Elena Bashkirova

The Moscow-born pianist Elena Bashkirova studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in the masterclass led by her father, the renowned pianist and music teacher Dimitrij Bashkirov.

The various facets of her creative activity – orchestral pieces, chamber music, recitals, song accompaniment and programing – are all equally important to Elena Bashkirova, and her experiences in each area provide a constant source of inspiration for her work in the others.

Twenty years ago, Elena Bashkirova founded the Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival, an event taking place every year in September which she continues to lead as Artistic Director.

Elena Bashkirova is to perform as a soloist in the Philharmonie de Paris, the Kölner Philharmonie, the Berlin Philharmonie and in Toulouse. Alongside her chamber music partners, she regularly appears in Geneva, Lisbon (Gulbenkian) and Paris (Philharmonie) and at the Wigmore Hall in London, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Musikverein in Vienna.

In 2018, Elena Bashkirova received an honorary doctorate from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

 

Michael Barenboim

Committed to the core classical and romantic repertoire, Michael Barenboim is deeply invested and specially recognized for his performances of the 20th century and contemporary repertoire.

Barenboim celebrates a long history of collaboration with the late Pierre Boulez, whose pieces he regularly performs in recital and with the Boulez Ensemble. In 2018, Michael Barenboim makes his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic, performing Schönberg’s Violin Concerto under the baton of Vasily Petrenko.

Chamber music is also an important focus for Barenboim. He is a founding member of the Erlenbusch Quartet, and will this season perform in a piano trio with the cellist Kian Soltani and Daniel Barenboim, in a series of concerts at the Pierre Boulez Saal.

Parallel to his solo concerts and recital performances, Barenboim also serves as concertmaster of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and cultivates a continuous and strong involvement in educational activities. He is Head of Chamber Music in the newly founded Barenboim-Said Academy and gives master classes around the world.

 

Mohamed Hiber

Born in Paris in 1995, Mohamed Hiber has been studying the violin under the guidance of Prof. Ana Chumachenco, starting out in Madrid at Queen Sofia College of Music and currently based in Munich at the Hochschule für Musik. He also worked with Zohrab Tadevosyan while he was living in Madrid.

In March 2017, he won 3rd Prize in the International Music Competition of Marocco held by the Moroccan Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 2010, he has been invited by Daniel Barenboim to play with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra on a regular basis and has played in the world’s most famous concert halls.

Mohamed is a passionate and experienced chamber musician. This year, he will be playing at the Paris Philharmonie, at the Gulbenkian foundation or at Wigmore Hall in London. He has played at chamber music festivals such as the Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival in 2017, the Easter festival in Aix-en-Provence in 2016, the Rolandseck Festival in 2012 and the Mozarteum Festival in Salzburg.

 

 

Gérard Caussé

Having studied first in Toulouse, Gérard Caussé completed his training at the Paris Conservatoire. Giving solo recitals and appearing as a soloist with major conductors and orchestras worldwide, Caussé is also well known for his excellent musicianship in chamber music, performing with numerous quartets and ensembles throughout his career.

Former artistic director of the Orchestre de Chambre de Toulouse, co-founder and director of the Camerata of Fondation Caja Duero in Salamanca, Spain, Gérard Caussé dedicates some of his time to young generations of musicians, having given much acclaimed masterclasses. He is currently Professor of Viola at the Paris Conservatoire and at the Queen Sofia College of Madrid.

Caussé’s repertoire varies from Bach to Berlioz, Bartok, Britten, Stravinsky and Chostakovich. Co-founder and solo viola of the Ensemble Intercontemporain under the direction of Pierre Boulez, he also significantly contributed to renew the viola repertoire, commissioning major contemporary composers to write for the instrument.

 

Kyril Zlotnikov

Born in Minsk, Belarus to a family of professional musicians, Kyril Zlotnikov began his

studies at the Belarusian State Music Academy. He continued his studies in Israel completing his musical education at the Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music and Dance.

He is a founding member of the Jerusalem Quartet with whom he has been giving multiple performances all over the world.

Along with his extensive chamber music appearances Kyril Zlotnikov has performed as soloist with internationally renowned orchestras, having a wide repertoire covering the important cello works of baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary music.

Kyril Zlotnikov is a regular guest at major chamber music festivals such as the BBC Proms, the Schleswig-Holstein, the Jerusalem and the Schwetzingen Festivals. A keen recitalist and chamber musician, Zlotnikov has shared the stage with artists such as Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Elena Bashkirova, Mitsuko Uchida, Tabea Zimmerman, Nikolaj Znaider and Lang Lang.

Since 2003 Kyril Zlotnikov has been principal cellist at the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim.

 

Gyula Orendt

Hungarian baritone Gyula Orendt was born in Romania, studied at the Liszt Conservatory Budapest, and is a member of the Staatsoper Berlin, where he debuted in roles including Figaro in Barbiere di Siviglia, Papageno in Zauberflöte, Schaunard in La Bohème, Zurga in Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Harlekin in Ariadne auf Naxos, and the title role of Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis. He appears with companies such as the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Bavarian Staatsoper Munich, Komische Oper Berlin, Oper Düsseldorf, Dutch National Opera Amsterdam, Liceu Barcelona, State Opera Budapest, Palace of Arts Budapest, Auditori Barcelona, Salle Pleyel Paris, Cité de la Musique Paris, Philharmonie Berlin, Konzerthaus Berlin. Future engagements include Hamburgische Staatsoper, Opéra de Lyon, Teatro Real Madrid, Lyric Theatre of Chicago. In the vocal-symphonic field his repertoire ranges from the Bach Passions via Brahms’s Requiem, Carmina Burana to Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and Des Knaben Wunderhorn.