Ivan Skanavi
Ivan Skanavi, winner of the 2022 Grand-Prix Emanuel Feuermann, is one of the leading cellists of his generation, captivating audiences with his broad stylistic sound spectrum, clear projection and vast range of colours.
Combining a fruitful chamber music career with frequent solo performances, Skanavi’s resume of performances include a number of high-profile festivals, venues and orchestras such as Verbier Music Festival, Kronberg Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Festival, Gezeitenkonzerte, Chamber Music Hall of the Berlin Philharmonie, Rundfunk- Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Stuttgart Kammerorchester, Kammerphilharmonie Metamorphosen Berlin, amongst others.
Born in Russia, Ivan received his first cello lessons at the age of 6. His teachers in Moscow were Tamara Alexeeva, Alexey Seleznev and Alexander Rudin.
Since 2017, Skanavi has been honing his skills under Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt at the University Franz Liszt Weimar and at Kronberg Academy.
Ivan Skanavi plays a cello by Matteo Goffriller from 1720.
Photo Credits: Kristina Revva
Maria Ioudenitch
Born in Russia, violinist Maria Ioudenitch immigrated to the USA with her family at the age of two and grew up in Kansas City. In 2021, she received first prizes at the International Ysaÿe Music Competition, the International Tibor Varga Violin Competition and the International Joseph Joachim Competition.
In recent months, Maria Ioudenitch has made her debut with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (at the Berlin Philharmonie), the MDR Symphony Orchestra Leipzig, the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra and the Munich Symphony Orchestra and returned to her hometown Kansas City Symphony. Other recent engagements have taken her to the NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra and the Utah Symphony.
Cantus Domus
The Berlin choir Cantus Domus opens up new approaches to choral music for its audiences with spirited productions and creative concert formats.
Under the artistic direction of Ralf Sochaczewsky, the choir broke new ground with the performance of a choral version of Terry Riley's "In C", with the German premiere of Fredrik Schwenk's arrangement of Schnittke's Faust cantata, as well as with the world premiere of a choral opera staged by Cantus Domus to excellent reviews, the new performance of which is planned. Further highlights: the collaboration with Charlotte Greve, Vox Humana (Oslo), Fahmi Alqhai and the Accademia del Piacere (from Spain, Syria and elsewhere) or Shavnabada and Tutarchela (Georgia).