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Three Winners

Stefano Bruno, Hayoung Choi, Harriet Krijgh
Sun 3 Nov 15:00 - 16:15
Main Hall
Past event
Sun 3 Nov
15:00 - 16:15
Past event

High romanticism and Albumblätter based on Schumann

Program

Richard Wagner Vorspiel Tristan und Isolde
Richard Strauss Romanze
Jörg Widmann 5 Albumblätter
Edward Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor

Performers

Stefano Bruno, Hayoung Choi, Harriet Krijgh cello
CvA Symphony Orchestra
Leonard Elschenbroich conductor

Hayoung Choi won the first prize in the prestigious Elisabeth Competition in Brussels in 2022. Among the works she played was Albumblätter, Jörg Widmann’s new composition based on Schumann’s music. Elgar’s Cello Concerto was the piece with which Harriet Krijgh won the National Cello Competition in 2012. Stefano Bruno was the winner of the most recent National Cello Competition.

Biënnale in pictures: day 4

Biënnale in pictures: Day 4 ©Foppe Schut, Veerle Bastiaanssen, Jelle Verhoeks Programme
In pictures

CvA Symfonieorkest

The Symphony Orchestra of the Conservatory of Amsterdam has played an important part at many editions of the Cello Biënnale. Under the baton of Tan Dun, the orchestra gave a historic performance of The Map, Tan Dun’s multimedia ‘cello concerto’. The orchestra also gave the world premiere of Richard Rijnvos’ Barbara Baccante, has given various Dutch premieres, and has performed with soloists such as Mischa Maisky, Nicolas Altstaedt, and Frans Helmerson. Additionally, the orchestra has accompanied the three finalists of the National Cello Competition numerous times. This year they will do the same: under Leonard Elschenbroich, the orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations three times at the Final Round.
Ensembles

Leonard Elschenbroich

Leonard Elschenbroich (Frankfurt, 1985) was ten years old when he received a scholarship to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School in London. We went on to study with Frans Helmerson at the Hochschule für Musik Köln. Elschenbroich received the Leonard Bernstein Award at the opening of the Schleswig-Holstein Festival 2009, following his performance of Brahms’ Double Concerto with Anne-Sophie Mutter conducted by Christoph Eschenbach. He has since been praised as one of the most charismatic cellists of his generation. Elschenbroich has commissioned works by composers such as Mark-Anthony Turnage, Luca Lombardi, Arlene Sierra, and Suzanne Farrin. At the Proms in London, he gave the world premiere of Mark Simpson’s Cello Concerto, which was composed specially for him. Elschenbroich also gave the world premiere of Willem Jeths’ second Cello Concerto at the Cello Biënnale in 2022. In 2012, he co-founded the Orquesta Filarmonica de Bolivia, the first orchestra to perform a Mahler symphony in the country’s history. Elschenbroich regularly returns to Bolivia to lead educational projects and develop orchestras. This led Elschenbroich to start exploring conducting with various orchestras; for example, the Residentie Orchestra in 2021, which premiered a new cello concerto by Joël Bons under his baton, with Lidy Blijdorp as soloist. Leonard Elschenbroich plays the Matteo Goffriller 'Ex-Leonard Rose-Ex-Alfredo Piatti' cello (Venice, 1693), on private loan.
Cellisten Andere musici

Stefano Bruno

Stefano Bruno (2000, Italy) is a laureate of numerous international competitions. At age 18, he won the 1st prize at the VIII International Cello Competition “David Popper” in Hungary. In 2022, he won the First Prize at the National Cello Competition. Stefano studied at the Conservatory in Foggia, Italy. He continued his studies with Giovanni Gnocchi in Bologna and with Francesco Dillon and Paolo Bonomini in Fiesole. In the past years, Stefano Bruno has been studying at the National Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome with Giovanni Sollima and at the Conservatory of Amsterdam in the class of Pieter Wispelwey. He concluded his studies summa cum laude at both institutions. In 2022, he made his debut in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, with a solo recital in the Kleine Zaal as well as in Elgar’s Cello Concerto conducted by Ed Spanjaard in the Grote Zaal. Stefano is a passionate chamber musician. He is a member of the Trio Eidos (piano trio), the duo Greci-Bruno (duo violin and cello), Ensemble Opificio Sonoro (ensemble for contemporary music) and regularly gives cello and piano recitals with Daniël Kramer. Stefano plays a cello made by Rene Jacquemin between 1925 and 1930 in Mirecourt.
Cellisten

Harriet Krijgh

Harriet Krijgh won the First Prize as well as the Audience Prize during the National Cello Competition in 2012. In that same year, she founded her own festival in Feistritz under the name Harriet & Friends, and in June 2017 she took over from Janine Jansen for several years as Artistic Director of the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht.  Harriet is an enthusiastic chamber musician. She enjoys the strong personal connection when touring with her regular piano partners Magda Amara and Lauma Skride.  Harriet Krijgh performes in the major venues in Europe, North America and Asia. Harriet is also regular guest at international festivals such as the Heidelberger Frühling, Grafenegg Festival and the Schubertiade Hohenems.  Harriet’s discography also comprises eight discs, six of them released by Capriccio, two CD’s for Deutsche Grammophon.  Harriet performs on a Domenico Montagnana cello (Venice, 1723) whose scroll was made by Stradivarius. The rare instrument is on loan to her by the Prokopp Foundation.
Cellisten

Hayoung Choi

South Korean cellist Hayoung Choi (1998, Bielefeld) studied at the Purcell School for young Musicians in England. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the Kronberg Academy studying with Frans Helmerson and Wolfgang Emmanuel Schmidt. Hayoung appeared at the Cello Biënnale in 2018 already, as one of the cellists at the traditional Kronberg Academy concert. In 2022, Hayoung was the winner of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. She has also won prizes at the Krzysztof Penderecki Cello Competition and the Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria. Following her successes at international competitions, she has performed all over the world as a soloist with numerous orchestras.  Hayoung Choi plays the 1707 Ex-Starker filius Guarneri cello, made available to her by an anonymous sponsor.
Cellisten