Waldesruhe and a Requiem

Erica Piccotti (Rome, 1999) began her studies with Francesco Storino, graduated at the S. Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, and then continued her studies with Antonio Meneses at the Hochschule der Kunste in Bern, the W. Stauffer Academy in Cremona and the Accademia Chigiana in Siena. She then got her Master of Music degree with Frans Helmerson and the “Professional Studies” course at the Kronberg Academy. Erica currently studies with J.P.Maintz at the Universität der Kunste in Berlin. Erica Piccotti plays a cello by Ettore Soffritti, Ferrara, 1925.

Luca Giovannini (Italy, 2000) studied cello with Luca Simoncini at the Francesco Venezze Conservatory in his hometown of Rovigo. He studied at the Kronberg Academy from 2019 to 2023 with Frans Helmerson. He won the prestigious Johannes Brahms Competition 2018, third prize at the Schoenfeld Competition and second prize at the Janigro Young Competition 2016. Masterclasses with David Geringas, Lynn Harrel, Enrico Dindo and Marti Roussi have provided him with further experience and inspiration.He was a member of the cello excellence class with M° Gautier Capuçon at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris and the R. Romanini Academy in Brescia with M° G. Sollima. In 2020 Luca recorded a CD for the label Velut Luna with the complete cello sonatas by Brahms with the pianist Leonora Armellini. He plays a cello by Ansaldo Poggi dating from 1927, which is loaned to him by Mario Brunello.

Manuel Lipstein was born in Germany in 2001. He began playing the cello at the age of six, and four years later began studying with Prof. Katharina Deserno and Prof. Maria Kliegel at the Cologne University of Music. Manuel Lipstein has been studying as a young soloist at the Kronberg Academy with Prof. Frans Helmerson since September 2019. He is tutored in composition by Prof. Gerhard Müller-Hornbach and in conducting by Prof. Vassilis Christopoulos.  Manuel received further inspiration in masterclasses from Mischa Maisky, Martha Argerich, Leonid Gorokhov, Wolfgang-Emanuel Schmidt and Jens-Peter-Maintz, among others.  Manuel has already won numerous national and international competitions. He received the “Premier Grand Prix” at the “Concours Flame” in Paris, the 1st prize and the special prize at the “Concours de Violoncelle Prix Edmond Baert” in Brussels and was awarded the “WDR 3 Klassikpreis der Stadt Münster”. He is also a prizewinner at the “Antonio Janigro Competition” in Croatia and at the “Karl Friedrich Dotzauer Competition” in Dresden.As a composer, Manuel has performed at the AchtBücken Festival in Cologne and at the Aurora Festival in Sweden, among others. For his compositions he has already received several state and federal prizes at “Jugend Composed” as well as a WASPE special prize. His work “Two Scenes for Recorder Solo” was nominated as a compulsory piece at the ERPS competition in Bolzano and is published by Edition Walhall. He is also writing a composition for the “250 pieces for Beethoven” project. At this Biënnale, he will perform his newest composition, commissioned by the Biënnale in collaboration with JongNBE, in the programme ‘Waldesruhe’ taking place on Sunday, November 10th.