Jascha Nemtsov opens the Festival
The protagonist of New Jewish Music performs in Tuscany on 26th June
The Russian born, Jewish pianist and musicologist, Jascha Nemtsov, was born in Magadan in 1963 and attended the Music School at Leningrad Conservatory, where his talent and skill soon became apparent. On completing his music studies he graduated in Leningrad in 1986. A few years later he moved to Germany where he became known and admired, namely for his piano recitals of Franz Liszt. He would often dedicate concerts and performances to Jewish musicians who were victims of the Nazi genocide. He was devoted to Jewish and Russian music from the 20th century, and in particular to the work of Dmitri Shostakovich. He recorded over 25 music records and enjoyed collaborations with some of the major talent of the time, including Tabea Zimmermann, David Geringas, Ingolf Turban, Kolja Blacher, Chen Halevi and Vogler Quartet. In 2002 Nemtsov became a member of the School of Jewish Studies at the University of Potsdam and a few years later earned his doctorate on ‘The New Jewish School in music’. The captivating notes of this famous pianist will launch the “MelodiadelVino” Festival on June 26th at Villa Panna, near Florence. Visit the website of Jascha Nemstsov and view the artist on YouTube.
Violinist Kolja Blacher performs at “MelodiadelVino”
Music from the German maestro and from pianist Nemtsov welcomed to the stage at the Festival
Violinist Kolja Blacher was born in Berlin and moved to New York City at an early age to study at the Juilliard School, where he perfected his technique with some of the most famous maestros including Dorothy DeLay and Sándor Végh. He then went on to teach violin and chamber music at the Hamburg Conservatory and later at the Hanns Eisler Conservatory in Berlin. He embarked on a career which brought him much fame and success as a violinist, playing with some of the most eminent orchestras in the world including the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Gewandhausorchester of Leipzig, the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He has also worked with famous conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, Alain Gilbert, Daniel Harding and Mariss Jansons. Testaments to his success are his numerous albums, recorded in collaboration with pianist Jasha Nemtsov. Followed by admirers and critics he continues to play in concerts all over the world and on June 26th Villa Panna will host a performance by this legendary artist. Visit the website of Kolja Blacher and watch the artist on YouTube.
Alexander Kniazev to star at the Festival on 5th July
The music of the Russian maestro set against the breathtaking landscape of Montalcino
The music of Alexander Kniazev’s cello will fill the air as he plays in the concert held on July 5th in the splendid Castello Banfi, in the heart of the Montalcino countryside. Considered by critics as the heir to Mstislav Rostropovich, the Russian maestro started to play the cello at a very young age under the guidance of Alexander Fedorchenko. In 1986, at only 25 years old, he received his diploma from the Moscow Conservatory and later studied the organ at the Conservatory of Nizhny-Novgorod. He has won several prominent competition awards, including Moscow’s Cajkovskij, Vilnius and Trapani’s Chamber Music Contest, and has played with many famous international artists.
With a critically acclaimed career, he is particular well known for his records dedicated to Max Reger and to Ernest Bloch’s “Schelomo”. Not only has he played with famous conductors such as Temirkanov, Rostropovich and Bashmet, but he has also performed with European orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of St. Petersburg, France’s Orchestre National and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Visit the website of Alexander Kniazev and watch the artist on YouTube.
The talent of Nemanja Radulovic in concert at the Tenuta Rocca di Montemassi
The art of the violin hand in hand with the local art of wine
Nemanja Radulovic was born in Serbia in 1985 where he began studying music at the young age of seven, and by the age of 24 he was already recognized as an established talent, playing in various concerts and theater performances. In 1996 he won the prestigious ‘Prize of October’ award in the city of Belgrade and went on to receive the special award from the Republic’s Department of Education ‘Talent of The Year 1997’. Over the years that followed he collected various important international awards, including the 1997 Special Jury Prize in Wieniawski, and performed with world-renowned orchestras such as Radio France’s Orchestre Philharmonique and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, in addition to appearing at several European Festivals. In 2005 he was awarded the title of ‘Newcomer of The Year in Classical Music’ in Cannes, and was named ‘Rising Star’ in the following year. His latest album, released in 2009, received much international praise by the likes of Classica, Res Musica and Strad. Nemanja Radulovic will perform on July 3rd together with Laure Favre-Kahn at the Tenuta Rocca di Montemassi for the ‘MelodiadelVino’ Festival. Visit the website of Nemanja Radulovic and watch the artist on YouTube.
Laure Favre-Kahn performs for “Melodia del Vino”
The emotion of the piano in majestic surroundings
Laure Favre-Kahn was a student at Avignon Conservatory in France and later went on to study at the Conservatory in Paris, where she won the ‘Premier Prix’ at the age of 17. At only 20 years old she released her first CD dedicated to Schumann and Chopin. Her talent and skill lead her to work in Europe, America and Asia and she has been invited to play as a guest performer with many European and international orchestras such as Nancy’s Orchestre Symphonique, Brittany’s Orchestre Colonne and the Orchestre de l’Opera of Rouen. A world famous musician, Laure Favre-Kahn also devotes her time to humanitarian issues, organizing a variety of events where the proceeds are donated to help young children in the Philippines. In recent years she has released a number of successful CDs receiving impressive critic reviews. Laure Favre-Kahn will perform on July 3rd together with violinist Radulovic at the Tenuta Rocca di Montemassi. Visit the website of Laure Favre-Kahn and watch the artist on YouTube.
Sayaka Shoji: The elegance of the violin in Gavorrano
Star of the Festival to play alongside pianist Marc Laforet
Sayaka Shoji started her brilliant musical career at only fourteen years old, and when, only two years later, she won the celebrated ‘Premio Paganini’ in 1999, she was the first Japanese musician and the youngest artist to do so. She has performed with world-famous conductors such as Vladimir Askhenazy, Charles Dutoit and Lorin Maazel and the success of a tour in Japan took her to play in Europe and the United States. Sayaka Shoji recently performed a tour in Asia, delighting huge audiences of all ages and between 2007 and 2009 she performed with world leading orchestras in London, Paris and Milan.
Alongside her career as a concert violinist, Sayaka Shoji also performs as a recitalist and chamber musician alongside Vadim Repin, Mikhail Pletnev, Lang Lang, Itamar Golan, Yefim Bronfman and Steven Isserlis. Over the years her teachers have included Uto Ughi and Riccardo Brengola at the ‘Accademia Musicale Chigiana’ in Siena and Shlomo Mintz and Zakhar Bron in Cologne. Sayaka Shoji will play in the “MelodiadelVino” Festival on June 30th in Rocca di Frassinello, together with pianist Marc Laforet. Visit the website of Sayaka Shoji and watch the artist on YouTube
The artistic genius of Marc Laforet in Tuscany
The soul of the Festival in two concerts for Melodia del Vino
French pianist Marc Laforet arrived on the musical scene, performing in theaters at a very early age. He was only eight years old at the time of his first appearance at the ‘Théâtre des Champs-Élysées’. Featuring amongst his accolades are; first prize at the National Music Conservatory in Paris, Gold Medal of the Czitfrra Foundation and the ‘New York Young Artist Award’ in 1985. Laforet also received the silver medal of the International Frederic CHOPIN Award in Warsaw in 1985 and he has played with the greatest orchestra conductors in the world’s most famous concert halls. Marc Laforet is also the creator of the Festival “Les Grands Crus Musicaux”, an event uniting the excellence of wine with that of music. He will be performing on June 28th and 30th at the “MelodiadelVino” Festival in Tuscany. Visit the website of Marc Laforet and watch the artist on YouTube.
A performance by Andrea Lucchesini to close the Festival
Petra provides the backdrop to the Italian master
Andrea Lucchesini came into the international limelight at a young age, winning the International Competition “Dino Ciani”’ at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala. From that moment he continued to perform all over the world with leading orchestras, working with conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Semyon Bychkov and Roberto Abbado. Lucchesini is known for his wide and varied repertoire, which earned him the recognition of European musicologists in 1994, from where he received the Accademia Chigiana International Prize, (the only Italian to receive this prize to date). In the 1980s he began recording several CDs and in 1990 turned his attention to chamber music, developing a close performance and recording relationship with cellist Mario Brunello. In addition to a full concert performance calendar in Italy, Lucchesini will also be performing recitals and concerts throughout 2012 in Germany, France and Japan. He will be making an appearance at the “MelodiadelVino” Festival at PETRA on July 7th . Visit the website of Andrea Lucchesini and watch the artist on YouTube.