Alexia Mouza – piano & Felix Froschhammer – violin

“There is only Madame Schumann to whom I am dedicated heart and soul.” 

Johannes Brahms

Admiration, deception and friendship are the ingredients that compose the most fascinating trio in classical music: Brahms and the Schumanns. Robert and Clara are in love; they are one of Vienna’s most famous musician couples. Then Robert welcomes a promising young composer, Johannes Brahms, into their home. Everything changes when Brahms falls in love with Robert’s wife. The madness that overtook Robert Schumann left space for Brahms in the Schumann household, but he did not wish to commit further to the talented Clara. They remained good friends, exchanging many letters that Clara burned just before her death. It is up to the music alone to immortalize their love.

Robert Schumann (1810–1856): Violin Sonata No.1 in Α minor, Op.105 (1851)

I. Mit leidenschaftlichem Ausdruck

II. Allegretto

III. Lebhaft

Clara Schumann (1819–1896): 3 Romances, Op.22 (1853)

I. Andante molto

II. Allegretto: Mit zartem Vortrage 

III. Leidenschaftlich schnell 

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897): Violin Sonata No.2 in Α major, Op.100 (1886)

I. Allegro amabile 

II. Andante tranquillo – Vivace – Andante – Vivace di più – Andante – Vivace 

III. Allegretto grazioso (quasi andante)

© Kai Kremser

Alexia Mouza is a pianist described as a musician with extraordinary energy, clarity and precision. She has won numerous prizes at prestigious international piano competitions. Alexia enrolled at the International Piano Academy in Imola, Italy, with Leonid Margarius and Anna Kravtchenko. Postgraduate studies at the School of Music, Boston University, with Boaz Sharon, with scholarships from the Greek State and Boston University, further enrolled at Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv with Arie Vardi. Considered to have been an explosive talent even from her early years, she has given performances in Europe, Asia and the Americas. She has appeared with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Israel Camerata, the Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico, the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, the Haydn Orchestra of Bolzano, the State Symphony Orchestras of Athens and Thessaloniki, the State Symphony Orchestra Academy of Soloists of Kazakhstan. She has recorded two DVD/CDs, both released by Domovideo and Multigram, Italy.

© Marco Borggreve

German violinist Felix Froschhammer captivates audiences with his wide-ranging performance skills. He is the First Violinist of the casalQuartett and the Concert Master of both the Ensemble Symphonique Neuchâtel and Sinfonietta de Lausanne (Switzerland). Felix is also active as a soloist and plays a vital role in the Ensemble Chaarts and in Tri i Dve, an ensemble specializing in Balkan music. Previous engagements include appearances at festivals such as the Beethoven Festival Warsaw, Bruckner Festival Linz, Salzburger Festspiele, Rheingau Musikfestival and Lucerne Festival. His chamber music partners include Gautier Capuçon, Lawrence Power and Fazil Say. Since 2018, he has been the Artistic Director of the Festival du Jura in Switzerland. www.felixfroschhammer.com

TRAVEL WITH THE FESTIVAL BUS TO THE PERFORMANCE

This production is carried out within the framework of the 2024 programme of the

Hellenic Ministry of Culture “All of Greece, One Culture”.

MORE INFORMATION

THE PERFORMANCE IS IN GREEK

Snow Whites is a performance for two narrators and a four-member instrumental ensemble. In this performance, three Snow Whites come together to discuss the pains of growing up, the cost of coming of age, and the gifts of the woods. Snow Whites, like all folk tales, knows no language, religious, or cultural boundaries.

Relying on the most vulnerable of all musical instruments, the human voice, they cross over time and lands, undergo changes and offer us wonderful versions of their story from the Balkans, Europe and Africa. The magical folk tales are songs that pass down from one generation to another, each time dressed in the rhythms and melodies of the community of the storyteller who narrates them.

Original music by Stathis Giftakis

Christina Dimiza & Lilly Triantari – concept & narration

Panagiotis Adam – dramaturgy

Popi Malapani – piano 

Arionas Gyftakis – double bass

Yorgos Pavlakos – flutes & recorders 

Sofia Braila – voice 

A production of Popi Malapani and Mission Art AMKE

Many thanks to Valérie Petit for translating the African tale “Snow White of the Sun” into Greek.

The event is offered free of charge by the Ministry of Culture.

Only the entrance fee to the archaeological site is payable.

Pre-booking is compulsory.

Information & pre-bookings: 

www.allofgreeceoneculture.gr

Christina Dimiza was born, grew up, and is still growing… At the right moment and when necessary, she was sent to school to learn and become educated. She began her journey into Art and Knowledge by studying at the K. Koun Art Theatre and continued her studies in History, Archaeology, and Cultural Heritage Management. Very early on, she started working as a theatre educator with groups of children and teenagers. She wrote and directed plays with and for children. She has collaborated with the Art Theatre, the Municipal and Regional Theatre of Kalamata, the Experimental Stage of Kalamata and the Artistic Hangout. For the last 12 years, she has been working at the Bougas Schools as the Director of Academic Planning. She teaches in primary and secondary school while also facilitating literature and creative writing groups. She shares her thoughts and experience on children’s literature, reading promotion, theatrical play and puppet theatre with educators, kindergarten teachers and schoolteachers in adult workshops. She has been trained in group empowerment techniques, effective communication, mediation (non-violent communication) and mentoring educators. For the last ten years, she has been walking the path of folk tales, but she still has many pairs of iron shoes that have yet to wear out. Despite that, she feels lucky to be able to count herself as… another link in the noble lineage of the storytellers.

Lilly Triantari came into this world with a cheerful disposition on an autumn Sunday… tag, you’re it! She played, ran, climbed trees, and hid in the water square for many years. Then she studied dance at the National School of Dance (K.S.O.T.), flew away to the Laban Centre of Movement and Dance, and slid back to K.S.O.T. from where she graduated… tag, you’re it! In 1989, she and her friends set out for a city in the south. A city between the sea and the mountains with somewhat sleepy people. She worked at the Municipal Dance School of Kalamata. She taught young and older students creative movement, music and movement education, and contemporary dance. In 2006, she began walking the path of folk tales. Walking this path, she has shared her stories in secret and open gardens, in museums and schools, on rooftops and in barns, in small and slightly larger theatres, in cafes and orchards, on buses, by fireplaces, by rivers, and at celebrations under the stars. 

If she were not a human, she would want to be a bird. 

If she were not a bird, she would want to be a dream. 

If she were not a dream, she would want to be a wish… tag, you’re free!

Popi Malapani studied piano at the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata with Stathis Giftakis, Maria Papapetropoulou and Neli Semitekolo. After graduating (Diploma), she continued her studies at the Folkwang University Music Essen in Germany with Michael Roll and Til Engel. She has attended many chamber music and solo piano seminars with Xavier Poncette, Alexander Shmalcz, Lilia Bojiadjieva, Domna Evnouchidou, Theodor Tzovanakis a.o. She has also studied Archaeology at the Athens State University. Furthermore, she has had many chamber music and solo concerts in Greece and abroad. Since 2014, she has worked at the Nakas Conservatory in Athens as a piano teacher and accompanist.

Arionas Gyftakis was born in Kalamata in 1995. At seven, he started violin lessons at the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata. He started electric bass lessons with Nikos Tsotras and Harry Charalampous four years later. His great interest in jazz music led him at 14 to start jazz bass with Sylvios Syrros. During these four years, he also studied jazz harmony, improvisation and workshop. During the same period, he also studied classical bass with Takis Kappogiannis. In May 2013, he took exams at the Berklee College of Music and won the Full Presidential Scholarship. There he studied with John Lockwood, Dave Santoro, Eddie Gomez and Hal Crook. Currently, he is teaching at Jazzart in Athens. His collaborations include musicians such as George Kontrafouris, Spiros Manesis, Takis Paterelis, Andreas Polyzogopoulos, Daniel Rotem, Anastasis Gouliaris, Davis Whitfield, Gabriele Milozzi and others.

Yorgos Pavlakos was born in Athens in 1978. His musical studies started in the Conservatory of Kalamata, where he took recorder lessons from Manos Avarakis. Later, he moved to the Netherlands and continued his studies on the recorder. He graduated from the Historical Instruments Department of the Conservatorium of Utrecht under the guidance of Heiko ter Schegget. Among his teachers are Wilbert Hazelzet and Bert Honig. He followed masterclasses with Marion Verbruggen and Conrad Steinmann. In the Netherlands, he worked as a recorder teacher and ensemble coach. He co-founded the ensemble Oriana and has given several performances in the Netherlands. He has also appeared on stage in Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic. Since 2017, he has been teaching recorder at the Conservatory of Kalamata and appears regularly in concerts as a soloist and an ensemble player. Ηe still, naively, believes that music can change the world.

© Caterina Costi

Sofia Braila was born in Athens. Her involvement with music began at a young age with classical piano lessons. Later, she studied vocals with Lia Hide at Musical Praxis Conservatory while also participating in the conservatory’s jazz ensembles under the guidance of Yiannis Papanastasiou and George Argyropoulos. Since 2020, she has been studying jazz improvisation with Sylvios Syrros and is a student of the Jazzart Music School. She has collaborated with various musicians including Spyros Manesis, Arionas Gyftakis, Tryfonas Typou, Anastasis Gouliaris, Gabriele Milozzi, Dionysis Polygenis, Yiannis Papadopoulos, Yiannis Papadoulis, Orestis Petrakis, Grigoris Theodoridis, Manouchedrome and others, and performed at festivals and well-known concert venues such as Djangofest – Technopolis City of Athens, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata and Koroni Arts Festival. In addition to her musical activities, she holds a degree in Graphic Design from the Technological Educational Institute of Athens and currently works as a freelance designer.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041 (ca. 1730)

III. Allegro assai

Giorgos Zagarelos – violin & Maria Papapetropoulou – piano

Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849): Nocturne Op.55 No.1 in F minor (1842-44)

Maria Mitsouli – piano

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): Prelude XV in G major, BWV 860 (1722)

Konstantinos Demetzos – piano

Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904–1987): Violin Concerto, Op.48 (1948)

I. Allegro molto e con brio

Aigli Tzikouli – violin & Maria Papapetropoulou – piano

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): Violin Concerto No.3 in G major, K.216 (1775)

I. Allegro

Zoe Katsapara – violin & Maria Papapetropoulou – piano

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827): Piano Sonata No.5, Op.10 No.1 (1798)

I. Allegro molto e con brio

Konstantinos Demetzos – piano

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943): Piano Sonata No.2, Op.36 (1913/1931)

I. Allegro agitato

II. Non allegro–Lento

Nikolas Pappas – piano

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975): 5 pieces for 2 violins and piano (1955)

I. Prelude

II. Gavotte

III. Elegy

IV. Waltz

V. Polka

Felix Froschhammer, Zoe Katsapara, Antonis Maziotis, Aigli Tzikouli, Giorgos Zagarelos – violins & Maria Papapetropoulou – piano

Alexia Mouza – piano tutor

Felix Froschhammer – violin tutor

Maria Papapetropoulou – piano accompanist

Maria Papapetropoulou was born in Athens. She studied piano with Popi and Natalia Michailidou at the “Athenaeum” Conservatory and the Skalkottas Conservatory, respectively. She received her diploma from the Skalkottas Conservatory with honours, earning the 1st prize. She continued her studies with Francoise Tina at the École Normale de Musique de Paris “Alfred Cortot” and at the Conservatoire National d’Orléans, where she graduated, receiving the 1st prize. With a scholarship from the Onassis Foundation, she continued her studies at the Karlsruhe University with Ulrich Rademacher, specializing in Lied Accompaniment, and obtained a postgraduate diploma with honours. She has performed on stage in Greece and abroad. She has closely collaborated as a soloist with the Athens State Orchestra, the Orchestra of Colours, and the Ryazan Philharmonic in Russia. She has also performed and recorded for the Greek Radio and Television. She teaches piano, accompaniment and chamber music at the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata.

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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): Cello Suite No.1 in G major, BWV 1007 (1717–23)

I. Prélude

II. Allemande

III. Courante

IV. Sarabande

V. Menuett I & II

VI. Gigue

Ahmed Adnan Saygun (1907–1991): Partita for violoncello solo, Op.31 (1955)

I. Lento 

II. Vivo 

III. Adagio 

IV. Allegretto 

V. Allegro moderato

-PAUSE-

Jean-Baptiste Barrière (1707–1747): Sonata for two cellos in G major (ca. 1737–40)

I. Andante

II. Adagio

III. Allegro prestissimo 

with Indira Rahmatulla – violoncello

Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967): Sonata for violoncello solo, Op.8 (1915)

I. Allegro maestoso ma appassionato

II. Adagio (con grand’ espressione)

III. Allegro molto vivace

The concert is co-organized with the Region of Peloponnese and in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messenia.

Curiosity, diversity and a firm focus on the music itself characterize the artistic work of Jean-Guihen Queyras. Whether on stage or on record, one experiences an artist dedicated completely and passionately to the music, whose humble and quite unpretentious treatment of the score reflects its clear, undistorted essence. His approaches to early music and contemporary music are equally thorough. Jean-Guihen Queyras was a founding member of the Arcanto Quartet and forms a celebrated trio with Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov; the latter is, alongside Alexandre Tharaud, a regular accompanist. The versatility in his music-making has led to many concert halls, festivals and orchestras inviting him to be an Artist in Residence. Jean-Guihen Queyras often appears with renowned orchestras and conductors and his discography is impressive. He holds a professorship at the University of Music Freiburg and is Artistic Director of the Rencontres Musicales de Haute-Provence festival in Forcalquier, France. www.jeanguihenqueyras.com/en

© Angel Sifontes

Indira Rahmatulla was born in Uzbekistan in a family of musicians. Her main cello teachers include her parents, Vagram Saradjian, Ronald Leonard, Jean-Guihen Queyras and Christophe Coin. Her chamber music mentors include outstanding musicians such as Arnold Steinhardt, Ralf Gothoni, Eldar Nebolsin, Tabea Zimmerman and Ferenc Rados. As a soloist, Indira has appeared in various countries such as Armenia, Chile, USA, Turkey and Switzerland. Currently, she spends most of her time in Lausanne, playing in the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, of which she has been a member since 2015. In addition, she frequently plays as solo cello in Kammerorchester Basel, Balthasar-Neumann Ensemble and performs regularly with Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Indira is a founding member and the Artistic Director of the International Kalamata Music Days.

The Spiral Trio is a modern jazz piano trio based in Athens, Greece. Since 2012, when they first met, they have been constantly working on their sound through rehearsing and performing in jazz clubs and festivals throughout Greece and other European countries. In 2017, they released their first album, “Spiral Trio,” by Greek label ANKh Music Productions, which consisted mainly of jazz standards. In 2022, they released their second album, “Broken Blue,” by U.S.A. label Odradek Records, which has received enthusiastic reviews internationally.

The three musicians formed Spiral Trio due to their need to work as a team and experiment with modern jazz improvisation. With their experience in national and international scenes, they have formed a clearly distinguished and recognizable sound as a group and as individuals. Their sound is characterized by a constant interplay, which, in combination with the high level of their musical and improvisation skills, enriches the music with elements of surprise, a variety of images and inventive narration.

In this concert, the trio will perform their latest compositions, which will be included in their upcoming album.

Spiral Trio

Spyros Manesis – piano 

Arionas Gyftakis – double bass 

Anastasis Gouliaris – drums

Jazz pianist Spyros Manesis was born in Athens in 1978. His studies include degrees in classical and jazz piano from the Athenaeum Conservatory in Athens (with M. Aivazova, G. Kontrafouris, S. Syrros) and a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in jazz piano from the Conservatory of Amsterdam (K. Boehlee, H. Vroomans, K. Goessens, R. v. Bavel and H. Fraanje). Among his collaborations are important names of the Greek and international music scene and he has performed in many countries. He has recorded several albums. In 2015, he was awarded with the 1st Prize of the Apollon Jazz Competition Greece with his project Spiral Trio. Spyros Manesis regularly teaches jazz piano at the Jazzart music school, has taught jazz piano at the Athenaeum Conservatory, has served as a guest teacher at the Ionian University and has organized and guided a four-day jazz piano workshop commissioned by the Greek National Opera. www.spyrosmanesis.com  

Arionas Gyftakis was born in Kalamata in 1995. At seven, he started violin lessons at the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata. He started electric bass lessons with Nikos Tsotras and Harry Charalampous four years later. His great interest in jazz music led him at 14 to start jazz bass with Sylvios Syrros. During these four years, he also studied jazz harmony, improvisation and workshop. During the same period, he also studied classical bass with Takis Kappogiannis. In May 2013, he took exams at the Berklee College of Music and won the Full Presidential Scholarship. There he studied with John Lockwood, Dave Santoro, Eddie Gomez and Hal Crook. Currently, he is teaching at Jazzart in Athens. His collaborations include musicians such as George Kontrafouris, Spiros Manesis, Takis Paterelis, Andreas Polyzogopoulos, Daniel Rotem, Anastasis Gouliaris, Davis Whitfield, Gabriele Milozzi and others.

Anastasis Gouliaris was born in Athens, Greece. He started his musical education at the age of 15 with the drummer Antonis Garinis and later on with Nikos Sidirokastritis. He continued with educator and sax player Sylvios Syrros at the Athenaeum Conservatory, from where he graduated with a diploma in drums and jazz improvisation. He took lessons with Billy Hart, Mark Guiliana and Adam Nussbaum. He has collaborated with many musicians in the jazz scene and has performed in various jazz clubs and music halls in Greece and Europe. In 2012, with pianist Spyros Manesis and double bass player Arionas Gyftakis, they formed the Spiral Trio and started performing in Greece and touring in Europe. In 2015, Spiral Trio was awarded the 1st Prize at the Apollon Jazz Competition in Greece. He is an active educator in jazz drumming and improvisation, teaching in music schools, private lessons and clinics.

Henry Purcell (1659–1695): A selection from the “Fantasias” for string quartet, Z.732–747 (ca. 1680) 

Jonian Ilias Kadesha – violin 

Pablo Hernán Benedí – violin

Lily Francis – viola 

Vashti Hunter – violoncello 

Nikolas Palaiologos (*1984): Kurdi Semai (2012)

Antonis Kyriazis (middle 19th cent. – 1925): Hicaz Mandira

Petros Peloponnesios (1730–1778): Nihavent Semai

Kevser Hanim (1887–1963): Nihavent Longa

Nikolas Palaiologos (*1984): Diotima (2022)

Nikolas Palaiologos (*1984): Harmattan (2022)

Kemani Sebuh Efendi (1828–1894): Kürdili Hicazkâr Longa

Nikolas Palaiologos – oud, tamboura, rubab & yayli tanbur

Diotima Spadidea – qanun

-PAUSE-

Germaine Tailleferre (1892–1983): String Quartet (1919)

I. Modéré

II. Intermède

III. Final. Vif – Très rythmé – Un peu plus lent

Lily Francis – violin 

Pablo Hernán Benedí – violin

Jonian Ilias Kadesha – viola

Vashti Hunter – violoncello

Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924): String Quartet, Op.121 (1923–1924)

I. Allegro moderato

II. Andante

III. Allegro

Pablo Hernán Benedí – violin

Jonian Ilias Kadesha – violin 

Lily Francis – viola 

Vashti Hunter – violoncello

The Caerus Chamber Ensemble was founded in 2017. It confronts the passing of time by capturing the moment. Inspired by Caerus –a religious-philosophical term in ancient Greece for the right, distinctive point in time for a decision and also personified as a deity in mythology– this unique ensemble consists of outstanding instrumentalists of the young European generation of musicians under the artistic direction of Jonian-Ilias Kadesha. It brings the spirit of Caerus into music, creating something unique and unforeseen: music arising from the right, not reproducible moment. As a flexible ensemble, it can play in programmes with different instrumentations; the design of the programmes thus gains the greatest freedom and relevance in terms of content. The young artists share a common desire to perform chamber music at the highest level. In this, each individual is required as a soloist and, at the same time, as a sensitive part of a community.

© Sigi Müller

Lily Francis is an American violinist and violist living in Austria. As a top prize winner at the 2009 ARD competition, Lily has appeared with a number of European orchestras, including the Bayrischer Rundfunk Orchester, and made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2008. Recent chamber music collaborations have included recordings with the Gringolts Quartet, appearances at the Lockenhaus and Marlboro Festivals and the Caerus Chamber Ensemble. Her chamber music collaborators have included Andras Schiff, Mitsuko Uchida, Alexander Melnikov, Vilde Frang, Nicolas Altstaedt and Pekka Kuusisto. A student of Joseph Silverstein and Miriam Fried, Lily is Professor of Violin at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg since 2017 and plays an 1846 Silvestre violin and a 2004 Marco Coppiardi viola.

© Verena Chen

Pablo Hernán Benedí was born in 1991 in Madrid. He studied violin at the Antonio Soler Conservatory in San Lorenzo de El Escorial with Polina Kotliarskaya and at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with David Takeno and András Keller. In 2010, Pablo became a member of the Chiaroscuro Quartet. The Quartet’s debut recording was released in 2011 to critical acclaim. As a soloist, Pablo has appeared with orchestras like Philarmonia Orchestra, London Mozart Players and Concerto Budapest.

© Andrej Grilc

Born into a musical family in London, cellist Vashti Hunter enjoys a versatile career as a soloist and chamber musician. Vashti has been invited to important festivals, to play in prestigious halls throughout Europe and to perform as a soloist with many orchestras. Vashti studied in London and Hannover for many years with Leonid Gorokhov and later in Berlin with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt. A very important influence is the cellist Steven Isserlis. Vashti is a co-founder of Trio Gaspard and a member of the Kelemen Quartet. Vashti was recently appointed Professor of Cello at the Anton Bruckner Private University Linz in Austria and also holds a teaching position for cello master students at the university in Hannover. She is also a Guest Chamber Music Professor at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole in Italy. www.vashtihunter.de

© Kaupo Kikkas

Jonian Ilias Kadesha is a renaissance musician in the diversity and creativity of his intellectual interests and music-making. His studies in philosophy and rhetoric influence the stylistic accuracy of his interpretations, whether of early or contemporary music, and his rich imagination is clear both in the sound worlds he creates and the projects he curates as soloist, player–director and chamber musician. As a soloist, he has performed throughout Europe. Kadesha is also a committed chamber musician who collaborates with renowned musicians. He is co-founder of the award-winning Trio Gaspard, a member of the Kelemen Quartet and increasingly in demand with leading chamber orchestras as player/director. In 2017, Kadesha founded and assumed the role of Artistic Director of the Caerus Chamber Ensemble. Born in Athens, with Albanian and Greek heritage, Kadesha studied from a young age at Musikhochschule Würzburg, followed by studies at Kronberg Academy. www.jonianiliaskadesha.net

Nikolas Palaiologos was born in Kalamata in 1984 and his interest in music started when he was seven. His first contact with traditional instruments was made in 1996 while being a student at the Music School of Kalamata. In 2001, he met Ross Daly, who gave him a series of lessons on the technique of the instruments oud and saz, the theory of Eastern Music and the art of improvisation. Since then, he has developed a strong interest also in other stringed instruments, such as rubab, cümbüş, yayli tanbur, kabak kemane and others. In 2008, he met the oud soloist Nasheer Shamma, founder of Bait Al Oud in Cairo. There, he demonstrated the tone-colour of the oud through his own compositions. He has participated in many concerts and festivals with various music ensembles in several cities of Greece and abroad and has collaborated with excellent Greek and international musicians. Since 2013, he has been teaching in the School of Byzantine Music of The Holy Metropolis of Messinia. He has also taught at the Music School of Kalamata and at seminars in various other cities in Greece.

Diotima Spadidea was born in Kalamata in 2008. She began taking kanun lessons at the age of six with Sofia Labropoulou. In 2020, she started attending lessons with Nikolas Palaiologos, and since 2022, she has been a member of the traditional ensemble Choriambos, which Nikolas Palaiologos is conducting. In the same year, she attended the festival “Adontes kai psallodes en ti kardia” under the direction of Christos Tsiamoulis. In the summer of 2023, she attended the kanun seminar at the music workshop “Labyrinth” with the kanun player Muhittin Kemal, who is now her teacher. Since 2022, she has played at several concerts. One of them was together with Nikolas Palaiologos in honour of Mariza Koch. In 2024, she attended the meeting of traditional musicians “Tis triantafillias ta filla” at Technopolis of Athens.

The Moving Band of the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata is… preparing its coach for another journey. The ensemble will travel to the Municipal Railway Park of Kalamata with dozens of percussion instruments, flutes, pipes, whistles, a bundle of wood and an old piano. There, they will present three Buster Keaton movies with delicious live music! 

THE FILMS: 

The Love Nest (1923)

To forget his lost sweetheart, Buster takes a long trip at the sea when pirates catch him.

Directed by: Buster Keaton, Edward F. Cline

Written by: Buster Keaton 

Produced by: Joseph M. Schenck 

Starring:

Buster Keaton 

Joe Roberts

Virginia Fox 

Steve Murphy

Running time: 24 minutes 

Silent (English intertitles and Greek subtitles)

Country of origin: USA

The Goat (1921)

A series of adventures begins when Buster is mistaken for Dead Shot Dan, the evil bad guy.

Directed by: Buster Keaton, Malcolm St. Clair

Written by: Malcolm St. Clair, Buster Keaton 

Produced by: Joseph M. Schenck 

Starring:

Buster Keaton 

Virginia Fox 

Joe Roberts

Malcolm St. Clair

Edward F. Cline

Jean C. Havez

Joe Keaton

Louise Keaton

Myra Keaton

Running time: 23 minutes 

Silent (English intertitles and Greek subtitles)

Country of origin: USA

Cops (1922)

Buster Keaton gets involved in a series of misunderstandings involving a horse and a cart. Eventually, he infuriates every cop in the city when he accidentally interrupts a police parade.

Directed by: Edward F. Cline, Buster Keaton 

Written by: Edward F. Cline, Buster Keaton 

Produced by: Joseph M. Schenck 

Starring:

Buster Keaton 

Edward F. Cline

Virginia Fox 

Steve Murphy

Joe Roberts

Running time: 18 minutes 

Silent (English intertitles and Greek subtitles)

Country of origin: USA

Moving Band

Yorgos Pavlakos – recorder and Jewish harp 

Stavros Tsotras – bassoon   

Ypapanti Alexandropoulou – a pile of percussion, whistles, pots and pans 

Katerina Miliaresi – another pile of percussion, whistles, pots and lids 

Stathis Giftakis – piano

In collaboration with the “Filmhouse” Νew Film Club of Kalamata.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827): 7 Variations on “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen”, WoO 46 (1801)

Alex Olmedo Duynslaeger – violoncello & Lidia Nochovska – piano

Franz Schubert (1797–1828): Arpeggione Sonata, D.821 (1824)

I. Allegro moderato

Luis Dias Canali – violoncello & Lídia Dias de Castro – piano

Robert Schumann (1810–1856): Cello Concerto, Op.129 (1859)

I. Nicht zu schnell

Nicola Zesch – violoncello & Lidia Nochovska – piano

Claude Debussy (1862–1918): Cello Sonata (1915)

I. Prologue: Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto

II. Sérénade: Modérément animé

III. Final: Animé, léger et nerveux

İdil Bursa – violoncello & Lidia Nochovska – piano

Carlo Gesualdo (1566–1613): Beltà poi che t’assenti (1611)

Jean-Guihen Queyras, Luis Dias Canali, Nicola Zesch, İdil Bursa & Alex Olmedo Duynslaeger – violoncelli

Jean-Guihen Queyras – violoncello tutor

Lidiia Nochovska was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 1988. She started her music education at the age of six. 2006, she completed her studies at the Lysenko Specialized Music School under L. Vakarina and L. Rayko. Lidiia graduated later from the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy (Kyiv) under the direction of O. Ryndenko and from the Instituto Internacional de Música de Camera de Madrid in the class of Ralf Gothoni, Eldar Nebolsin, Ángel Quintana, Luis del Valle and Kennedi Moretti. She was a founding member of Trio Areti. Lidiia is currently an accompanist at the Department of Opera and Symphony Conducting at the National Music Academy of Ukraine (Kyiv), as well as an orchestra artist and a choir accompanist at the Kyiv National House of Music. Lidiia is also a member of the musical and theatrical team Art Razom.

Giovanni Sollima (*1962): “Suite Case” for two violins (2016)

I. Wood (Moderato)

II. B275 (Allegro assai) 

III. Alleluja (Allegro)

Pablo Hernán Benedí & Jonian Ilias Kadesha – violins

Stathis Giftakis (*1967): Agnus Dei (2022)

Eric Whitacre (*1970): The Seal Lullaby (2008) 

Bulgarian folk song: Kaval Sviri 

Serbian folk song: Niška Banja 

Jim Papoulis (*1961): Sililiza (2012)

Greek folk song (Drama): Koita me glykia mou agapi, arr. Eleni Siniari

Greek folk song (Thrace): To Margoudi, arr. Konstantinos Matis

“Melifono” Women’s Vocal Ensemble Extended

Athanasia Kyriakidou – conductor 

Katerina Palaiologou, Viki Vasileiadi, Foteini Arapi, Georgia Kotsimpou, Polytimi Anagnostopoulou, Maria Tserpe, Eleni Gkini, Eleni Loura, Martzy Michail, Sofia Katsoulea, Voula Mavrea, Niki Grigoropoulou, Zoi Kleidona, Georgia Tsompou, Vasiliki Moulouchakou, Stavroula Damilou, Katerilena Stamatelopoulou, Lena Angeletou, Tonia Dikaiou, Eleni Pertselaki, Irena Choliastou, Eva Koufalakou, Giannis Garantziotis, Alexandros Foukaras, Kostas Anagnostopoulos, Panagiotis Tzoumakis, Nikos Michalopoulos, Michalis Kanavos

-PAUSE-

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, K.493 (1786)

I. Allegro 

II. Larghetto 

III. Allegretto

Jonian Ilias Kadesha – violin 

Pablo Hernán Benedí – violin 

Vashti Hunter – violoncello 

Noam Greenberg – piano

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897): Piano Quintet, Op.34 (1864)

I. Allegro non troppo

II. Andante, un poco Adagio

III. Scherzo. Allegro – Trio

IV. Finale. Poco sostenuto – Allegro non troppo

Jonian Ilias Kadesha – violin 

Pablo Hernán Benedí – violin 

Lily Francis – viola 

Vashti Hunter – violoncello 

Noam Greenberg – piano

The Caerus Chamber Ensemble was founded in 2017. It confronts the passing of time by capturing the moment. Inspired by Caerus –a religious-philosophical term in ancient Greece for the right, distinctive point in time for a decision and also personified as a deity in mythology– this unique ensemble consists of outstanding instrumentalists of the young European generation of musicians under the artistic direction of Jonian-Ilias Kadesha. It brings the spirit of Caerus into music, creating something unique and unforeseen: music arising from the right, not reproducible moment. As a flexible ensemble, it can play in programmes with different instrumentations; the design of the programmes thus gains the greatest freedom and relevance in terms of content. The young artists share a common desire to perform chamber music at the highest level. In this, each individual is required as a soloist and, at the same time, as a sensitive part of a community.

© Sigi Müller

Lily Francis is an American violinist and violist living in Austria. As a top prize winner at the 2009 ARD competition, Lily has appeared with a number of European orchestras, including the Bayrischer Rundfunk Orchester, and made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2008. Recent chamber music collaborations have included recordings with the Gringolts Quartet, appearances at the Lockenhaus and Marlboro Festivals and the Caerus Chamber Ensemble. Her chamber music collaborators have included Andras Schiff, Mitsuko Uchida, Alexander Melnikov, Vilde Frang, Nicolas Altstaedt and Pekka Kuusisto. A student of Joseph Silverstein and Miriam Fried, Lily is Professor of Violin at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg since 2017 and plays an 1846 Silvestre violin and a 2004 Marco Coppiardi viola.

British/Israeli pianist Noam Greenberg studied in London with Maria Curcio and in Budapest with Ferenc Rados. He enjoys a busy international career playing both recitals and chamber music and has participated in many festivals, including Aldeburgh, Lucerne, Cheltenham and Schleswig-Holstein, to name a few. For many years, he was a member of the Waldstein Ensemble, a piano quartet formed together with violinist Gerhard Schulz. As a soloist, he has performed with numerous orchestras and given the Israeli premiere of the Ligeti piano concerto, broadcast live to numerous European countries. He also often works with singers, including Christine Schaffer, Mark Padmore, Ailish Tynan and Ruby Hughes. He has given and led many masterclass courses in academies and universities in the UK and Europe. He is also the Artistic Director for the Music at Tresanton festival in a beautiful part of Cornwall. He lives in London.

© Verena Chen

Pablo Hernán Benedí was born in 1991 in Madrid. He studied violin at the Antonio Soler Conservatory in San Lorenzo de El Escorial with Polina Kotliarskaya and at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with David Takeno and András Keller. In 2010, Pablo became a member of the Chiaroscuro Quartet. The Quartet’s debut recording was released in 2011 to critical acclaim. As a soloist, Pablo has appeared with orchestras like Philarmonia Orchestra, London Mozart Players and Concerto Budapest.

© Andrej Grilc

Born into a musical family in London, cellist Vashti Hunter enjoys a versatile career as a soloist and chamber musician. Vashti has been invited to important festivals, to play in prestigious halls throughout Europe and to perform as a soloist with many orchestras. Vashti studied in London and Hannover for many years with Leonid Gorokhov and later in Berlin with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt. A very important influence is the cellist Steven Isserlis. Vashti is a co-founder of Trio Gaspard and a member of the Kelemen Quartet. Vashti was recently appointed Professor of Cello at the Anton Bruckner Private University Linz in Austria and also holds a teaching position for cello master students at the university in Hannover. She is also a Guest Chamber Music Professor at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole in Italy. www.vashtihunter.de

© Kaupo Kikkas

Jonian Ilias Kadesha is a renaissance musician in the diversity and creativity of his intellectual interests and music-making. His studies in philosophy and rhetoric influence the stylistic accuracy of his interpretations, whether of early or contemporary music, and his rich imagination is clear both in the sound worlds he creates and the projects he curates as soloist, player–director and chamber musician. As a soloist, he has performed throughout Europe. Kadesha is also a committed chamber musician who collaborates with renowned musicians. He is co-founder of the award-winning Trio Gaspard, a member of the Kelemen Quartet and increasingly in demand with leading chamber orchestras as player/director. In 2017, Kadesha founded and assumed the role of Artistic Director of the Caerus Chamber Ensemble. Born in Athens, with Albanian and Greek heritage, Kadesha studied from a young age at Musikhochschule Würzburg, followed by studies at Kronberg Academy. www.jonianiliaskadesha.net

Athanasia Kyriakidou is a choral conductor specialising in multisensory vocal training and nonverbal leadership. She graduated from CSULA (USA) and AUTh (Greece) with a MM in choral conducting and a PhD in historical musicology. While also being a Guest Conductor for the Greek National Radio Choir (ERT), Choral and Orchestra Ensemble of Armonia Atenea and Assistant Conductor for the choir of the National Technical University of Athens, Athanasia has academic experience in the Department of Music, School of Fine Arts, AUTh and teaches at the National Masterclass for Orchestra and Choir Conductors with the Athens Municipality Orchestra. She currently conducts the Melifono women’s choir and the choir of the Youth Orchestra of Creta.

The “Melifono” Women’s Vocal Ensemble was created in 2013 by the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata and has charted a significant course in the field of choral music, earning distinctions and awards in worldwide competitions and taking part in international festivals such as the Athens & Epidaurus Festival, the Kalamata International Dance Festival, the International Kalamata Music Days festival, the Kalamata International Choir Competition and Festival and the Vox Lucensis International Choir Festival in Lucca, Italy. The conductor of the Ensemble is Athanasia Kyriakidou, assisted by Katerina Palaiologou. The “Melifono” Ensemble is among the Municipal Conservatory’s most significant exports and has made numerous concert appearances in Greece and abroad beyond the aforementioned contests and festivals.

Stathis Giftakis (*1967): “Me gustas cuando callas” for narrator and piano, Op.61 (2009)

Based on the poem 15 by Pablo Neruda

Noam Greenberg – piano 

Pablo Hernán Benedí – narration

Fazıl Say (*1970): Sonata for violoncello and piano “Four Cities”, Op.41 (2012)

I. Sivas

II. Hopa

III. Ankara

IV. Bodrum

Indira Rahmatulla – violoncello

Lidiia Nochovska – piano

-PAUSE-

George Enescu (1881–1955): Piano Quintet, Op.29 (1940)

I. Con moto molto moderato – Andante sostenuto e cantabile 

II. Vivace, ma non troppo – A tempo, un poco più animato

Jonian Ilias Kadesha – violin 

Pablo Hernán Benedí – violin 

Lily Francis – viola 

Vashti Hunter – violoncello 

Noam Greenberg – piano

The Caerus Chamber Ensemble was founded in 2017. It confronts the passing of time by capturing the moment. Inspired by Caerus –a religious-philosophical term in ancient Greece for the right, distinctive point in time for a decision and also personified as a deity in mythology– this unique ensemble consists of outstanding instrumentalists of the young European generation of musicians under the artistic direction of Jonian-Ilias Kadesha. It brings the spirit of Caerus into music, creating something unique and unforeseen: music arising from the right, not reproducible moment. As a flexible ensemble, it can play in programmes with different instrumentations; the design of the programmes thus gains the greatest freedom and relevance in terms of content. The young artists share a common desire to perform chamber music at the highest level. In this, each individual is required as a soloist and, at the same time, as a sensitive part of a community.

© Sigi Müller

Lily Francis is an American violinist and violist living in Austria. As a top prize winner at the 2009 ARD competition, Lily has appeared with a number of European orchestras, including the Bayrischer Rundfunk Orchester, and made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2008. Recent chamber music collaborations have included recordings with the Gringolts Quartet, appearances at the Lockenhaus and Marlboro Festivals and the Caerus Chamber Ensemble. Her chamber music collaborators have included Andras Schiff, Mitsuko Uchida, Alexander Melnikov, Vilde Frang, Nicolas Altstaedt and Pekka Kuusisto. A student of Joseph Silverstein and Miriam Fried, Lily is Professor of Violin at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg since 2017 and plays an 1846 Silvestre violin and a 2004 Marco Coppiardi viola.

British/Israeli pianist Noam Greenberg studied in London with Maria Curcio and in Budapest with Ferenc Rados. He enjoys a busy international career playing both recitals and chamber music and has participated in many festivals, including Aldeburgh, Lucerne, Cheltenham and Schleswig-Holstein, to name a few. For many years, he was a member of the Waldstein Ensemble, a piano quartet formed together with violinist Gerhard Schulz. As a soloist, he has performed with numerous orchestras and given the Israeli premiere of the Ligeti piano concerto, broadcast live to numerous European countries. He also often works with singers, including Christine Schaffer, Mark Padmore, Ailish Tynan and Ruby Hughes. He has given and led many masterclass courses in academies and universities in the UK and Europe. He is also the Artistic Director for the Music at Tresanton festival in a beautiful part of Cornwall. He lives in London.

© Verena Chen

Pablo Hernán Benedí was born in 1991 in Madrid. He studied violin at the Antonio Soler Conservatory in San Lorenzo de El Escorial with Polina Kotliarskaya and at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with David Takeno and András Keller. In 2010, Pablo became a member of the Chiaroscuro Quartet. The Quartet’s debut recording was released in 2011 to critical acclaim. As a soloist, Pablo has appeared with orchestras like Philarmonia Orchestra, London Mozart Players and Concerto Budapest.

© Andrej Grilc

Born into a musical family in London, cellist Vashti Hunter enjoys a versatile career as a soloist and chamber musician. Vashti has been invited to important festivals, to play in prestigious halls throughout Europe and to perform as a soloist with many orchestras. Vashti studied in London and Hannover for many years with Leonid Gorokhov and later in Berlin with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt. A very important influence is the cellist Steven Isserlis. Vashti is a co-founder of Trio Gaspard and a member of the Kelemen Quartet. Vashti was recently appointed Professor of Cello at the Anton Bruckner Private University Linz in Austria and also holds a teaching position for cello master students at the university in Hannover. She is also a Guest Chamber Music Professor at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole in Italy. www.vashtihunter.de

© Kaupo Kikkas

Jonian Ilias Kadesha is a renaissance musician in the diversity and creativity of his intellectual interests and music-making. His studies in philosophy and rhetoric influence the stylistic accuracy of his interpretations, whether of early or contemporary music, and his rich imagination is clear both in the sound worlds he creates and the projects he curates as soloist, player–director and chamber musician. As a soloist, he has performed throughout Europe. Kadesha is also a committed chamber musician who collaborates with renowned musicians. He is co-founder of the award-winning Trio Gaspard, a member of the Kelemen Quartet and increasingly in demand with leading chamber orchestras as player/director. In 2017, Kadesha founded and assumed the role of Artistic Director of the Caerus Chamber Ensemble. Born in Athens, with Albanian and Greek heritage, Kadesha studied from a young age at Musikhochschule Würzburg, followed by studies at Kronberg Academy. www.jonianiliaskadesha.net

Lidiia Nochovska was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 1988. She started her music education at the age of six. 2006, she completed her studies at the Lysenko Specialized Music School under L. Vakarina and L. Rayko. Lidiia graduated later from the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy (Kyiv) under the direction of O. Ryndenko and from the Instituto Internacional de Música de Camera de Madrid in the class of Ralf Gothoni, Eldar Nebolsin, Ángel Quintana, Luis del Valle and Kennedi Moretti. She was a founding member of Trio Areti. Lidiia is currently an accompanist at the Department of Opera and Symphony Conducting at the National Music Academy of Ukraine (Kyiv), as well as an orchestra artist and a choir accompanist at the Kyiv National House of Music. Lidiia is also a member of the musical and theatrical team Art Razom.

© Angel Sifontes

Indira Rahmatulla was born in Uzbekistan in a family of musicians. Her main cello teachers include her parents, Vagram Saradjian, Ronald Leonard, Jean-Guihen Queyras and Christophe Coin. Her chamber music mentors include outstanding musicians such as Arnold Steinhardt, Ralf Gothoni, Eldar Nebolsin, Tabea Zimmerman and Ferenc Rados. As a soloist, Indira has appeared in various countries such as Armenia, Chile, USA, Turkey and Switzerland. Currently, she spends most of her time in Lausanne, playing in the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, of which she has been a member since 2015. In addition, she frequently plays as solo cello in Kammerorchester Basel, Balthasar-Neumann Ensemble and performs regularly with Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Indira is a founding member and the Artistic Director of the International Kalamata Music Days.

Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847): Piano Trio No.1, Op.49 (1839)

I. Molto Allegro agitato

II. Andante con moto tranquillo

Violeta Kadesha – violin, Johanna Zietz – violoncello & Ingrid Uemura – piano

Edvard Grieg (1843–1907): Violin Sonata No.3, Op.45 (1887)

I. Allegro molto ed appassionato — Presto

Mieke Poppe – violin & Popi Malapani – piano

Franz Schubert (1797–1828): Piano Sonata in A minor, D.845 (1825)

I. Moderato

Dimitrios Adamopoulos – piano

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): Violin Sonata No.2 in A minor, BWV 1003 (1720)

III. Andante

IV. Allegro

Karolina Bagarič Vujanić – violin

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897): Violin Sonata No.2, Op.100 (1886)

III. Allegretto grazioso, quasi Andante

Arieta Liatsi – violin & Angeliki Giannopoulou – piano

Pablo Hernán Benedí – violin tutor

Jonian Ilias Kadesha – violin tutor

Noam Greenberg – piano tutor

Popi Malapani studied piano at the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata with Stathis Giftakis, Maria Papapetropoulou and Neli Semitekolo. After graduating (Diploma), she continued her studies at the Folkwang University Music Essen in Germany with Michael Roll and Til Engel. She has attended many chamber music and solo piano seminars with Xavier Poncette, Alexander Shmalcz, Lilia Bojiadjieva, Domna Evnouchidou, Theodor Tzovanakis a.o. She has also studied Archaeology at the Athens State University. Furthermore, she has had many chamber music and solo concerts in Greece and abroad. Since 2014, she has worked at the Nakas Conservatory in Athens as a piano teacher and accompanist.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): Chaconne from Violin Partita No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004 (1720) (arr. Carlo Marchione)

Akis Sipsas – guitar

Franz Schubert (1797–1828): Arpeggione Sonata in A minor, D.821 (1824)

I. Allegro moderato 

Melinda Konstantinidou – violoncello 

Konstantina Malapani – guitar

Manuel de Falla (1876–1946): From 7 Canciones Populares Españolas (1914–15)

– El Paño Moruno

– Asturiana 

Melinda Konstantinidou – violoncello 

Akis Sipsas – guitar

Alberto Ginastera (1916–1983): Guitar Sonata Op.47 (1976)

I. Esordio

II. Scherzo

III. Canto

IV. Finale

Konstantina Malapani – guitar

Stathis Giftakis (*1967): “Aria & imaginary dance” for violoncello and two guitars, Op.117 (2024/WORLD PREMIERE) 

Melinda Konstantinidou – violoncello 

Konstantina Malapani – guitar 

Akis Sipsas – guitar

Melinda Konstantinidou was born in Athens and began studying the piano at the age of 5 under the instruction of Panagiota Vettou. She continued her piano lessons in Kalamata with Stathis Giftakis and Nelli Semitekolo. In 2015, she attended cello lessons at the Music School of Kalamata with Dionysis Kottaridis and participated in the school’s orchestra ensemble. Starting in 2017, she has also been taking cello lessons at the Kalamata Conservatory, where she was a scholarship recipient for two years. Since 2020, she has been studying at the Department of Music Science and Art at the University of Macedonia, specializing in cello under the guidance of Dimitris Patras. She has attended lessons and masterclasses with Indira Rahmatulla, Angelos Liakakis, Asterios Pouftis, Paolo Bonomini, Anna Armatys, Timotheos Gavriilidis-Petrin, Vicky Papanikolaou, Hugo Rannou and more. Since 2022, she has been an active member of the string ensemble Jovenata.

Konstantina Malapani was born in 2002 in Kalamata. She started guitar lessons at the age of 7. In 2014, she continued her studies at the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata with Antonis Koufoudakis. Currently, she is studying with Elena Papandreou at the Department of Music Science and Art at the University of Macedonia. She has been awarded 1st prizes at both the 30th Patras International Guitar Festival and the 2023 Chamber Music Competition “Elias Kouskouvelis” at the University of Macedonia, where she performed as part of a flute-guitar duo with Theodora Apostolidou. In 2023, she was selected by the Association of Friends of Music in Thessaloniki to participate in the concert series “New Talents of Classical Music” at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall.

Akis Sipsas was born in Kalamata in 2000. He was a student and scholarship holder of the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata from 2014 until 2021 when he received his diploma with excellent and 1st Prize (classical guitar class of Antonis Koufoudakis). He studied at the Department of Music Studies of the Ionian University in Corfu, majoring in classical guitar performance (class of Korina Vougiouka). He has attended masterclasses with Leo Brouwer, Sergio Assad, Anielo Desiderio, Zoran Dukic, Hubert Käppel, Ricardo Gallen, etc. He has distinguished himself in competitions such as: 1st Prize at the 29th Patras International Guitar Festival (2022), 1st Prize at the 10th Kalamata Guitar Festival (2022), 1st Prize at the 10th Arion International Guitar Festival in Molyvos (2022), 3rd Prize at the 24th Belgrade International Guitar Art Festival (2023).

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827): Symphony No.5 in C minor, Op.67 (1804–1808)

I. Allegro con brio (conducted by Foivos Kyriakoudis)

II. Andante con moto (conducted by Yelyzaveta Ohorodniichuk)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): Symphony No.35 in D major, K.385 “Haffner Symphony” (1782)

I. Allegro con spirito (conducted by Petromila Jakas)

II. Andante (conducted by Foivos Kyriakoudis)

III. Menuetto (conducted by Gustavo Abela Cruz)

IV. Presto (conducted by Gustavo Abela Cruz)

Anna Molinari & Alvar Ceamanos – violins 

Dante Lind – viola

İdil Bursa – violoncello 

Lidiia Nochovska – piano  

Joshua Weilerstein – conducting tutor

Anna Molinari was born in Italy to a family of musicians. She studied mainly in Italy with Ivan Rabaglia and in Switzerland with Pavel Vernikov and Svetlana Makarova. Her strong interest in chamber music led her to found the Daidalos Quartet in 2015, with whom she played until 2021. Thanks to this group, she could work with great musicians such as Hatto Beyerle, Alfred Brendel, Patrick Jüdt and Lukas Hagen. She played numerous solo and chamber music concerts all around Europe and in the US. Currently, her main concert activity is with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, of which she’s been a member since 2022, but she performs regularly in different chamber music groups in Italy and Switzerland.

© Paata Beridze

Alvar Ceamanos has been playing the violin since the age of 7 and began his violin studies in 2016 at the Leopold Mozart Centre of the University of Augsburg with Petru Munteanu. He enriches his studies with regular lessons from internationally sought-after tutors in masterclasses. From 2018 until the 2022/23 season, Alvar Ceamanos was under contract with the Augsburg Philharmonic Orchestra, and in addition to regularly assisting many professional orchestras, he can also be found performing chamber music with renowned ensembles such as the Henschel Quartet. Since September 2023, Alvar Ceamanos has been the Deputy Principal of the second violins in the Georgian Chamber Orchestra Ingolstadt.

Dante Lind, born in Sweden in 2003, began learning the viola at six. He has toured and performed with youth orchestras in Sweden (such as VÄGUS) and in Northern Europe. Dante received valuable guidance from esteemed artists, including Michael Kugel, Alexander Gordon, Maxim Rysanov and Mikhail Zemtsov, through masterclasses and lessons. Between 2019 and 2022, he attended Musica Mundi School in Belgium, studied with Julia Dinerstein and performed in notable venues like the European Parliament and with the Uta trio at Château du Karreveld. In 2021, he won the 1st Prize at the Ingrid & Per Welins Youth Scholarship (ESTA) in Stockholm. Since September 2022, Dante has been pursuing his viola studies at Conservatorium Maastricht in the Netherlands with Julia Dinerstein.

İdil Bursa was born in 2004. She started her cello education at the Bilkent University Music and Performing Arts Faculty Primary School with Artur Rahmatulla. After that, she continued her high school education with Claire Oppert, Jerome Pernoo and Vladimir Perlin at Musica Mundi School in Belgium. Since October 2022, she has been studying at the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin with Frans Helmerson towards a bachelor’s degree. Among other awards, she won 1st prizes at the 11th Janigro Cello Competition and the 13th International Jan Vychytil Violoncello Competition in Prague. In April 2024, she played in the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra led by Daniel Barenboim in Philharmonie Berlin. She also performed Jörg Widmann’s “180 beats per Minute” with Quartet Amabile in the Pierre Boulez Saal. In May 2024, she gave a concert as a string quartet member together with Michael Barenboim and fellow students from the Barenboim-Said Akademie in the St. Peter Church, Zürich.

Lidiia Nochovska was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 1988. She started her music education at the age of six. 2006, she completed her studies at the Lysenko Specialized Music School under L. Vakarina and L. Rayko. Lidiia graduated later from the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy (Kyiv) under the direction of O. Ryndenko and from the Instituto Internacional de Música de Camera de Madrid in the class of Ralf Gothoni, Eldar Nebolsin, Ángel Quintana, Luis del Valle and Kennedi Moretti. She was a founding member of Trio Areti. Lidiia is currently an accompanist at the Department of Opera and Symphony Conducting at the National Music Academy of Ukraine (Kyiv), as well as an orchestra artist and a choir accompanist at the Kyiv National House of Music. Lidiia is also a member of the musical and theatrical team Art Razom.

© Paul Marc Mitchell

Joshua Weilerstein enjoys a flourishing guest conducting career across the globe and has forged close relationships with many of the world’s finest orchestras and soloists. He is praised for his expressive and dynamic presence on the podium and his “intense, eloquently moving and spectacularly knife-edge” performances. His deep love for canonical masterpieces is combined with a passionate commitment to uncovering the works of under-represented composers. Furthermore, he is also a tireless advocate for the music of today. In 23/24, Weilerstein begins his tenure as Chief Conductor of Denmark’s Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, and in 24/25, he will take up the position of Music Director of Orchestre National de Lille. www.joshuaweilerstein.com

“From the heart of Catalonia to the vibrant streets of New York City, Lau Noah captivates as a self-taught singer-songwriter and virtuoso guitarist, weaving her independent artistry into every performance.”

© Mia Isabella

Noah has been praised by distinguished musicians, from Phoebe Bridgers to Jackson Browne for her poetic compositions and the masterful guitar-voice counterpoint on her music.

Noah performed a Tiny Desk Concert in February 2019, making her the first Catalan to perform in the prestigious series.

She has been sought after by Ivy League universities and music conservatories around the world to teach workshops and masterclasses due to her unique approach to guitar playing and composition.

Lau has scored multiple award-winning films and has performed with musicians such as Jacob Collier, Gavin Degraw and Chris Thile, with whom she toured Europe and the UK as the opening act. In the fall of 2023, she opened for Ben Folds on his UK tour, playing solo at the Royal Albert Hall and other historic theatres.

Lau released her first LP “A Dos” on January 12, 2024 featuring some of the most influential musicians of our time: Jorge Drexler, Sílvia Pérez Cruz, Jacob Collier, Gaby Moreno and Cécile Mclorin Salvant among others. Lau will support Jacob Collier on his 2024 European fall tour.

www.launoahmusic.com