since the age of 7 and firstly started studying with Professor Jelena Komatina in Belgrade. At the age of 10, she started studying with Professor Ana Veskov, and studied with her till the age of 17 in Belgrade. When she was 16, she enrolled University for Music and Performing Arts in Graz in the preparatory class of Professor Emilio Percan where she then studied for the next 3 year.. She has also been studying privately with Professor Brian Finlayson in Austria, during the years 2020 and 2021.

She has had opportunities to attend masterclasses of renowned artist and musicians such as Pavel Vernikov, Gil Shaham, Svetlana Makarova, Sergey Ostrovsky, Mihaela Martin, Kirill Troussov,, Brian Finlayson, Daniel Rowland, Boris Kuschnir, Grigory Kalinovsky, Stefan Milenkovic, Nemanja Radulovic,, Kati Debretzeni,, David Bowlin, Tatyana Balashova, Savely Shalman, Igor Tkachouk, Maja Jokanovic, Robert Lakatos.

She has played chamber music with acclaimed musicians, as Peter Bruns, Daniel Rowland, Kati Debretzeni, Maja Bogdanovic, Dana Zemtsov, Nicholas Schwartz, Uki Ovaskainen. She was participant and scholarship holder of the Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg, Stauffer Academy in Cremona, Davidsbündler Academy in The Hague and Geneva International String Academy in Switzerland. She was a participant of Lac Lemann Music Masterclasses in Blonay, Switzerland.

She had a chance to hold her solo recitals in Switzerland, The Netherlands, Austria, Slovenia, Macedonia and Serbia and perform in many countries around Europe. She was first on all national and international competition in Serbia, and won 3rd prize at Jeno Hubay Violin Competition in Hungary 2021 and 3rd and special prize at Ohrid Pearls Competition 2020. She was the winner of Franjo Krezma and Ludmilla Weiser Violin Competitions in Croatia 2019.

Sofija received a number of awards for her successes in music field - she is a stipendist from “Dobar glas” Foundation, which supports the best young musicians from Serbia, as well as the scholarship holder of the Fund for Young Talents of the Republic of Serbia. She has also received the “Dositeja Prize” from the Serbian Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The Arda String Quartet is a young string quartet based in Basel. The ensemble was formed in 2023 by four musicians from four different countries who had a passion for string quartet. The quartet has been studying at the Hochschule für Musik Basel FHNW with Jiří Němeček, Rainer Schmidt, Claudio Martinez Mehner and others.

In 2024, the Arda String Quartet was awarded a special prize at the Orpheus Chamber Music Competition in Bern, Switzerland. Through the competition, they were invited for a recital at the Swiss Chamber Music Festival in Adelboden 2025. In the same year they also performed in the Le Vent sur l’Arbre Chamber Music Festival in France and the Altstadtserenaden concert series in Basel.

The Arda Quartet has participated in many masterclasses at the HSM Basel and abroad at string quartet academies such as the Festival Guadix Clásica in Spain, Danish String Quartet Academy in Denmark, Musique à Flaine in France and Geneva International String Academy in Switzerland. Through masterclasses the quartet has had the opportunity to work with wonderful musicians such as Valentin Erben, Jonathan Brown, Cibrán Sierra, Robert Levin, Alina Ibragimova, Miriam Fried, Tim Frederiksen, Ilya Gringolts and Noemie Bialobroda among others.

In 2025 the Arda String Quartet became part of the international chamber music network Le Dimore del Quartetto.

First violin: Varvara Vasylieva
Second violin: Aino Yamaguchi
Viola: Charlotte Lefebvre
Cello: Nadzeya Kurzava

Elizaveta Brakhman was born in 2005 in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. She has been playing the violin since she the age of 4. Elizaveta is currently studying at the Tel Aviv University, Buchmann-Metha School of Music with professor Hagai Shaham. Her previous education included Central Music School in Moscow where she was studying with professor Evgeny Bouchkov.

Elizaveta took participated to several academies: Keshet-Elion (Israel), Perlman Music Program (USA, Israel), Lancaster International Academy (USA), Solsona AIMS Academy (Spain).

Elizaveta was a member of Yuri Bashmet Young Symphony Orchestra. She toured with the orchestra in Asia (Singapore, South Korea), Germany (Berlin Philharmony), and all over Russia. In 2023 Elizaveta took part in America-Israel Cultural Foundation and won one of the highest prizes.

At above-mentioned academies she took classes with Ilya Kaler, Sergey Ostrovsky, Izhak Rashkovsky, Ulf Wallin, Dora Schwarzberg, Tatiana Samuil, Alena Baeva, Michaela Martin, Aylen Pritchin, Nikita Borisoglebsky.

British violinist Andrew Samarasekara, 26, is currently pursuing a Master of Musical Arts degree at Yale University's School of Music, where he studies with Ani Kavafian.

Andrew is a 1st prize winner at the Fanny Mendelssohn and International Salzburg music competitions and was awarded special prizes at the Eastbourne Young Soloist and Gisborne International Music competitions. In 2023, Andrew garnered further artistic recognition by reaching the semi-finals at the Bartok World Competition and ARS Classica. At Yale, Andrew was awarded the Raymond M. Plank Prize and an Artist Residency at the UCROSS Foundation, as well as the Alumni Association Prize.

Andrew has given concerts across Europe and North America at venues including Yale Morse Recital Hall, Franz Liszt Academy, Berlin Konzerthaus, Wigmore Hall, Kaufman Centre, Menuhin Hall, and Schloss Nymphenburg Munich. His concerto debut came aged 12 and he has since performed with the Dorking Philhamonia, Ipswich Philharmonic and Orchestra Cameristi della Scalla. Alongside his solo work, Andrew is an avid chamber musician and has performed alongside esteemed artists that include Shlomo Mintz, Ida Kavafian, Tai Murray, Colin Carr, Ettore Causa, the Emerson Quartet and Doric Quartet.

During the summer, Andrew enjoys travelling and participating in festivals. He has made appearances at IMS Prussia Cove, NUME Academy, Yale Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, ECU Four Seasons Winter Workshop, Garda Lake String Academy, Mendelssohn on Mull Chamber Music Festival, and Crans Montana Classics. Andrew has also performed in masterclasses led by Augustin Hadelich, Mi-Kyung Lee, Frank Huang, Aaron Rosand, Lukas Hagen, Ida Kavafian, and Hagai Shaham. At Yale, Andrew has also received chamber music mentorship from the Brentano Quartet and, most recently, the Emerson Quartet’s Paul Watkins.

Andrew plays on a 1731 Nicolò Gagliano violin and W. Hill bow, on loan from a generous private benefactor.

American/Italian violinist Alexander Franco Goldberg, 23, is a "fierce and sensitive" performer who "ties music to larger aesthetic and literary concerns that illuminate his performances." Alexander is passionate about linking musical performances with literature, poetry, and art. He is currently studying with Salvatore Accardo in Cremona at the Stauffer Center for Strings.

He recently completed a Masters in violin at the Yale School of Music, where he was the first and then-only student admitted to Yale’s new BA/MM dual-degree program; he graduated Yale with a BA in Philosophy cum laude. At Yale, Alexander was awarded the Head of College Cup for "outstanding scholarly achievement and creative promise," and the Selden Award for "verve, idealism and constructive interest in music and the humanities."

Alexander continues to tie together music and academic pursuits as an Assistant Researcher at the University of Padua’s Centro di Sonologia Computazionale, where he will work on multidisciplinary and multimedia musical installations.

He won first prize in Yale's William Waite concerto competition, performing Brahms' violin concerto with the Yale Symphony; and recently won the absolute first prizes at the Maria Labia, Vittorio Vitti, and Città D’Alessandria violin competitions, and second prize at the inaugural Grunewald competition in Berlin.

Chamber music forms a core part of Alexander’s musical identity: he studied at the Taos School of Music and received a full merit scholarship to Music@Menlo. He returned to Taos in an outreach concert tour of New Mexico, performing quartets alongside the Brentano Quartet’s Nina Lee.

Alexander is also passionate about new music and innovative genres; he was a member of the Lucerne Festival’s Contemporary Academy and has performed in small ensemble with Gilles Apap on the stage of the Kronberg Academy’s Casals Forum. As the winner of the Reate Festival International Contemporary Music competition, he performed a program of Bach and Berio in their fall 2023 concert series, in addition to lecturing in their school outreach event Progetto Scuole.

Recent season highlights include performances as soloist in Tippett’s Fantasia Concertante with the Yale Philharmonia and a quartet performance at Santa Fe Pro Musica. He performed in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall as winner of the American Protégé International Competition, and in Boston’s Jordan Hall for National Public Radio’s From the Top. He studied with Ani Kavafian (2018-2023), Donald Weilerstein (2014-2018) and Ilya Gringolts, with whom he pursued Corsi di Perfezionamento at the Accademia Chigiana.

Born in 2005, Naama is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree in the class of Mrs. Miriam Fried and Mr. Paul Biss, at the New England Conservatory in Boston, USA. She studied at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music (Israel) with Mrs. Mila Feldman.

Naama played in the Young Israel Philharmonic Orchestra of the Jerusalem Music Centre, serving as concertmaster in many projects, and participated in all of its outstanding musicians programs; She performed chamber music with guidance from members of the Jerusalem Quartet and musicians of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and took part in many masterclasses with world-class violinists such as Grigory Kalinovsky, Mihaela Martin, Shlomo Mintz, the late Chaim Taub, and many others.

Naama has performed across Europe, in all major concert halls in Israel, and on national radio. She is an active member of “Musethica,” an organization bringing classical music to audiences with special needs, and in 2020 premiered a piece written especially for her by Israeli composer Eyal Malkinson.

She has been supported by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarships since 2018, receiving the Outstanding Merit Scholarships. She won second prize in the “Keshet Eran” competition (2023), first prize in the Strings Department Competition at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music (2024) and in 2025 she received the Claremont Prize, granted to a single violinist by the Claremont Foundation.

Naama has performed in concerts under conductors such as Lahav Shani, Karl-Heinz Steffens and Zubin Mehta.

Her activities in international music festivals, include the Geneva International Strings Academy (Switzerland), Keshet Eilon seminars, which she has attended regularly since age ten, to name a few. She has been an active participant at the Kronberg Academy "Good Vibrations" Festival and performed in masterclasses with Vadim Gluzman.

As the founder of her chamber group, Alma Rosé piano quartet, she performed at the Zeist Music Days Festival in the Netherlands, and worked with members of the Jerusalem Quartet and the Schumann Quartet (Germany). The quartet also toured London, played many concerts and worked with pianist Murray Perahia.
Naama plays a 1770 Nicolaus Gagliano violin, generously on loan from the late Yehuda Zisapel. 

Theresa Horejsi was born into a family of musicians in 1999. Starting with the violin, she often took part in the "Jugend Musiziert" competition and gained experience in orchestras and chamber music ensembles from an early age. She discovered the viola through her family.

She studied from 2018 at the Cologne University of Music and Dance in the class of Matthias Buchholz and is currently studying at the haute ecole de Musique de Lausanne with Tatjana Masurenko.

She has worked as a chamber musician with Jörg Widmann, the Minguett Quartet, Harald Schoneweg, Gregor Schwellenbach, Robert Kulek and Daniel Haefliger. She has participated in recordings for the Arte Film "TRANS - I Got Life", which was broadcast on television in September 2023.

In September 2023, she took part in the prestigious ARD Music Competition. In March 2024, she takes up a 3. Soloposition in the St. Gallen Symphony Orchestra.

American violist Matthew McDowell has been a laureate of many competitions nationally and internationally. An avid chamber musician, Matthew is a member of the Amnis Piano Quartet, who won bronze medal at the 50th Annual Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, third prize at the Premio Renzo Giubergia Competition, the Oneppo Chamber Competition, a fellowship at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, prizes at the Yellow Spring Chamber Music Competition, and the Yale Society of Chamber Music. In addition, Amnis was announced as semi-finalists for the 2024 Concert Artists Guild Competition, and were finalists at the recent Coltman competition.

Matthew was also named a finalist in the recent Barbash J.S. Bach competition, as well as a quarter-finalist in the 2024 Primrose International Viola Competition.

Matthew’s travels have taken him to major festivals throughout the United States, Europe, and Mexico, concertizing at places like the Verbier Festival Soloist Academy, Festival Pablo Casals, Moritzburg Festival, Zwischentöne Kammermusik Festival, Festival Santa Pietra, Geneva International String Academy, and many others.

He has performed with world renown artists such as Yura Lee, Martha Argerich, Sir András Schiff, Xenia Jankovic, Gabor Takacs- Nagy, Renaud Capucon, David Gaillard, and Oleg Kaskiv.

Matthew is currently pursing an MMA with Ettore Causa at the Yale School of Music, and will begin the next academic year as an artist-in-residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium.

Mila Gafner, born in 2004, started playing the viola at the age of 6 at the Lausanne Conservatory. She will then study with Noémie Bialobroda and joined the Pre-HEM program in 2018.

Mila has been a three-time winner of the Swiss Youth Music Competition in solo viola, as well as three times in chamber music. In April 2020, she was a finalist in the international Anton Rubinstein competition in Berlin and received the Förderpreis for the best interpretation of a contemporary work.

Mila has participated in masterclasses with violist and composer Garth Knox, violinist Gilles Apap, the Sine Nomine Quartet, and violist Matthias Buchholz. During the summers of 2018 and 2019, she attended the AIMS International String Academy in Solsona, Spain, and in December 2019, she studied with the Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt, specializing in contemporary music, before joining them on tour in Germany, Amsterdam, and Antwerp.

In 2023, she recorded Kodály's Intermezzo for string trio with her ensemble for the 4 Seasons festival album.

Since 2022, Mila has been studying with Jean Sulem at the CNSMDP in Paris.

Originally from Hudson, Ohio, Ayano Nakamura is currently earning a master’s degree at the Yale School of Music where she studies with Ettore Causa. She recently received a bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory, studying with Martha Katz and Mai Motobuchi.

She has attended the Perlman Music Program Chamber Music Workshop and Kneisel Hall Young Artist Chamber Music Program among others, and has worked with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Don Weilerstein, Joel Krosnick, Cavan String Quartet, Emerson String Quartet, Borromeo String Quartet, American String Quartet, Brooklyn Rider, and others.

Australian violist Raphael Masters has recently completed his Bachelor of Music at the Colburn School under the tutelage of Tatjana Masurenko. Notably, he has professionally performed with renowned orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, and the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, where he held the No. 2 seat.

Raphael's solo engagements include performances at Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. He has served as Principal Viola of the New York String Orchestra, the Colburn Orchestra, and the Australian Youth Orchestra. Raphael has also performed at the Saline Royale Academy in France and the Rome Chamber Music Festival.

Since 2021, he has been a featured recitalist at St. James in Sydney. Additionally, Raphael has participated as a Chamber Music Artist at the Edinburgh International Festival and has recorded with Ensemble Apex.

He has collaborated in chamber music settings with artists like Noah Bendix-Balgley, Jon Kimura Parker, Clive Greensmith, Arnaud Sussman, and Jennifer Stumm. His mentors include Paul Coletti, Yura Lee, Stuart Johnson, Roger Benedict, and Tatjana Masurenko.

Raphael is grateful to AMF for their continued support of his musical endeavours. He performs on a modern instrument and bow generously loaned by The Colburn School. In 2024, he will pursue a Master’s degree at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna under the guidance of Jennifer Stumm.

Violist Julian Seney has performed in venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Beijing Concert Hall, under conductors Susanna Mälkki, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Gustavo Dudamel, among others.

He is an alumni of the Perlman Music Program, Yellow Barn, and the Lucerne Festival Academy, and has participated in residencies through both Perlman Suncoast and the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival.

He is a proponent of new music, and has premiered many works of his peers and mentors—most recently solo with Yale’s New Music series.

In addition to classical music, he also regularly performs as an improviser and has collaborated with Anthony Coleman and Joe Morris. Hailing from Los Angeles, he studied as an academy student with Paul Coletti at the Colburn school.

He received a Bachelor’s of Music from the New England Conservatory, having studied with Kim Kashkashian, and now is pursuing a Masters of Music at the Yale School of Music with Ettore Causa.

Originally from Reims, Auguste Rahon began his cello studies at the age of five at the municipal music school of La Loupe in Eure-et-Loir before entering the Conservatoire à rayonnement départemental de Chartres in 2009, then the Conservatoire à rayonnement départemental du Puy-en-Velay. In 2012, he enters the class of Augustin Lefebvre at the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Lyon where he obtains in 2015 his Diploma of musical studies with honors.

Since 2016, he has been studying with Denis Severin at the Haute École de Musique de Genève until the bachelor’s degree, and then joined David Pia’s class for a master’s degree in interpretation, with a concert orientation. He also worked in masterclasses and summer courses with David Harlé, Philippe Bary, Marcel Bardon, Raphaël Pidoux, Frédéric Dutheil, the Penderecki quartet, Edgar Gredler, Denis Severin, Rafael Rosenfeld, Truels Svane, Wen-Sin Yang, David Pia, Thomas Grossenbacher, Wolfgang Emmanuel Schmidt, Ophélie Gaillard, Danjulo Ishizaka, Yi-Bing Chu, Roel Dieltens, Gary Hoffman or François Guye... 

Auguste Rahon joined the Académie de l’Opéra national de Paris in September 2022.

Born in Budapest, Jinseok Jeong began playing the cello at the age of five. At the age of eleven, he was accepted into the exceptional young talents program at the Liszt Academy in Budapest, where he studied under the tutelage of Prof. György Déri and Prof. István Varga.

He went on to win prizes at multiple international youth competitions, including the Antonio Janigro junior Competition in Šibenik, David Popper competition in Várpalota, Jan Vychtil competition in Prague. As a soloist, Jinseok Jeong has performed with the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, the Zugló philharmonic orchestra, and the Anima Musicae chamber orchestra.

Jinseok is currently studying with Kian Soltani at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien (MDW). Additionally, he has received masterclasses from Frans Helmerson, Miklos Perényi, Reinhard Latzko, Marc Coppey, Wen-Sinn Yang, Claudio Bohorquez, Leonid Gorokhov, and László Fenyő, among others.

Pauline Boudon began playing the cello at the age of three in Lyon. She then trained with Matthieu Lejeune at the Conservatoire de St Maur-des-Fossés before entering the CNSMD in Paris at the age of 17. She continued her studies in the class of Jérôme Pernoo and Cyrill Lacrouts, graduating with unanimous honours with distinction.

She has benefited from the advice of renowned teachers such as Gary Hoffman, Frans Helmerson, Reinhard Latzko, Xavier Gagnepain, Luis Claret and Pierre Foucheneret. She is now completing her Master's degree with Marc Coppey, Tatjana Uhde and Pauline Bartissol.

In 2022, she was selected for the masterclasses at the Kronberg Academy, and then performed at the Amsterdam Cello Biennale. She is a member of the Brahms Promotion (2023-2024) at the Philippe Jaroussky Academy, where she receives guidance from Anne Gastinel.

Pauline is passionate about chamber music, and in 2024 joined the master's programme in trio with Iris Scialom and Nicolas Bourdoncle at the CNSMDP in François Salque's class. She is a member of the Citadelles Quartet, and performs with the Arod Quartet (August 2023), Ulf Wallin, Marianna Shirinyan and Xenia Jankovic, among others, in various countries.

She has also worked with prestigious institutions such as the Orchestre de l'Opéra de Paris, and has been invited to the Musica festival in Strasbourg, the Festival de La Chaise-Dieu, and others.

She plays a cello signed Frank Ravatin, kindly loaned by the El Pasito Association.

Daphne Richman Poleg, born in 2003 in Israel, is  a graduate of the Thelma Yelin School of Arts, the Israeli Conservatory of Music in Tel Aviv and the Jerusalem Music Center Mishkenot Sha'ananim. She is currently a student in Professor Hillel Zorri's class, during her third year of her bachelor's degree in performance at Buchmann Mehta School of Music at the Tel Aviv university.

Daphne is first prize winner of Paul Ben Haim 2020 competition, competition of the Israel Conservatory of Music in 2019 and 2015. She received from the Sharett Foundation a scholarship with extra distinction 2019 -2024, and scholarships from the Ronan Foundation in 2018, 2019, 2023.

In February 2024 she played a full recital that was broadcasted live on the radio. In June 2023 she played with her piano quartet in a live broadcast for voice of music. In November 2019 Daphne was chosen to represent the Tel Aviv conservatory of music and played a full recital. In November and May 2018 she played with the chamber ensemble of the Goldman program.

In April 2024, Daphne received a certificate of honor for outstanding achievement - the BMSM. She was chosen to participate In two projects of the Israeli Philarmonic in April 2023 and February 2024. She was principal cello in the Buchman Mehta Symphony Orchestra from 2022 to 2024, principal cello in the Young Israel Philharmonic Orchestra from 2019 to 2021, principal cello in The Thelma Yellin Symphony orchestra from 2019 to 2021.

In 2023 she participated in Keshet Eilon mastercourse, and played in a piano quintet with Sergey Ostrovsky, and was chosen to play solo in the gala concerts In Keshet Eilon and Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

In 2015 and 2022 Daphne participated in the "Aims" summer festival in Spain where she played solo and chamber music in several concerts. In 2018 and 2020 she participated in the prestigious "Huberman" program of the Jerusalem Music Center, in which she traveled to Switzerland and Italy, where she played solo in celebratory concerts in Italy, Switzerland and the Culture Hall in Tel Aviv.

In June 2022 Daphne flew on behalf of the Jerusalem Music Center Mishkenot Sh'aananim to solo and chamber concerts in Switzerland. She participated in master classes with Gary Hoffman, Frans Helmerson, Amit Peled, Hans Jürgen Jensen, Orpao Mendozzi, Emmanuel Gruber, Alessandro Adriani, Zvi Pelser, and in Yitzhak Perlman's Genesis program.

Haru Ogiwara, born in London in 2004, embarked on his musical journey at the age of six under the tutelage of Dr. Oliver Gledhill in the cello program at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama's String Training Course. In September 2016, he was admitted to the Royal College of Music Junior Department, where he studied with Michal Kaznowski and Pal Banda, ultimately graduating in 2023 with the prestigious Freda Dinn and Ida Mabbet Prize.
Currently, he is under the guidance of Prof. Hannah Robets at the Royal Academy of Music, benefiting from a full scholarship.

He is a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra member and has received numerous honours and performances in various music festivals in Europe, include winning the Premier Cup & Recital Prize at the North London Festival, being named the Gregynog Young Musician String Player of the Year 2020, receiving the Masterclass Award at the Gustav Mahler Competition in Prague 2021, and earning the Special Award at the Radolfzell Music Festival in Germany. He also participated as an active student at the Kronberg Academy's Cello Masterclass with Gay Homan in 2022.

Haru's performance venues have ranged from prestigious concert halls such as Cadogan Hall, Wigmore Hall, Ongakudo in Kanazawa, Japan, and historic landmarks like St James Palace, No.11 Downing Street, and the Handel House to esteemed festivals and events like the Youth Music Award Grand Ceremony. His repertoire includes commanding solo performances, including the Haydn Cello Concerto No.2 in D Major with RCMJD Orchestra, Schumann Cello Concerto in A minor conducted by Thomas Gregoy with the Fortismere Community Symphony Orchestra. In 2023, he held a sold out Elgar Room recital at the Royal Albert Hall London with the pianist Craig White, and a solo performance at the Wigmore Hall, London.

Haru has been generously supported by the DES Music and Dance scheme, Awards for Young Musicians, Future Talent, Drake Calleja Junior Scholarship, Wrightson Trust Music Scholarship, J & M Michael, J & A Beares, the Royal College of Music and the Aud Jebsen Scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music.

He plays a cello by J.F. Wright, Newark, 2023 (1727 Goriller Ex Shapiro Model) and a William Salchow bow thanks to the support of Pei Sian Ng and Pei Jee Ng, who have played a pivotal role in nurturing his artistic development.

Arne Zeller, born 4th October 2006, started playing the cello at the age of six and joined the class of Peter Bruns at the HMT Leipzig as a junior student aged 14. Since October 2024 he is a bachelor student in the class of Frans Helmerson at Kronberg Academy. Regular masterclasses with Jens Peter Maintz have been contributing additional important artistic impulses since 2021.

Being the winner of the Grand Prix and audience prize of the Budapest International Cello Competition 2025 and the first prize (ex aequo) of the International Pau Casals Award 2024, he is increasingly gaining international attention.

Further important awards in his career were the first prize of the International Anna Kull Cello Competition (Graz, 2020), the first prize of the International Mahler Cellocompetition 2022 and the second prize at the 29. International Brahms Competition (Pörtschach 2023). He also is an awardee of numerous first national prizes and special prizes of the federal German competition „Jugend musiziert” in the categories Cello solo and chamber music and is since 2024 the current holder of the Pergamenschikow Scholarship of Kronberg Academy.

Arne debuted with Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations at 13 years of age, soloistic performances followed with the Baden-Baden Philharmonics, the Euro Symphony Orchestra, Kremerata Baltica, the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra and the National Philharmonics Budapest with works by Korngold, Dvorak, Shostakovich, Boccherini, Haydn, and Weinberg. In 2023 he repeatedly soloed with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra at the “hr-schooltour”, and the University Orchestra Mainz to relate classical music to school students. During his studies at Kronberg Academy he is also regularly involved in concerts targeting social involvement issues.

In addition to his performances as a soloist, Arne Zeller regularly plays public concerts in varying chamber music formations, for example at the Moritzburg Festival, the Heidelberger Frühling, the Con Spirito Festival Leipzig, the Rheingau Musik Festival, the Nymphenburger Sommer, the Bachwoche Ansbach, the Berner Seefestspiele, and the Kronberg Festival.

Particularly formative experiences in chamber music he experienced as junior artist at “Chamber Music Connects the World” at Kronberg, at the Geneva International String Academy, the Henle Chamber Music Academy, and the soloist program of the Verbier Festival. In this context he was privileged to already perform together with artists like Gidon Kremer, Antje Weithaas, Sergey Ostrovsky, Noémie Bialobroda, Lawrence Power, Valentin Erben and Steven Isserliss.

He played at venues like the Musikverein Wien, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, the Liszt Academy Budapest, in the Conservatoire de musique de Genève and the Casals Forum Kronberg.

Other important impulses were set through masterclasses with Ivan Monighetti, Hans Jørgen Jensen, Jan Vogler, Gary Hoffman and Steven Isserlis as well as Sir Andras Schiff, Gidon Kremer and Martin Helmchen.

Arne Zeller holds scholarships by the „Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes“, the „Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben”, the International Music Academy Liechtenstein and the Villa Musica Rhineland-Palatinate. He receives funding by the Peter-Klöckner Stiftung and was awarded the Martin-Stadtfeld-Prize, the Werner Stiefel Prize Baden-Baden, and the Lichtenberger Musikpreis.

He is kindly supplied with the Charles Maucotel cello „ex-Tortelier“ (1850), courtesy of a member of the Stretton Society, which also strongly supports him through the “Stretton Exellence Membership Programm” since 2024.

In 2026 Arne Zeller has scheduled concerts as a soloist and as a chamber musician in Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Greece, Romania, Spain and Japan.