Founded in 1997 by Baroque scholar and harpsichordist Andrea Marcon, the Venice Baroque Orchestra is recognized as one of the premier ensembles devoted to period instrument performance. The Orchestra has received wide critical acclaim for its concert and opera performances throughout North America, Europe, South America, and Japan.
Committed to the rediscovery of 17th- and 18th-century masterpieces, the VBO has given the modern-day premieres of Francesco Cavalli's L'Orione, Vivaldi's Atenaide and Andromeda liberata, Benedetto Marcello's La morte d'Adone and Il trionfo della poesia e della musica. With Teatro La Fenice in Venice, the Orchestra staged Handel's Siroe in 2000, followed by equally successful stagings of Cimarosa's L'Olimpiade in 2001 and Galuppi's L'Olimpiade in 2006.
The Orchestra reprised Siroe at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York in its first full staging in the United States. In Spain in 2009, the VBO gave the modern-day premiere of Boccherini's La Clementina.
Highlights of the current season have included a 28-city tour of the United States with violinist Robert McDuffie in premiere performances of Philip Glass's new violin concerto, The American Four Season; a tour of Japan and Korea with violinist Giuliano Carmignola; a series of concerts in Austria and France with soprano Patricia Petibon; and Vivaldi's La senna festeggiante performed in Amsterdam's Concertgebouw. Upcoming erformances, in addition to Vivaldi, Tartini and CPE Bach cello concertos with Gautier Capucon in Germany, and Pergolesi's Stabat Mater at Theatre des Champs Elysees with soprano Veronica Cangemi and contralto Sara Mingardo, include a US tour with violinists Giuliano Carmignola and Giulio Plotino, Vivaldi arias with Romina Basso in the Concertgebouw, and the Monteverdi Vespers in Leipzig. Later in the summer, mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozena will join for a tour of festivals in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland featuring arias of Vivaldi and Handel. In recent seasons, the Orchestra has also performed with Cecilia Bartoli, Anna Netrebko, Vivica Genaux, Andreas Scholl, Marie- Nicole Lemieux, Roberta Invernizzi, Simone Kermes and Viktoria Mullova.
The VBO has an extensive discography with Sony and Deutsche Grammophon. Their worldpremiere recording of Andromeda liberata for DGG was followed by two recordings of violin concertos with Giuliano Carmignola; an album of Vivaldi sinfonias and concertos for strings; Vivaldi motets and arias with soprano Simone Kermes, two discs with Ms. Kozena-Handel arias and Vivaldi arias, and Vivaldi concertos for two violins with Viktoria Mullova and Giuliano Carmignola. Their latest album is of Italian arias with Ms. Petibon. The Orchestra's earlier discography on Sony includes The Four Seasons, two albums of previously unrecorded Vivaldi concertos, Locatelli violin concertos, and a collection of Bach arias featuring Angelika Kirchschlager. For its recordings, the Orchestra has been honored with the Diaspason D'Or, Choc du Monde de la Musique, Echo Award and the Edison Award.
Their concerts have been filmed by the BBC and NHK, and broadcast by RadioFrance, France Musiques, ORF, RaiDue, BBC3, National Public Radio, RadioTre and Arte. The Venice Baroque Orchestra is supported by Fondazione Cassamarca in Treviso.
In the Silver Lyre festival takes part a chamber ensemble of the orchestra The Venice Baroque Consort and the soloist Romina Basso (mezzo sopran)

ROMINA BASSO (mezzo soprano)
Born in Gorizia, Romina Basso studied at Venice Conservatory "B. Marcello" and obtained her degree in Italian Literature at Trieste University. She attended master classes with Peter Maag and Regina Resnick, Rockwell Blake and Claudio Desderi, Elio Battaglia and Claudio Strudthoff, specializing in Baroque and Rossini's repertoire. She won national and international competitions (Seghizzi, Palma D'Oro, Citta di Conegliano, Modena Musica, Toti dal Monte, As.Li.Co. and Placido Domingo's Operalia).
She regularly performs in Italy (Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Accademia Chigiana, Societa del Quartetto di Milano) and throughout Europe (Wiener Konzerthaus, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, La Monnaie - Bruxelles, Theatre des Champs Elysees, Cite de la Musique and Salle Pleyel - Paris, Opera de Montpellier, Opera de Bordeaux, Opera de Nice, Opera de Nimes, Barbican Center - London, Edinburgh Festival, Glyndebourne Opera Festival, Teatro Real - Madrid, Via Stellae Festival-Santiago de Compostela, La Folle Journee Festival - Nantes, Festival d'Avignon, Beaune, Luberon, Festival of Early Music - Utrecht, Festival Van Vlaanderen - Brugge, Mysteria Pascalia Festival - Krakow, Philarmonie in Warwaw) and worldwide (Japan and Australia) collaborating with orchestras and ensembles such as Accademia Bizantina, Concerto Italiano, Il Complesso Barocco, Cappella della Pieta de' Turchini, Concert des Nations, Europa Galante, Ensemble 415, Ensemble Matheus, Les Arts Florissants, Les Musiciens des Louvre, Modo Antiquo, Muncher Rundfunkorchester, Ricercar Consort, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, ORT, Venice Baroque Orchestra, Zefiro.
She has sung with prominent conductors: P. Maag (Faust), M. Viotti (Italiana in Algeri), Sir Ch. Mackerras, V. Jurowski, K. Ono (Die Zauberfloete), J. Savall (Orfeo and Madrigali Guerrieri et Amorosi), F. Bruggen (Mozart-Requiem), A. Curtis (Motezuma, Tolomeo, Rodelinda, Lotario, Berenice, Dido and Aeneas), R. Alessandrini (La Vergine dei Dolori, Armida), F. Biondi (Die Zauberfloete, La SS. Annunziata, Bajazet, Ercole sul Termodonte, La Resurrezione), M. Minkowski (Alcina, Pergolesi-Stabat Mater), W. Christie (Charpentier-Lully), E. Haim and P. McCreesh (La Resurrezione, Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno), J. C. Spinozi (Orlando Furioso), P. Pierlot (Dido and Aeneas, Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria), A. Marcon (Andromeda Liberata, Atenaide, Orlando Furioso, Juditha Triumphans, L'Olimpiade, Bach-Mass in B Minor), O. Dantone (Le Comte Ory, Tito Manlio, Ascanio in Alba, Annibale in Torino), A. Florio (Fux- Orfeo ed Euridice, Pergolesi-Stabat Mater, Aci Galatea e Polifemo), F. M. Sardelli (Atenaide, Juditha Triumphans, Vivaldi New Discoveries), D. Gatti (Manon Lescaut), G. Ferro (Pulcinella). Her performances have been broadcast on Italian Rai Radio Suite, BR Bavarian Radio Classic, British BBC3, Australian ABC, ORF 1 - Austria, Radio France, Arte, Mezzo, AVRO - Holland.
Romina Basso has recorded for Kikko Classic, Bongiovanni, Mirare, Fuga&Ricercar (Porpora - Notturni per i Defunti), for Deutsche Grammophon - Archiv Vivaldi's Motezuma and Haendel's Tolomeo, for Naive Classique Vivaldi's Atenaide, New Discoveries and Armida, for Glossa Haendel's Cantate Italiane voll.4-5, for EMI Vivaldi's Ercole sul Termodonte, Giulio Cesare for MDG, Galuppi's sacred music for Sony Deutsche Harmonia Mundi and for Virgin Haendel's Berenice.

Venice Baroque Consort
Michele Favaro (traversiere, oboe)
Luca Mares (violin)
Giorgio Baldan (violin)
Alessandra Di Vincenzo (viola)
Francesco Galligioni (cello)
Alessandro Sbrogio (violone)
Ivano Zanenghi (lute)
Markellos Chrysikopoulos (harpsichord)

The St. Petersburg Chamber Soloists (formerly the "Saint-Petersburg Chamber Players") is made up of five permanent members who perform in ensembles ranging from duo to quintet. Performances of the sextet and octet literature are undertaken with the addition of guest artists. Their repertoire consists of works spanning three centuries, including Russian chamber music. Tradition unites the members of the St. Petersburg Chamber Soloists as all its members are graduates of the world renowned St.Petersburg Conservatoire. The current Ensemble has been together since 1995. However, its origins go back more than ten years, when Alexei Ludevig first began organizing and performing chamber music concerts in his native city of Leningrad. Since then, The St.Petersburg Chamber Soloists have performed to popular and critical acclaim throughout the Russia, Western Europe, and the United States.

ILYA IOFF (violin)
Ilya Ioff is a prize winner of the Viotti Competition, ARD Munich Competition and has been concertmaster of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. A featured soloist perfomed with major orchestras including the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Zurich Opera Orchestra with conductors such as: Yuri Temirkanov and Maris Yansons. Performed chamber music with Martha Argerich, Julian Milkis, Alexander Rudin, Sergei Stadler. He is Artistic Director of ensemble Divertissement and professor of violin at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Studied with Sergei Stadler, Vladimir Ovcharek (leader of the Taneev Quartet), Elena Komarova.

LIDIA KOVALENKO (violin)
Lidia Kovalenko is a winner of the 9-th Russia Violin Competition. She was performing as a soloist and chamber musician in Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Scandinavia and Japan. Performed chamber music with Xavier Phillips, Alexandr Rudin, Sergei Stadler etc. Professor of violin at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and St. Petersburg Music College. Studied with Elena Komarova, Mihail Gantvarg, Vladimir Ovcharek.

ALEXEI LUDEVIG (viola) Alexei Ludevig has been a featured soloist with several major orchestras, including the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and the E. Berlin Radio Orchestra, Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra. He had recitals and chamber music performances throughout former Soviet Union, United States, Europe and South America; performed chamber music with Michaela Martin, Arto Noras, Martti Rousi, Alexander Rudin, Sergei Stadler etc. Studied with Yuri Bashmet, Dmitry Shebalin, Alexei Ludevig Sr. and Maris Yansons (cond.). Currently professor of viola at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and St. Petersburg Music College. Was principal violist of the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra.

ALEXEI MASSARSKY (cello)
Alexei Massarsky has won prizes at the Tchaikovsky (1990), Markneukirchen and Belgrade competitions. Student of Anatoly Nikitin. As a soloist performed with St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Zurich Opera Orchestra and E.Berlin Radio Orchestra. He has concerts throughout Europe, South Korea and Japan, performances at Kologne Philharmonic Orchestra, Frankfurt Alte Opera, Hamburg Musikhalle. Performed chamber music with Martha Argerich, Zahar Brohn, Alexander Rudin, Sergei Stadler. He is professor of cello at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.

IGOR URYASH (piano) Igor Uryash is a winner of the International Chamber Music Competition named after G.B. Viotti and the owner of an encouragement prize of the International Competition for Piano Trio. He is constantly on tour in Russia, the USA, Canada and the countries of Western Europe and the Far East, not only as a soloist but also as a member of various chamber ensembles. I. Uryash is a permanent member of chamber ensembles 'St. Peters Trio', 'Neva-trio', St.Peterburg Chamber Players.
Since 2001, he teaches at the N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory.

The musicians chose the name George Sand in homage to the famous writer, a modern and dedicated french woman, who knew how to bring together the different art forms. Composed of Virginie Buscail, violin, Nadine Pierre, cello, and Anne-Lise Gastaldi, piano, all three of whom have received numerous prizes, the George Sand Trio offers a new and ambitious approach to classical concert music. Based on an extensive repertoire of trio with piano that spans from Haydn to nowdays compositions, this group offers 'golden chords' programs with numerous themes.
The George Sand Trio also wants to promote the music of contemporary composers, in particular by eliciting the creation of new works (Gerard Pesson, Michael Jarrell).
Their curiosity and passion for music and art leads them to associate with musicians and artists in other fields such as literature, theater, painting, history, photography or cinema, enabling them to create multidimensional performances.
The highly sensitive performance style of the George Sand Trio, born in 2005, results in the group being in very high demand, as can be seen from the places they have performed: Rome (Villa Medicis), Paris and the surrounding area (Museum of Romantic Life, Cercle Interallie, Maison de Chateaubriand, Maison de Radio-France, Salle Gaveau), the Folle journee de Nantes, the Fenice Opera House in Venice, the Genoa Opera, the Bastad Festival in Sweden, SMCQ in Montreal.
The press has on numerous occasions acclaimed their concert performances and their Debussy-Lili Boulanger album (Integral Classic), noteworthy for its inclusion of this brilliant yet unknown composer who was the first woman to win the Prix de Rome award. The album is the first recording in the world to feature her trios with piano.
The three musicians have been guests on several TV (France 2, LCI) and radio programs (France Musique, France Culture).
They recorded the Faure, Mel Bonis and Ravel trios with Outhere Music France : the CD will be available on September 2011.
A violinist Sarah Nemtanu will substitute at the festival The Silver Lyre for Virginie Buscail, who cannot came due to some personal reasons.

SARAH NEMTANU (violin)
Sarah Nemtanu becomes a famous violinist when she is named first soloist in the Orchestre National de France. She was just 21. In 2009 she is the real violinist in the film 'Le Concert' of Radu Mihaileanu. Her last record (Naive label) Gypsic is the lead of the sales in France.
Sarah is frequently a distinguished guest on radio or French TV. The famous Fondation Zilber-Rampal lends her a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin of 1784.
Before this celebrity, she won first prize Maurice Ravel en 1998, at 17th, and became laureate of the famous international competition Antonio Stradivarius in 2001. She was made known to French public when she performed Double Concerto of Brahms with violoncellist Gautier Capucon and conductor Emmanuel Krivine.
She is used to play with many famous conductors as Kurt Masur, Bernard Haitink, Sir Colin Davis, Ricardo Mutti in the best concert-halls in the world (Theatre des Champs-Elysees, Century Hall in Tokyo, Carnegie Hall in New York or the Musikverein in Vienne).
She loves to perform with other musicians to offer thematic programs to the public. sSo in 2011-2012 she'll play in duo with pianists Romain Descharmes or Anne-Lise Gastaldi, with her sister Deborah an other excellent violinist, soloist in the Orchestre de Paris, with the violist Lise Berthaud, or in trio with cellist Christophe Morin and violist David Gaillard. Gautier Capucon, David Guerrier, Jean-Frederic Neuburger are their other partners for concert.

NADINE PIERRE (cello)
Born outside Paris, she went to the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris, where in 1984 she obtained a unanimous First Prize in cello and a First Prize for chamber music.
She perfected her skills through contact with great musicians such as Roland Pidoux, Paul Tortelier, Arto Noras, Miklos Perenyi, Menahem Pressler, at the CNSM de Paris and at the Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada. Back in France she founded the Kandinsky quartet which won international competitions in Florence and Melbourne and performed regularly in many countries. She also contributed to a CD (Quartets by Brahms, Chausson, Lekeu, Castillon, Saint-Saens, all featured in Fnac music stores).
At the same time, she performed as a soloist with the French National Orchestra, directed by Lorin Maazel, and in 1993 she became a soloist cellist with the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Marek Janowski.
Subsequently she had enriching musical encounters and accepted invitations from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Orchestre de chambre d'Auvergne, the Berlin Rundfunk Symphonier orchester. Along with her colleagues at the Orchestre Philharmonique she created a new cello ensemble: Les Phi'Art'Cellistes.
The Violoncelles Francais ensemble, composed of the best cellists of her generation, provided her with the opportunity to perform at many famous festivals in France.

ANNE-LISE GASTALDI (piano)
Having begun her studies at the Conservatoire de Nice as a student of Anne Queffelec and obtained, among others, the Grand Prix of the city of Nice, Anne-Lise Gastaldi further pursued her studies at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Paris.
She later worked under the direction of Pierre Sancan, Menahem Pressler. She also became a laureate of the ARD international music competition in Munich for chamber music (1992).
Her talent and passion for chamber music have led her to perform in several groups since the age of 15, such as the Metamorphosis ensemble in the 90's and now the George Sand Trio. As the 2004 prizewinner at the reputed 'Villa Medicis Hors les Murs' program, she imagines and gives performances that bring together music and literature. She has also recorded with actors as Michael Lonsdale.
Her discography includes 'Schuman, pieces for alto, clarinet and piano' (Ten from Repertoire, Recommended by Classica, 5 Diapasons) with Zig-Zag Territoires, Messiaen with Calliope. Anne-Lise Gastaldi has also been the artistic director of the ClassicaVal festival in Val d'Isere since 1995, as well as teacher at the CRR and the CNSMD in Paris.

YU HORIUCHI (piano, Japan)
Yu Horiuchi was born in Japan and grew up in Germany. At the age of 14, she won a place at the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music, in England.
Thereafter, she studied at the Royal College of Music, London, and the Juilliard School of Music, New York. She made her debut at the Gstaad Festival as a soloist under the baton of Lord Yehudi Menuhin. Since then, she has performed throughout Europe, Asia, and America as soloist and chamber musician, and started her own concert series in Japan in 2000. Recently, she toured Austria with the legendary "Horowitz" Steinway, and highlights of this season include a performance at the Vienna Konzerthaus with pianist, Emanuel Ax.
To date, she is one of the only pianists who has had the privilege to record on the historic "Rubinstein" Steinway and her solo CD is aptly named, "Meeting Rubinstein".

HYUNG-KI JOO (piano, Great Britain)
Pianist and composer, Hyung-ki Joo was born in England of South Korean Parents. He entered the Yehudi Menuhin School at the age of 10 and later continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music, New York.
Since his debut with the Warsaw Sinfonia, he has appeared as soloist with orchestras such as London Philharmonic, Kremerata Baltica, Zagreb Solisti, Royal Philharmonic, and his chamber music partners have included Janine Jansen, Mischa Maisky, and Julian Rachlin.
In 2001, he arranged and recorded "Fantasies and Delusions" - Billy Joel's classical album of solo piano pieces. In 2004, with his IGUDESMAN & JOO partner, Aleksey Igudesman, he created "A Little Nightmare Music" - a show which combines classical music and comedy. To date, their clips on YouTube have been viewed over 20 million times. IGUDESMAN & JOO have since performed all over the world with symphony orchestras and have collaborated with artists as diverse as Gidon Kremer, John Malkovich, and Sir Roger Moore. Joo is also passionate about teaching and has developed a unique style of workshop designed for young musicians to think and perform 'outside of the box'.

MAYUKO KAMIO (violin, Japan)
Japanese violinist Mayuko Kamio, the gold medalist of 2007 International Tchaikovsky Competition, is widely praised for her luxurious silken tone, long expressive phrasing and virtuoso techniques. Her recent orchestral engagements included the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Jiri Belohlavek, Munich Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta, National Philharmonic of Russia under Vladimir Spivakov, Budapest Festival Orchestra under Ivan Fischer, NHK Symphony Orchestra under Vladimir Ashkenazy, Israel Philharmonic under Yaron Traub and Calgary Philharmonic under Roberto Minczuk. In November 2010, Ms. Kamio gave a 12 cities recital tour in Japan including Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
Ms. Kamio made her concerto debut in Tokyo at the age of ten under the baton of Charles Dutoit, in a concert broadcast on NHK television. Since then, she has appeared as soloist with the Boston Pops conducted by Keith Lockhart, the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zurich with Mstislav Rostropovich, the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. She has toured with the Russian National Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Spivakov, the Prague Philharmonic, the BBC Philharmonic, the Oviedo Symphony Orchestra in Spain; and appeared in Japan as soloist with the Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto, NHK, Osaka, Sapporo and Yomiuri Nippon symphony orchestras; and the Japan, Tokyo and Tokyo City philharmonics. Lincoln Center's Great Performers Series presented Ms. Kamio in recital in January 2005.
At the age of thirteen, Ms. Kamio won first prize in the 2000 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. In 2001, she was the youngest artist ever to be presented in the Young Concert Artists Series at the Kennedy Center. In 2003, she made her New York concerto debut with the Orchestra of St. Luke's at Alice Tully Hall, and later that year made her New York recital debut at the 92nd Street Y. These performances prompted the New York Times to call Ms. Kamio an "exciting young musician" and "a radiant talent." She also made a special "encore" recital appearance in the Young Concert Artists Series at Carnegie's Zankel Hall in March of 2008. Through YCA, Ms. Kamio has performed as soloist with orchestras across the U.S. including the Westchester Philharmonic, the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle (NC), the Fairfax (VA) and Syracuse symphonies, and the Pasadena and Flagstaff symphony orchestras. She currently holds YCA's John French Violin Chair.
As a winner of the 1998 Menuhin International Violin Competition, the youngest artist ever to win the award, Ms. Kamio performed with the Orchestra National de Lille with Lord Menuhin conducting. In 2004, she won the first Monte Carlo Violin Masters Competition. As part of this award, she made a concerto appearance at the Salle Gaveau in Paris with the Orchestra of the Conservatoire Superieur de Paris conducted by Jean-Michel Durand, as well as in Monte Carlo with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Monaco, conducted by Eliahu Inbal. That same year, Ms. Kamio was awarded first prize and the gold medal at the first International David Oistrakh Violin Competition in Ukraine.
Ms. Kamio was born in Osaka, Japan in 1986, and began to play the violin at the age of four. Her early teachers were Chikako Satoya, Machie Oguri and Chihiro Kudo, and she worked with Koichiro Harada at the Toho Gakuen School of Music. Ms. Kamio studied in the U.S. with Dorothy DeLay and Masao Kawasaki at the Aspen Music Festival and the pre-college division of The Juilliard School. She currently attends the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater in Zurich, where she works with Zakhar Bron. Ms. Kamio received a grant from the Bagby Foundation for the Musical Arts, and is a recipient of the prestigious Idemitsu Music Award. Her instrument is a 1727 Stradivarius, previously owned by violinist Joseph Joachim, on loan from Suntory Limited, Japan.

MIROSLAV KULTYSHEV(piano, Russia)
Miroslav Kultyshev was born in Leningrad. He has graduated from the Central Special Music School and the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. He is currently a graduate student of the Conservatory, and combines his studies with an active concert activity. He began performing on stage when he was just 6 years old. At the age of 10 he made his debut in the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, performing Mozart's Concerto in D minor under the conduction of Yuri Temirkanov.
Miroslav Kultyshev has won numerous Russian and international competitions for young musicians, including the Moscow International Festival of Young Pianists named after Heinrich Neuhaus (1998). He is a laureate of the prize 'Expectations of Russia' (1999, 2000). He held a fellowship from the Philharmonic Society of Saint Petersburg (from 1995 to 2004), the International Charity Foundation of Yuri Bashmet (1999), Saint Petersburg House of Music (since 2006). In 2001 the pianist was awarded a Triumph - a Russian Independent National Prize Grant, in 2005, he won a Gold medal "International Youth Delphic Games" (Kiev, Ukraine), and in the same year, Miroslav Kultyshev, for a worthy contribution to the art of music, was awarded the Order of the Griffon.
Miroslav Kultyshev performs in the best concert halls of Saint Petersburg and Moscow, as well as in the famous halls in Asia, Europe and America, including the Musikverein in Vienna, Mozarteum in Salzburg, Lincoln Center in New York, Century Hall in Tokyo, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Wigmore Hall in London. He collaborates with such conductors as Alexander Dmitriev, Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yuri Bashmet, Mark Gorenstein, Vasily Sinaysky, Nikolai Alekseyev, and many others. He has toured in many countries, and also participated in various music festivals and master classes. In 2006 and 2007, Miroslav Kultyshev had a traineeship at the Holland Music Sessions International Academy
In 2010, he made a great tour of Japanese cities together with Mayuko Kamio.

The ensemble of soloists "Studio for New Music", based on a specially created at the Moscow Conservatory postgraduates class "Orchestra of Modern Music", was established in 1993 by Vladimir Tarnopolsky and Igor Dronov. The first performance of the ensemble was held at the Festival of Russian Art in France under the direction of Mstislav Rostropovich.
The main task of the ensemble is an integration of the Russian music into the European musical context. This task determines the main directions of the "Studio": introduction of the classics of avant-garde to the Russian audience, the "rediscovery" of works of Russian avant-garde 1910s - 1920s, conducting master classes for young composers and performers, as well as orders for new works by young composers.
Over the last years the ensemble has given about 600 concerts, performing not only in Moscow and other Russian cities, but also in Austria, Belgium, Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, USA, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Sweden and other countries. Concerts of "Studio" were held in such prestigious venues as the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, Berlin's Konzerthaus, Parisian Cite de la Musique. Ensemble conducted master classes at Oxford and Harvard Universities, played music together with the ensemble "Modern" and "Schoenberg Ensemble."
Among the largest projects of "Studio" there are a three-year cycle of "Anthology of the Music of the Twentieth Century in the Russian Regions", the concert series "Russia-Germany. Chapters of Music History ", " Schoenberg-Kandinsky: the Dialogue of Music and Painting", "Moz-Art. Playing with Mozart ", "Unknown Russian Geniuses of the XX Century. Premiere 80 Years Later ", "Masterpieces of Austrian Orchestral Music: Authorized Versions for Chamber Orchestra ", "One Hundred Years of New Music ", " Sound and Color. Scriabin and Composers of the 20th Century ", " Resonances. Music and Art of the 20th Century.". In addition, the ensemble held a monograph-concert series, dedicated to Arnold Schoenberg, Igor Stravinsky, Alban Berg, Alexander Mosolov, Edgar Varese, Anton von Webern, Nikolai Roslavets and other composers. A positive response was received for a series of concerts, portraying such prominent contemporary composers as Pierre Boulez, Klaus Huber, Heinz Holliger, Tristan Murail, Beat Furrer, Philipp Hurel, Gerard Zinsstag, Edison Denisov, Farac Qarayev, and Alexander Vustin.
"Studio for New Music" is a basic ensemble of the International Festival of Contemporary Music "Moscow Forum", held by the Centre of Contemporary Music, Moscow Conservatory. The ensemble conducts also the International Competition for Young Composers named after Yurgenson and a variety of performers contests, records the works for various radio stations and releases CDs with the music of contemporary Russian and foreign composers.
The Belgian company MEGADISK releases a series of CD-portraits of famous Russian composers, performed by "Studio for New Music."
For its contribution to the development of contemporary music in Russia, the ensemble was awarded the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Musikpreis (2001, 2004) and Kulturstiftung des Bundes (2004 - 2006). In 2010 the ensemble won a grant from the European Commission to implement a wide ranging project "Europe as viewed by Russians. Russia as viewed by Europeans."

Studio for New Music:
Ekaterina Kichigina (soprano)
Mona Khaba (piano)
Nikita Agafonov (clarinet)
Stanislav Malyshev (violin)
Ekaterina Fomitskaya (violin)
Ekaterina Markova (viola)
Olga Galochkina (cello)

"Chamber music is genuine music and the truthful expression of personality." (G.Faure) Following this principle the Faure Piano Quartet established itself as one of the most renowned chamber music groups of today. It has not taken long for the quartet to find it's place at the international concert platforms in London (Wigmore Hall), Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), Berlin (Philharmonie), New York (Lincoln Centre), Buenos Aires (Teatro Colon), Rio di Janeiro (Sala Cecilia Meireles), Frankfurt (Alte Oper), Hamburg (Laeiszhalle), Paris, Tokyo, Brussels, Geneva, Milano. The Ensemble is a regular guest at renowned festivals in Schleswig Holstein, Rheingau, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Ludwigsburg, Montpellier, Sceaux, Buenos Aires, Bad Kissingen and Kuhmo.
The Strad noted on a concert at the Wigmore Hall "They attract superlatives wherever they go" and the Suddeutsche Zeitung praised their playing with "hardly heard musical detail an exhilarating performance".
In 2006, the Quartet signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammphon and since then it has released CDs with the piano quartets of Mozart, Brahms and Mendelssohn as well as a "Popsongs" album. The Brahms disc and the "Popsongs" album were awarded with the prestigious "Echo" prize (in 2008 and 2010).
These four musicians founded the Faure Quartet while studying at the Karlsruhe Music Lyceum in 1995, for the 150th anniversary of Gabriel Faure. Today the Quartet is amidst prize-winners and recipients of awards including the "Deutsche Schallplattenpreis", "ECHO" prize, "Preis des Deutschen Musikwettbewerbes" and the Parkhouse Award in Great Britain. The Karlsruhe Music Lyceum recently made them "Quartet in Residence". Karlsruhe had not given out this title for 30 years, and they are the first piano quartet to have received this honor.
Their influential mentors were the Alban Berg Quartett in Cologne, Wolfgang Jahn and Misha Katz. The Faure Quartet members give regular chamber music courses and master classes, both individually and as an ensemble, they teach at the Universities of Karlsruhe, Dresden, Essen, Berlin and London. Their students won several awards at important chamber music competitions (ARD, Melbourne, Vienna, Berlin, Bonn).
"Through the courage and dedication which they use to champion the often neglected chamber music genre, the Faure Quartet justifiably has one of the most rewarding careers in classical music over the few last years." (Fono Forum)

Faure Quartet:
Erika Geldsetzer (violin)
Sascha Frombling (viola)
Dirk Mommertz (piano)
Konstantin Heidrich (violoncello)

Amarcord Wien is a Quartet Violin-Cello-Bass-Accordion.
Although the musicians have their roots in the classical tradition, they are not bound to any particular style. Thrilling interpretations of such diverse composers such as Astor Piazzolla, Modest Mussorgskij and Erik Satie, are complemented by their intuitive and original arrangements of ethnic music from all corners of the world. A remarkable sense of tonal quality, a broad stylistic pallet and the sheer joy of performing have become the trademarks of Amarcord Wien.
In 2009 and 2010 Amarcord Wien gave concerts in Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Turkey.
Upcoming concerts will take them to important chamber music series and lied series as well as festivals among others with their Mahler Lieder program with Elisabeth Kulman. Amarcord Wien will give concerts among others at the Attergauer Kultursommer, Bayer Kultur, Bodensee Festival, RheinVokal, Schwetzinger Festspiele and at the chamber music festival The Silver Lyre in St. Petersburg.
The ensemble has recorded 5 CDs. After their CDs 'Amarcord Wien plays Astor Piazzolla' (2003), 'Bilder einer Ausstellung' (2004) and 'Satie' (2005) their CD Mahler Lieder with mezzo-soprano Elisabeth Kulman was released in 2009. This recording is receiving excellent reviews in several European countries and was awarded the international recording prize "Toblacher Komponierhauschen 2010". Amarcord Wien's new CD 'Bon Voyage' is released in spring 2011.
A fundamental principle of the ensemble is to enable the arrangements to evolve together through intensive rehearsal, seeking new forms and exploring the expressive potential of the works, not shy to deviate from the original. Every arrangement is continually reborn and never becomes stagnant. This playful and irreverent approach to the musical material characterizes the difference between Amarcord and other classical ensembles. The joy of playing takes preference over academic correctness, whatever style of music it might be.

SEBASTIAN GURTLER (violin)
Sebastian Gurtler is a unique violinist; he can both stun you with his virtuosity and seduce you with his tone. This unconventional artist draws you with him in his continual search for new and more fertile musical pastures. Sebastian studied in music academies in Brussels, Geneva and Vienna. Many of the Amarcord arrangements flow from his hand. Born near to Salzburg he was for 10 years 1st Concertmaster at the Vienna "Volksoper" and since 2005 is 1st violinist of the Hugo Wolf Quartet.

MICHAEL WILLIAMS (cello)
Michael Williams is the cellist. He was born in France, and grew up in Australia. Michael is the ideal counterpoint to Sebastian Gurtler. Classically trained in Sydney, Basel and Vienna and recipient of numerous awards, his broad chamber-music experience evolved into a search for new means of expression. Amarcord gives him this forum. What was originally a Trio grew into a quartet, enriched by Michael Williams' strong musical personality. He is also 1st. Principal Cellist of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra.

GERHARD MUTHSPIEL (bass)
The Bass player Gerhard Muthspiel belongs to a renowned Austrian musical family. His father Kurt Muthspiel left behind a great legacy as composer and collector of folk-music; brothers Christian and Wolfgang are internationally acclaimed jazz musicians. Alongside his deeper frequencies Gerhard Muthspiel is responsible for the majority of the managerial tasks. Included in his broad spectrum of instrumental achievements is the position Principal Bass of the Vienna "Volksoper".

TOMMASO HUBER (accordion) Tommaso Huber, the accordion player from Amarcord, was surrounded by folk music from his early years in his home town in Upper Austria. There he learned the accordion from his father. Later he took up the bass and studied at the Music University in Vienna. Tommaso feels equally drawn to, and equally at home with classical and folk music. As bassist he is a member of the "Volksoper" Vienna and as accordion player his special synthesis of classical and ethnic music resonates throughout Amarcord's music.