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.

Born in 1980 in Neuchâtel (Switzerland), SIMON PEGUIRON first studied violin before turning to the piano and organ. He studied music at La Chaux-de-Fonds Conservatory, graduating with the best marks in organ and piano, and also completing a degree in music theory. He then studied organ with Guy Bovet at the Music Academy Basel, and at the High School of Music in Zurich in the piano class of Homero Francesch. He graduated in 2006 with highest honors and a soloist diploma for both instruments.

He appears regularly in concert as accompanist, chamber musician, soloist, composer, and more recently, as a conductor. He also is dedicated to arrangement and improvisation in various styles.

He has taught piano at the Conservatoire of Neuchâtel since 2006 and, after ten years of activity at the Temple du Locle, in 2009 replaced Guy Bovet as organist of the Collegiate Church of Neuchâtel.

In 2017, he was appointed as conductor and music director of the Orchestre de Chambre de La Chaux-de-Fonds.

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.

“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.

British violinist Andrew Samarasekara is known for his artistic sensitivity, accomplished technique, and communicative style. He is a first-prize winner at the Fanny Mendelssohn and International Salzburg music competitions and has received special prizes at the Eastbourne Young Soloist and Gisborne International Music competitions. His performances
were further acknowledged when he reached the semi-finals of the Bartok World Competition and ARS Classica and was a selected candidate for the 8th Sendai International Violin Competition. He made his concerto debut at age 12 and has since performed as a soloist with the London Concertante, Dorking Philharmonia, Ipswich Philharmonic, and Orchestra Cameristi della Scala.

Andrew has performed extensively across Europe and North America at renowned venues, including the Yale Morse Recital Hall, Woolsey Hall, Jordan Hall, Cadogan Hall, Franz Liszt Academy, Berlin Konzerthaus, Wigmore Hall, Kaufman Centre, Société de Lecture Geneva, Menuhin Hall, and Schloss Nymphenburg Munich. His festival appearances include Schiermonnikoogfestival, Geneva String Academy, IMS Prussia Cove, NUME Academy, Yale Norfolk Chamber Music Series, ECU Four Seasons Winter Workshop, Garda Lake String Academy, Mendelssohn on Mull Chamber Music and Crans Montana Classics. A keen advocate for chamber music and collaboration, Andrew has shared the stage in concert with Shlomo Mintz, Sergey Ostrovksy, Noémie Bialobroda, Ida Kavafian, Tai Murray, Colin Carr, Ettore Causa and the Emerson, St Lawrence and Doric Quartets.

A former student at theYehudi Menuhin School and the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Lutsia Ibragimova and Paul Biss respectively, Andrew completed his graduate studies in 2024 at the Yale School of Music in the class of Ani Kavafian. At Yale, he received the prestigious Yale Raymond M. Plank Prize, a sponsored artist residency at the UCROSS Foundation, and the Yale Alumni Association Prize twice.

Andrew has participated in masterclasses led by Augustin Hadelich, Philippe Graffin, Mi-Kyung Lee, Steven Isserlis, Frank Huang, Aaron Rosand, Lukas Hagen, Ida Kavafian, and Hagai Shaham. He also received mentorship and guidance from Miriam Fried and members of the Brentano Quartet and Emerson Quartets. Andrew performs on a 1731 Nicolò Gagliano violin and W. Hill bow generously provided by a private benefactor.

Iryna was born in Kyiv on May 17, 2006. She studied at Kyiv Lysenko State Music Lyceum with Olha Korinets and Vadym Borysov. Since 2022 she studies at the Haute Ecole de Musique Geneve/Neuchatel (violin class of prof. Sergey Ostrovsky).

Iryna is a laureate of international violin competitions in Ukraine, Poland, Belgium, Estonia and Switzerland, including the Arthur Grumiaux International Violin Competition.

She took part in masterclasses by B. Garlitsky, B. Kuschnir, V. Sokolov, M. Bouchkov, V. Gluzman, U. Wallin, D. Schwarzberg, D. Sitkovetsky, K. Troussov, and others.

Iryna participated in the Ukrainian National Art Project "I AM A VIRTUOS!" (2019, 2020, 2021), where she performed solo with the Ukrainian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
In the 2021–2022 concert season, she had solo performances with the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, and the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra.

She participated in the Young Classic Dialog Berlin Festival (Germany), Allegra Festival (Bulgaria), Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra, FestiVal d'Anniviers, Festival Puplinge, and Primeurs Musicales (Switzerland).

She has been supported by the LYRA Foundation, Rahn Kulturfonds, the Foundation Jean Tanner and the Marescotti Foundation (Switzerland).

Since 2022 she receives grant support from the VERE MUSIC FUND.

Since December 2022, Iryna plays the violin made by Augustino de Planis (Venice, 1771) from the collection of the LALIVE Foundation.

GISA Ambassador: Contact Alessandra Yang

Violist Alessandra Yang currently studies at the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität (Vienna, Austria) in the studio of Jennifer Stumm and attended Juilliard Pre-College under the tutelage of Hsin-Yun Huang. She frequently participates in chamber music festivals and masterclasses, including Taos School of Music, Perlman Music Program, Newburyport Chamber Music Festival, Prussia Cove, and Saline Royale Academy, and she regularly performs in baroque ensembles across Europe and the United States.

She wins the special Chamber Music Prize at the Concours de Genève 2025 for Viola.

Outside of music, she enjoys exploring philosophy and has taken classes at Freogen Fellowship, the inaugural Forbidden Courses program at the University of Austin, and as a fellow of the Hertog Foundation.

Alessandra plays on a 2017 Hiroshi Iizuka viola made local in her native Philadelphia and an 1801 Michael Stadlmann Viola d'amore made in Vienna.

GISA Ambassador: Contact Barbora Butvydaitė

Barbora Butvydaite has established herself as a dynamic violist, known for her expressive artistry and versatility. She is currently a member of the Ivan Fischer European Orchestra Academy and tours regularly with the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

Born in Vilnius, Lithuania in 1996, Barbora graduated from the National M. K. Ciurlionis School of Arts, where she won numerous prizes at national and international competitions. She then pursued her education abroad, earning her Bachelor's degree at the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg under the tutelage of Thomas Riebl and her Master's degree with Veronika Hagen. She graduated with distinction in 2021.

During her studies, she was awarded scholarships from the “Rudens Turku and Friends” Foundation and in 2021, she won 3rd Prize at the Paul Hindemith Viola Competition in Salzburg.

Barbora gained valuable orchestral experience through the Academy Programme of the Tonkünstler Orchestra (2022-2023), her participation in the A. Prokopp Summer Academy of the Vienna Philharmonic (2022-2023) and Grafenegg Festival Orchestra. Since last season, she has been a member of the European Orchestra Academy of the Budapest Festival Orchestra. She has had the opportunity to work with renowned conductors such as Iván Fischer, Lorenzo Viotti, Jakub Hrůša, Yutaka Sado, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Robin Ticciati, Tugan Sokhiev and Ádám Fischer among others.

As a passionate chamber musician, Barbora has performed at the Salzburg Festival, Vienna Musikverein, and Grafenegg Festival, among other festivals. She is a member of the Oberton String Octet and of Haydn Philharmonie, Ensemble Esperanza Lichtenstein, and Vienna Ensemble, where she often takes the role of a principal violist.

She enjoys performing in various musical settings and has a strong interest in both Baroque and contemporary music. Her collaboration with Haydn Philharmonie, as well as working with Enrico Onofri, Nicolas Altstaedt and Hiro Kurosaki has further deepened her engagement with historically informed performance practice. Additionally, she has performed contemporary music, working with composers and ensembles dedicated to new music.

To foster her artistic growth, Barbora has participated in numerous masterclasses and festivals like Prussia Cove, Lichtenstein Musikakademie, Mendelssohn Festival, and Aurora Festival and gained insights from renowned artists like Thomas Riebl, Garth Knox, Ferenc Rados, Alexander Zemtsov, Barbara Westphal, Harmuth Rohde, Gabor Takasz-Nagy and Antje Weithaas.

Barbora performs on a viola made for her by luthier Jürgen Manthey.

Mar Gimferrer, born in 2002, started playing the cello at the age of 7 and studied in IEA Oriol Martorell (Barcelona) with Joan Antoni Pich, where she graduated with the Honor Prize when she was 17. From 2019 to 2022 she studied with Beatriz Blanco in the Vorarlberger Landeskonservatorium. Since September 2022 she is pursuing her studies with Thomas Grossenbacher in Zürich.

Additionally, she has received masterclasses from renowned cellists such as Jens Peter Maintz, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Gary Hoffman, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Ralph Kirshbaum or Kian Soltani among others. She has also taken part in prestigious Academies such as the Villars Music Academy, the International Music Academy in Lichtenstein, IMS Prussia Cove and the Saline Royale Academy in France, as well as played in Festivals such as the International Mendelssohn Festival in Hamburg, Festival Pau Casals, Festival Clásico Ribeira Sacra or the Festival Podium Matadepera in Spain.

She has been awarded the 3rd Prize in the Popper International Competition in Hungary, the 1st prize in the Solistenwettbewerb in Austria, the 1st Prize of the Pjetër Gaci International Competition, the Galimusic Prize and the 1st Prize in the BBVA Music Talent Competition in Spain. She has also had the opportunity to appear several times as a soloist and perform live in ORF. She is also a scholarship holder from Rahn Kulturfonds.

Chamber and orchestral music play a very important role in her career. She has played with musicians such as Nora Chastain, Matthias Schorn or Maria Włoszczowska and received masterclasses by Guillaume Sutre, Troels Svane, the Trio Jean Paul and members from the Berliner Philharmoniker.

Henriette-Luise Knauer was born in Dresden in 2009 and began playing the cello at the age of four. From 2015-2021 she received lessons from Daniel Thiele until she switched to Prof. Peter Bruns at the age of twelve. She has been attending the Saxon State High School for Music since the 5th grade. She has also been a junior student at the Leipzig University of Music with Prof. Peter Bruns since 2022.

Henriette-Luise has taken part in masterclasses with Damien Ventula, Hans-Jacob Eschenburg, Jan Vogler and Thomas Grossenbacher. At the invitation of the Dresden Music Festival and the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, she also took part in masterclasses with David Geringas and Steven Isserlis. She is a scholarship holder of the Liechtenstein Music Academy and takes part in the intensive weeks and activities held there.

At the national competition “Jugend musiziert” 2022 she received the highest score in the category cello solo.

In 2023, Henriette was accepted into the National Youth Orchestra of Germany after a successful audition. She gained chamber music experience at the German Chamber Music Course in Trossingen and in Kronberg at “Mit Musik-Miteinander”. In summer 2024, she was a participant at the Moritzburg Festival Academy.

Henriette-Luise was supported by a scholarship from the “Stiftung Frau und Kultur” and since 2023 she has been a scholarship holder of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben.

As a winner of the 30th competition of the German Musical Instrument Fund, she has since played a cello by Philipp Augustin, Staufen, 2019 and a Pfretzschner cello bow.