WALTHAM FOREST CELLO FEST 2024 in London
🌲 "London Borough of Culture meets Classical Music" 🎻
🌲 "London Borough of Culture meets Classical Music" 🎻
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WALTHAM FOREST CELLO FEST 2024 in London is following in the tradition of previous UNDERGROUND LUNCHTIME RECITALS.
The next recital will be held on Sunday 17th March 2024, @ 4:00pm., again at the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum (historic Victoria Line Carriage, 10 South Access Road, Walthamstow, E17 8AX, London).
Czech cellist and poet Anna Brikciusová will perform Solo Cello Suites (Suite No. 2 in D minor for Solo Cello, BWV 1008 and Suite No. 3 in C major for Solo Cello, BWV 1009) by Johann Sebastian Bach and premiere of Évasion ... for Solo Cello (2024) by Irena Kosíková.
This concert commemorates the 339th anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach and as part of the Year of Czech Music 2024.
In the cooperation with Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum.
Admission £15 (+ £1.96 booking fee). Booking is essential via Eventbrite - https://WalthamForestCelloFest.eventbrite.com . Book early as seats are limited!
Running time: 45-60 minutes.
Access:
- Sorry, no wheelchair access to concert - 6 steps to climb
- Free entry to museum, open 10:30am to 3:30pm
- Wheelchair access to toilets
Dear friends and colleagues,
We hope you are keeping safe and well. You are invited to the 3rd WALTHAM FOREST CELLO FEST 2021 in London.
As in previous years there will be WFCF Cello Concerts, Underground Lunchtime Recitals (in the historic Victoria Line carriage), Cello Weekend, Make Music Day and Cello Academy (all ages and abilities are welcome!). Events will be held mainly online in June 2021.
Book your tickets now via Eventbrite here: https://WalthamForestCelloFest.eventbrite.com .
The WFCF 2021 features cellists and young promising cello talents from Belgium, China, the Czech Republic, France, Israel, Italy, the UK and the USA.
Including cellists Anna Brikciusová, František Brikcius, Yiqi Chen, Mira Kardan, Stijn Kuppens, Anna Shuttleworth (1927-2021) and George Wolfe-McGuire. Together with cellist, Cello Museum founder and curator Brenda Neece, cellist, researcher and guest curator Erica Lessie, conductor and composer Peter Askim, percussionist Brecht Claesen, violinist and philosopher Hugh Desmond, organist and composer Irena Kosíková, violinist and conductor Jan Talich, Talich Chamber Orchestra, soprano Nofar Yacobi and narrator Jan Židlický.
WCFC begins with a CELLO WEEKEND (Saturday 5th - Sunday 6th June): INDIVIDUAL MASTER CLASSES, two CELLO WEBINARS, CELLO RECITAL - INNER CELLO, interactive online INTERPRETATION MASTERCLASS, three CELLO LAUREATES, introduction to THE CELLO MUSEUM - ONLINE EXHIBITION INNOVATIONS IN CELLO-MAKING MATERIALS, REMEMBERING ANNA SHUTTLEWORTH and music documentary film MAKANNA.
Other events will include virtual poetry reading SAVE THE QUEEN (Saturday 12th June), CELLO RECITALS (Sunday 20th June), MUSICAL SOLIDARITY PROJECT (Saturday 19th June), MAKE MUSIC DAY (Monday 21st June) and ORGAN RECITAL (Saturday 26th June).
WFCF is following in the tradition of previous UNDERGROUND LUNCHTIME RECITALS (Sunday 27th June) in the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum's historic Victoria Line Carriage.
For the second time Waltham Forest Cello Fest will hold a CELLO ACADEMY (26th July - 1st August) of online summer cello master classes.
Most online events are followed by a Q&A. Please put your questions in the comments or an email.
WALTHAM FOREST CELLO FEST was created in 2019 as a cello celebration of the communities in Waltham Forest the first ever Mayor’s London Borough of Culture. The WFCF is supported by Make It Happen - London Borough of Waltham Forest.
For the latest news follow WFCF on Twitter (@WFCelloFest), Facebook and Instagram (@WalthamForestCelloFest).
For more updates and details about the 3rd WALTHAM CELLO FOREST FEST 2021 in London subscribe to WFCF Newsletter and visit https://www.Brikcius.com/WalthamForestCelloFest .
🌲 Waltham Forest Cello Fest 🎻
P.S. Many cello events are free of charge. Please consider supporting WALTHAM FOREST CELLO FEST (or our Cello Scholarships) by making a donation through our PayPal donation page https://www.paypal.me/WFCelloFest or pledge here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/WalthamForestCelloFest .
Saturday 5th June 2021
- cca 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m.
INDIVIDUAL CELLO MASTER CLASSES
- Individual online one-to-one cello masterclasses with WFCF cellists and cello teachers František Brikcius and Anna Brikciusová. Registration fee for cello students £35. Spots are limited. Sign up now.
2:00 p.m.
CELLO WEBINAR 1
- In his first online webinar about cello technique, Belgian cellist Stijn Kuppens will speak chronologically about the following topics:
* maintenance of your cello and bow
* how to handle your cello - the parts of the cello
* tuning with a tuner
* buy a cello or rent a cello?
* the quest for a cello
* the setup of a cello
* replacing a string - the importance of good strings
* about the cello bow
* winter problems for cellists
* the sitting position of a cellist
* the position of the cello
In his view, cello playing starts with having the right material, knowing how to sit and knowing how to handle your material. This webinar is interesting for people who never played cello, but who are interested on how to get starting, for absolute beginners, for people who play a few years, and for amateur cellists who plays since a longer while, but want to go a moment back to basics.
The webinar is subtitled in English. With support of the Diplomatic Representation of Flanders to the UK. Free admission, donations welcome.
4:00 p.m.
CELLO RECITAL - INNER CELLO + Q&A
- Belgian cellist/composer Stijn Kuppens presents for the WFCF 2021 online recital in two parts. The first part consists of four solo pieces from his album Inner Cello. The opening piece ‘Fado’ immediately takes the listener on a journey through times and cultures, followed by ‘Montagnes’, set in the Swiss Alps. The third piece is called ‘Chaconne Theobroma’, dedicated to a cellist working in the chocolate industry, followed by ‘Industrial Groove’, in which Stijn explores new techniques and sounds on the cello. This performance will be premiered in the WFCF 2021. The second part of this recital consists of three pieces from Stijn’s Dialogues, recorded for the live stream festival ‘Inner Cello Dialogues’ that took place in March 2021. Together with violinist Hugh Desmond, Stijn plays first ‘Pas de deux (Dialogue with violin)’, followed by ‘The Angel of 1985 (Dialogue with violin)’. Cello and violin parts are equally important and virtuoso. The inspiration of ‘Pas de deux’ are the Scottish Highlands, ballet and drums. ‘The Angel of 1985’ is a tribute to a victim of a natural disaster in Colombia that happened in 1985. The last piece of this recital is a dialogues version of ‘Writers’, one of the pieces of Stijns’ second solo album ‘Cello Souls’ (expected release at the end of June 2021). Together with percussionist Brecht Claesen, Stijn will perform ‘Writers (Dialogue with percussion)’, inspired by the act of writing. With support of the Diplomatic Representation of Flanders to the UK. Free admission, donations welcome (cca £4 - £12 suggested).
6:00 p.m.
INTERPRETATION MASTERCLASS FOR CELLISTS
- Interactive online interpretation masterclass for cellists (both active and passive participants) with Peter Askim - Conductor and Artistic Director (The Next Festival of Emerging Artists). Free admission, donations welcome (cca £2 - £8 suggested). Registration fee for active participants £10. Sign up now.
8:00 p.m.
CELLO LAUREATES + Q&A
- Online recital presenting three CELLO LAUREATES and young promising talents: cellist Yiqi Chen (the Music and Stars Awards - Grand Prix “Crown of Stars")* with piano accompaniment by Zijian Wei; cellist Mira Kardan (the Sound Espressivo Competition)** with piano accompaniment by Micah Yui and cellist George Wolfe-McGuire (the King's Peak International Music Competition)* with piano accompaniment by Pavel Bogomiakov, followed with Q&A. Free admission, donations welcome.
*KPIMC 2021 Waltham Forest Cello Fest Scholarship Winners / **SEC 2020 - Bach Festival Gers Cello Scholarship Winner
10:00 a.m.
- Individual online one-to-one cello masterclasses with WFCF cellists and cello teachers František Brikcius and Anna Brikciusová. Registration fee for cello students £35. Spots are limited. Sign up now.
2:00 p.m.
CELLO WEBINAR 2
- In his second online webinar about cello technique, Belgian cellist Stijn Kuppens will speak chronologically about the following topics:
* pizzicato of an open string
* pizzicato of a pressed string
* playing pizzicato chords
* the bow hold
* an introduction to the conduct of the bow
* the conduct of the bow without regarding the sound quality
* the conduct of the bow with focus on the sound quality
* the position of the left hand
* the position of the left arm
* the extensions
This webinar is interesting for people who never played cello, but who are interested on how to get starting, for absolute beginners, for people who play a few years, and for amateur cellists who plays since a longer while, but want to go a moment back to basics.
The webinar is subtitled in English. With support of the Diplomatic Representation of Flanders to the UK. Free admission, donations welcome.
4:00 p.m.
THE CELLO MUSEUM - ONLINE EXHIBITION INNOVATIONS IN CELLO-MAKING MATERIALS + Q&A
- What is The Cello Museum? Where is it? What is your first exhibition about? Curators Brenda Neece and Erica Lessie will answer these questions and more in this online presentation about The Cello Museum. Explore the surprising influence of blacksmiths, boat builders, bullet trains - and more - on cellos and cello making in our exhibition: Innovations in Cello-Making Materials.
The Cello Museum is an online compendium, including articles, cello news, and digital exhibitions of cellos, related images, components, and accessories. Our mission is to present an interdisciplinary view of the cultural and technical history of the cello as well as a perspective of its place in the world today in its many and widely varied contexts, to cellists and all who love the cello. The museum aims to foster connections among performers, teachers, researchers, composers, students, and audiences. Our vision is to inspire, educate, and entertain those who love and/or play the cello.
Online Exhibition: Innovations in Cello-Making Materials. From the beginning, luthiers have experimented with the materials they use for cello-making. Traditional makers compared maple, poplar, and other familiar tonewoods for cello backs and ribs. During the 18th and 19th centuries, however, in small villages without fiddle makers, local blacksmiths or even shoemakers would make cellos out of materials they had at hand, like iron or copper. More recent innovators have continued this tradition of experimentation, turning to even less conventional substances and methods, including glass, ice, and plastic. Cellos in this exhibition range from long-lived metal instruments to ephemeral ice cellos. The youngest maker represented was 12 when she created her first instrument. The construction of cellos included here was influenced by seemingly unlikely sources, including blacksmiths, boat builders, and bullet trains. Fabrication techniques vary widely, ranging from the use of high-tech molds to glass blowing, 3D printing, and even the same type of hammer work used to create the noses of bullet trains. The exhibition includes cellos made of:
- metal
- glass
- ice
- plastics
- fiber
Followed with Q&A. Free admission, donations welcome.
6:00 p.m.
REMEMBERING ANNA SHUTTLEWORTH
- Informal online cello gathering of friends, colleagues and students of legendary cellist Prof. Anna Shuttleworth (1927 - 2021). Contact us.
8:00 p.m.
MUSIC DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKANNA
- Online introduction of music documentary film MAKANNA will take place on Sunday 6th June 2021 @ 8:00 p.m., to commemorate the 121st anniversary of the birth of Jiří Weil (1900 - 1959). The documentary, back in London following a screening in Beijing (the 9th European Union Film Festival in China), Lisbon (MUVI - the International Music Film Festival in Portugal), Mexico (FIC AUTOR - Author's International Film Festival) and Prague (premiere at the Václav Havel Library), from the concert performance of MAKANNA (organised in the cooperation with the Jewish Museum in Prague and held under the auspices of Sir Tom Stoppard and Václav Havel) is based on the novel of the Jewish writer Jiří Weil, about the rise and fall of the 7th century false prophet with his face covered with the green veil and his eyes glowing as embers. Featuring Jan Talich (Conductor), Jan Židlický (Narrator), František Brikcius (Cellist), Irena Kosíková (Composer) and Talich Chamber Orchestra. Free admission, donations welcome (cca £5 - £15 suggested).
Sunday 6th June 2021
- cca 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Saturday 12th June 2021
- 8:00 p.m.
- Virtual poetry reading SAVE THE QUEEN from Anna Brikciusová's new poetry collection, with accompanying cello music by the author, is scheduled for Saturday 12th June 2021 @ 8:00 p.m., to commemorate the 211th anniversary of the birth of poet Karel Hynek Mácha (1810 - 1836). This event will feature Sarabande from the Suite No. 5 in c minor for Solo Cello (BWV 1011) by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750). In the cooperation with the Bach Festival Gers. Free admission, donations welcome (cca £5 - £12 suggested).
- Online introduction of international project MUSICAL SOLIDARITY / COVID-19 and MUSICAL SOLIDARITY DOCUMENTARY followed by Q&A will take place on Saturday 19th June 2021 @ 8:00 p.m. The Musical Solidarity Project / Covid-19 - #VirtualVerdiChoir is created and produced by Italian-Israeli soprano Nofar Yacobi, as a respond to the global COVID-19 crisis. In global collaboration with Waltham Forest Cello Fest, 55 opera houses, orchestras, cultural institutions, 16 Sign Language professionals and about 500 performers (singers, instrumentalists, conductors, soloists, orchestra players, music students and even passionate amateurs) from 65 different countries. Free entry.
Saturday 19th June 2021
- 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 20th June 2021
- 4:00 p.m.
@ St Barnabas Church Walthamstow
- Cello recital J. S. BACH: SUITES FOR UNACCOMPANIED CELLO will take place on Sunday 20th June 2021 @ 4:00 p.m., at St Barnabas Church Walthamstow (St Barnabas Road, Walthamstow, E17 8JZ, London) to commemorate the 336th anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach. Cellist František Brikcius will perform several Solo Cello Suites by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750).
"Bach's Six Suites are some of the most frequently performed and recognisable solo compositions ever written for cello."
In the cooperation with St Barnabas Church, Walthamstow. Free admission, donations welcome (cca £5 - £12 suggested).
Health and Safety:
- Any persons displaying symptoms of COVID-19 should not attend
- You may be required to wear a mask or face covering
- Please maintain social distancing when possible
- To celebrate MAKE MUSIC DAY our WFCF CELLO ACADEMY prepared for you another round of Free Individual Cello Sessions on Monday 21st June 2021 @ 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. (cca 15 minutes slots) online via Zoom.
"Make Music Day is the UK’s largest single-day music event and the world’s biggest celebration of music, taking place in 125 countries on 21 June annually."
Do you want to improve your cello performance or know how to practice better? Our Cello Tutor František Brikcius will explain you how. Do you want to learn how to play cello? It's never too late. All ages and abilities are welcome. Contact WFCF for free available slots now.
Monday 21st June 2021
- 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
(cca 15 minutes slots)
Saturday 26th June 2021
- 8:00 p.m.
- Online complete organ performance of 18 LEIPZIG CHORALES will take place on Saturday 26th June 2021 @ 8:00 p.m., to commemorate the 336th anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach. Don’t miss cca 100 minutes of unique music set of 18 Leipziger Choräle (BWV 651-668) by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) performed by Czech organist and composer Irena Kosíková. It includes manuscript of Bach's score that turns pages along with the music. Free admission, donations welcome (cca £8 - £15 suggested).
The 3rd WALTHAM FOREST CELLO FEST 2021 in London is following in the tradition of previous UNDERGROUND LUNCHTIME RECITALS. The next recital will be held on Sunday 27th June 2021, @ 1:15pm., again at the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum (historic Victoria Line Carriage, 10 South Access Road, Walthamstow, E17 8AX, London). Cellist František Brikcius will perform a few Solo Cello Suites by Johann Sebastian Bach and other composers.
In the cooperation with Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum.
Admission £15 (+ £1.76 booking fee). Booking is essential via Eventbrite - https://WalthamForestCelloFest.eventbrite.com . Book early as seats are limited (ticket sales for this cello concert will start on Friday 18th June 2021 at 1:15pm BST)!
Running time: 45-60 minutes.
Access:
- Sorry, no wheelchair access to concert - 6 steps to climb
- The Museum is closed until further notice!
- Wheelchair access to toilets
Health and Safety:
- Any persons displaying symptoms of COVID-19 should not attend
- You will be required to wear a mask or face covering
Sunday 27th June 2021
- 1:15 p.m.
@ Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum (historic Victoria Line Carriage)
26th July - 1st August 2021
- Online cello master classes WALTHAM FOREST CELLO FEST - CELLO ACADEMY (26th July - 1st August 2021). For the second time Waltham Forest Cello Fest is introducing online summer cello master classes CELLO ACADEMY, that will take a place in July - August 2021. Individual remote cello lessons are held in Summer online via Zoom or Skype.
All ages (4-99), levels (Initial Grade, Grades 1-8) and abilities (beginner, student, advanced) are welcome! Our cello tutors are cellists and cello teachers František Brikcius and Anna Brikciusová, members of chamber music ensemble Duo Brikcius [2 Cellists - 2 Siblings].
Book your online cello course now. Each course includes 6 x 50 minutes online lessons (+ cca 5 minutes for technical set up), final online presentation workshop and a certificate of completion. Limited number of accepted students.
The 4th WALTHAM FOREST CELLO FEST 2022 in London presents the 3rd WFCF CELLO ACADEMY (July - August 2022) Online Summer Cello Master Classes via Zoom / Skype.
FRANTIŠEK BRIKCIUS - CELLO, CHAMBER MUSIC
ANNA BRIKCIUSOVÁ - CELLO
Book your One-to-One Cello OnLine Summer Course now - https://WalthamForestCelloFest.eventbrite.com .
All ages (4-99), levels (Initial Grade, Grades 1-8) and abilities (beginner, student, advanced) are welcome!
Czech cellist František Brikcius was born in Prague, into a family with a distinguished cultural background. He has been playing the cello since early childhood. Following his cello studies at the Prague Conservatoire, he completed his Master's degree at the Janáček Academy of Music (JAMU) in the Czech republic. He furthered his cello skills at the Toho Gakuen Academy in Japan and later under the guidance of legendary cellist Prof. Anna Shuttleworth (student of Pablo Casals) in the United Kingdom (Eton Cello Master Classes and the University of Leeds).
He won the 2nd prizes at the Anglo-Czech Competition in London (1999), the International String Competition London (2000) and the International String Competition Jihlava (2003). He has been awarded many scholarships and fellowships, including the Czech Music Foundation (CHF), the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Music Foundation OSA, the Socrates-Erasmus, and the Gideon Klein Foundation for the propagation of works written by Jewish Holocaust Composers.
František chose to dedicate his life to the interpretation of cello compositions written by composers of the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, giving special consideration to compositions for solo cello. His favourites are cello suites by Johann Sebastian Bach, Max Reger, Ernest Bloch and Benjamin Britten.
He is particularly involved in researching, studying and performing works by Czech (Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, Bohuslav Martinů, Josef Suk and Irena Kosíková), Jewish & Terezín (Gideon Klein, Erwin Schulhoff, Zikmund Schul, Jaromír Weinberger, James Simon and David Popper) and contemporary composers (Conrad Beck, Luciano Berio, Pierre Boulez, Benjamin Britten, Henri Dutilleux, Wolfgang Fortner, Alberto Ginastera, Cristobal Halffter, Hans Werner Henze, Heinz Holliger, Klaus Huber and Witold Lutoslawski), playing on a "George Kriwalski" cello made in 1904.
Together with his sister Anna Brikciusová, he is a founder member of the "Duo Brikcius". He is artistic director of Festival Brikcius - Chamber Music Concert Series in Prague, Bach Festival Gers in France and Waltham Forest Cello Fest (the 1st London Borough of Culture meets Classical Music) in London.
František works as independent film-maker as well. His first music documentary film MAKANNA (in the cooperation with the Jewish Museum in Prague and under the auspices of Sir Tom Stoppard and Václav Havel) was already screened in the Czech republic, China, Mexico and Portugal. He is currently working on new music documentary film eSACHERe (2021).
As a soloist František has performed at many festivals in Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liberland, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom.
František has been teaching cello for many years. He is experienced at taking students at all levels, able to give master classes as well as support beginners. He is giving cello master classes in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and remotely online via Zoom/Skype.
Served as a jury member in various competitions including the Berliner International Music Competition in Germany, the Music and Stars Awards, the Music International Grand Prix, the Sound Espressivo Global Competition, the Palm Beach International Music Awards, the King's Peak International Music Competition, the Charleston International Music Competition and the Baku International Cinema Festival in Azerbaijan.
More information about František Brikcius and his many cello projects is available on the websites https://www.Brikcius.com , https://www.Brikcius.com/CelloTutor and https://www.Twitter.com/Brikcius .
Czech organist and composer Irena Kosíková was born in Prague into the intellectual family of prohibited philosopher Karel Kosík and literary scientist Růžena Grebeníčková, the Herder prize laureate.
She began her organ studies with Prof. Jan Hora, together with piano lessons given by Prof. Eliška Kleinová and Prof. Arnoštka Grünfeldová. Irena Kosíková studied organ performance (Prof. Jaroslava Potměšilová) and conducting (Prof. Karel Fiala) at Ježek's Conservatory. For political reasons she was refused to further her studies. She took private composition lessons with Prof. Miroslav Raichl.
Finally after the Velvet Revolution she was accepted at the Janáček Academy of Music (JAMU) in Brno into the organ class of Prof. Alena Veselá and Prof. Kamila Klugarová. She graduated at the Academy of Music (HAMU) in Prague, under the guidance of Prof. Josef Popelka.
Irena Kosíková now gives organ concerts and intensively compose. Her works have been performed in the Czech Republic, Algeria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Israel, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Sweden and in the United Kingdom. As an organist she specialises in the interpretation of organ works written by Johann Sebastian Bach: including performances of the complete Organ Toccatas, Voluntaries, Leipzig Chorales, The Art of Fugue, Organ Mass.
She is one of the six chosen composers (Jiří Matys, Petr Hejný, Jan Jirásek, Luboš Fišer, Miloš Štědroň and Irena Kosíková) of the project "Prague - Brno: 6 Contemporary Composers", held under the auspices of Václav Havel.
For the celebration of the Year of Jewish Culture - 100 Years of the Jewish Museum in Prague, she wrote orchestra composition "7 Candles" introduced, together with the work of murdered "Terezín" composers Gideon Klein (1919 - 1945) and Pavel Haas (1899 - 1944), in Prague and Terezín.
On the occasion of the 110th anniversary commemoration of the birth of Jewish writer Jiří Weil (1900 - 1959), Irena Kosíková was commissioned to create ballet "MAKANNA" for voice, cello and orchestra, it's concert performance was held under the auspices of Sir Tom Stoppard and Václav Havel. Live recording is available on Supraphonline.cz and iTunes.
Music cooperation with the Talich Chamber Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, cellist Anna Brikciusová, Czech pianist Tomáš Víšek, cellist František Brikcius, siblings cello chamber ensemble Duo Brikcius, Czech Maestro Jan Talich and Russian conductor Mischa Rachlevsky.
Organ compositions in the interpretation of Irena Kosíková are published on YouTube, currently complete performance of Leipzig Chorales.
She currently resides in France. For more information about Czech composer and organist Irena Kosíková visit websites https://www.iKosik.com and https://Twitter.com/IrenaKosikova .`
Czech cellist Anna Brikciusová was born in Prague, into a family with a distinguished cultural background. She began to play the cello in early childhood. After her studies at the Prague Conservatory in the cello classes of Prof. Jaroslav Kulhan and Prof. Viktor Moučka, Anna graduated under the tutelage of Prof. Vladan Kočí. Tutorials with Prof. Stanislav Apolín.
She has actively participated in many international cello master classes, the French Academy (Prof. J. Bárta), the Jihlava International Master Classes (Prof. D. Sella, Prof. E. Rattay) and the International Cello Interpretation Master classes (Prof. S. Apolín). She has performed in the Czech Republic, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Currently she is also writing. Anna Brikciusová was a nominee for the Dresdner Lyrikpreis, her collection of short stories "Eutanazie" was published by H+H (edited by Jan Suk). Her poems were published at the Revolver Revue, Souvislosti, Tvar, Reflex and Protimluv. Anna's collection of poems "Kolibří úsměv" was published by Protimluv (edited by Jan Suk). In 2018 she received international residency scholarship of the Visegrad Literary Residency Programme in Bratislava. Her autumnal yearly show is part of the Festival Poetry Day and the Daniel Pearl World Music Days. Her poem "Podzimní" was chosen for the Best Czech Poems 2018 anthology (Host) and for the anthology Short poem (Protimluv, 2020). Recently her collection of poems "Do bouře" was released by Nakladatelství Bor (2020).
Anna Brikciusová plays a "Benjamin Patočka" cello made in 1913. Together with her brother František Brikcius, she is a founder member of the "Duo Brikcius". More information is available on websites https://www.Brikcius.com/Anna .
Duo Brikcius is a Czech chamber music ensemble created by two promising young cellists (brother and sister), Anna Brikciusová and František Brikcius. Both founding members are well acquainted with the solo cello repertoire, but decided to increase their repertoire with music written for this unusual combination (with great hidden potential) of two cellos. The main aims of Duo Brikcius are to study and perform works written for two cellos, enable the creation and performance of works that are not well known to the audience, encourage contemporary composers regardless of nationality or age), to create music for this ensemble, maintain the tradition of established composers, present Czech music culture abroad and bring to other people the joy of music.
Duo Brikcius has appeared in many festivals (for example Chotěbořské jaro, Boskovice, Baščaršijske noći, Duo Brikcius - 2 Cellos Tour, Dvořák festival, European days of Jewish culture, Století andělů a ďáblů v Pošumaví, Daniel Pearl Music Festival, Festival Culturel International de Musique Symphonique, Festival Smetanovské dny, Festival Brikcius, Festival Baroko v krvi, Bach Festival Gers) both in the Czech republic and abroad (Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, etc.). More details are available on the website https://www.Brikcius.com .
"Života děj vane, či vleče mě sem i tam, leč jiskra vzpomínky zůstává mi ku svitu navzdory temnotě - - mnoho zdaru vám, Brikciusové!"
Vít Kremlička
George Thomas Alexander Wolfe-McGuire, age 17, of Amityville, New York, has studied cello since age four and is now in his fourth year at the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School as a student of Fred Sherry.
George was a semifinalist in the 2020 and 2021 Junior Division of the Sphinx Competition and is a recipient of the Sphinx Organization’s MPower Artist Grant. In the summer of 2017 George attended the Sphinx Performance Academy at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he performed in the masterclasses of Richard Weiss, First Assistant Principal of the Cleveland Orchestra. An active member of the Metropolitan String Orchestra since 2013, George has performed as a soloist with orchestras and string ensembles in many venues in the New York metropolitan region.
In 2019 he received the Paul Rudolff award, given as a second prize in the annual Island Symphony Orchestra Young Performer’s Competition. George has spent summers honing his cello skills at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, The Meadowmount School of Music, the Heifetz International Music Institute and Junior Greenwood Music Camp.
Since the spring of 2019 George has been volunteering as OMP Ambassador and cello instructor at the Opportunity Music Project, a non-profit that provides free instruction, instruments, and performance opportunities to young musicians in underserved communities in New York City that traditionally do not have access to a classical music education. George is a ranked sabre fencer who competes in tournaments around the country including Nationals and the Junior Olympics. Visit https://www.georgewolfemcguire.com .
Israeli Italian soprano Nofar Yacobi recorded for Disney Pictures the Hebrew version of Beauty and the Beast live action movie.
She is the creator and producer of the worldwide Musical Solidarity Project, which was born as a global response to the global covid-19 pandemic crisis, connecting 500 performers from 65 countries and 55 opera houses and cultural institutions worldwide.
Nofar performs regularly as a soloist with major orchestras and opera houses. She performed with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Netanya Kibbutz Orchestra, the Ra’anana Symphonette Orchestra, the Israel Symphony Rishon-LeZion Orchestra, the Revolution Orchestra, the Toronto Academy Chamber Orchestra, and the Glenn Gould New Music Ensemble.
Nofar recently made her debuts with the roles of Gilda (Rigoletto) and Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) in Italy. Her recent engagements include recitals at the Canadian Opera Company, Koerner Hall, Mazzoleni Hall, and the Glenn Gould Studio of the CBC - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
She performed in the Eilat Chamber Music Festival, the Abu-Gosh Music Festival, the 21C New Music Festival, the Toronto Jewish Music Festival, and the Spazio Musica Festival.
Nofar is an alumna of the Israeli Opera Meitar Studio Program (2015/2017), the Calgary Opera Emerging Artist Program (2017/2018), and the Rebanks Family Fellowship & International Performance Residency Program at The Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory in Toronto (2018/2019).
She graduated from the Buchman-Mehta School of Music at the Tel-Aviv University and received the AICF (America Israel Cultural Foundation), the Buchman-Mehta and the Eli Leon scholarships, as well as the Sir Jack Lyons Charitable Trust and the Azrieli Foundation sponsorships. Visit https://www.NofarYacobi.com .
My name is Yiqi Chen from Shenzhen, an advanced and international city in China. When I was 7 years old, I run into and love the cello , a beautiful sweet instrument. Perhaps it was fate, when I was 10 years old, I met the talent scout Prof. Yu Mingqing in my life, and I was admitted to the fifth grade of CCOM affiliated primary school and began my road to cello professional.
Under the guidance of my mentor, I have participated in several competitions at home and abroad, and won all the first place in the same age group and got the invitation of some master courses.
I have often performed with my teacher all over the country, and finished demonstration performance in some large-scale activities and master classes. Such activities gave me a lot of learning experience . I am really grateful to my teacher very much.
I often play the music at freely, but it is in moderation.
In my music, people can feel my energy and inner voice. Maybe the strong personal style makes me to be unique!
AWARDS and HONOURS:
*2017 Hong Kong International Music & Arts Festival / Children Group: Second Prize
*2019 The 1st "Cello Family" International Competition for Young Cellists Winter / Children Group: First Place Winner
*2019 The 6th Scholarship Competition for Central Conservatory of Music School / Viola & Cello: Third Prize
*2019 The 8th "AiQin" Prize And The 3rd International Cello Competition / Children Group: First Prize, Ensemble Group: First Prize and he gave a solo performance at the closing ceremony at The Poly Theatre in Beijing.
*2020 The 2nd "Cello Family" International Competition for Young Cellists Winter / Junior Group: First Prize, Ensemble Group: First Prize
*2020 The 30th Young Musician International Competition "Città di Barletta" / First Prize + Special Prize for Arts Management
*2020 International Music Competition Best Saint-Saëns Performance / First Prize Winner
*2020 The 1st Moscow International Art Elite Competition, Russia / Strings Group: First Prize
*2020 International Music Competition Bonn "Grand Prize Virtuoso" / First Prize Winner + Exceptional Young Talent Special Prize
*2020 San Francisco, USA International Innovative Music Competition / Junior Cello: First Prize
*2020 "CROWN OF STARS" Music & Star Awards
Chen has been awarded The "GRAND PRIX-CROWN OF STARS" Best Instrumentalist in all age categories for strings. And the only special award : "FULL CELLO SCHOLARSHIP" by WFCF - František Brikcius, Concert Cellist, International soloist and Artistic Director of Waltham Forest Cello Fest, and awarded the "SILVER STAR" of Chamber Music-Duo-D.
*2021 The 3rd Gustav Mahler Prize Cello Competition / 1st Prize and Category Winner, Prize of Director of Gustav Mahler Institute and Special Prize Online Lessons by Michaela Fukačová.
Visit https://b23.tv/3gVAes .
Anna Shuttleworth (2nd May 1927 - 2nd March 2021) was a British cellist. She studied cello with Ivor James and Harvey Phillips at the Royal College of Music and later became a professor at the same college. After leaving the RCM her friend Joan Dickson organised for the cellist Enrico Mainardi to give lessons in London in which Shuttleworth took part. She also continued her studies with Franz Walter in Geneva.
Shortly after leaving college, Shuttleworth was invited to play at the Newbury Festival with the Newbury String Players, both in the orchestra and later as a soloist. This initiated a long friendship with the family of Gerald Finzi and their musical circle, including Ursula and Ralph Vaughan Williams. This period also witnessed a richly varied freelance career, playing in a number of festival orchestras, as a chamber musician and soloist. She was once affectionately referred to as “The Swellest Cellist” by Vaughan Williams.
In 1953, at the recommendation of the composer Herbert Howells, Shuttleworth applied for the Boise scholarship and in 1954 was awarded a substantial sum to further her cello studies. This she used to study with Mainardi in Salzburg and Rome, and with Pablo Casals in Zermatt and Prades.
Shuttleworth was married twice, first time to Noel Taylor, a fellow cellist, in 1957, and the second time to David Sellen, a biophysics researcher, in 1973. They remained married until her death in 2021.
In the 1960s, Shuttleworth’s career took off and she became a member of several ensembles and performed for many BBC broadcasts. She had a lesson with Rostropovich who complimented her on her beautiful cello sound and musicianship. This was also the year when she was invited to teach the cello at the Junior Department at the RCM, followed by the appointment to the Senior Department in 1967. In 1968 she was approved as an Associated Board examiner and also bought her very first Renault 4, the car that was to become her habitual transport, travelling around the country.
The 1970s was Shuttleworth's golden period and through the connection with Hilary Finzi, Jacqueline du Pré's sister, she was allowed to play on Jacqui's Davidov Stradivarius for two years. She became a “sought after” cello professor at the RCM and taught many of today’s well-known musicians, including Adrian Brendel, Alexander Baillie, Clare Finzi, Elizabeth Wilson and Jonathan del Mar. But, as Shuttleworth felt like she had neglected her academic career, and partly to better understand David’s work at the Leeds University, she took an Open University course 1971-75 and was awarded a BA (Hons) degree in 1975. In 1972 Shuttleworth put Stuart Lowe in contact with Sue Jennings and later Stuart and Sue married. Later Shuttleworth taught Matthew, Daniel and Time Lowe at Sue’s request. She and Sue developed a long-standing teaching relationship together, and with the Lowe family members and Alexander Baillie, they created “Gathering of the Clans”, a long running cello course with teachers such as Baillie and Johannes Goritzki as well as Alexander teachers/cellists Vivien Mackie and Rhuna Martin. Other cellists included Joan Dickson, Amanda Truelove, Sasha Boyarsky, Lowri Blake, Andreas Burzik, Melissa Phelps, Louise Hopkins, and Moray Welsh.
After the 1960s Shuttleworth performed many successful piano and cello recitals with some of the leading pianists in Britain, including Bernard Roberts, Ian Brown, Martin Roscoe and John Thwaites. When in London she knew Sylvia Cleaver who in 1964 asked Shuttleworth to become the principal cellist of the Midland Sinfonia Orchestra (later renamed the English Sinfonia). She held this post until she retired from the orchestra in 1996. Apart from this, Shuttleworth worked with many orchestras over the years such as the Alexandra Orchestra (founded by Denys Darlow) which later became the Tilford Bach Orchestra, Chelsea Opera Group, Kalmar Orchestra, Sadler’s Wells Opera Orchestra (now English National Opera) and Orchestra d'Amici.
Shuttleworth’s teaching career evolved over the years. From initially teaching at independent schools and later being appointed a professor at the RCM she eventually took on many teaching positions in England, including Canterbury, Leeds and students from York University, as well as at Leeds Girls High School. On top of this she had many private pupils. In 1994, Shuttleworth’s teaching became more widely known when her pupil, Natalie Clein, won both the UK and European Young Musician of the Year competitions. Although this was at a time when Shuttleworth was near retirement, she was now very much a sought after teacher. Much later she taught the very talented Czech cellist František Brikcius, who came to Leeds University as an Erasmus scholar.
In 2008 Shuttleworth was awarded an Honorary Membership of the Royal College of Music from Prince Charles. This followed a number of years when she supported the RCM and also created a cello prize in her own name. Shuttleworth co-wrote a cello method "Playing the Cello" for young cellists aged 10 and upwards and her Memoirs were published in July 2009.
Cello Museum founder and curator, Dr. Brenda Neece, DPhil (Oxon.), is a cellist and a researcher specializing in the history of the cello. Before starting The Cello Museum in the autumn of 2019, she worked as a freelancer and served over a decade as the first curator of the musical instrument collections at Duke University. In addition to playing the cello, doing cello research, and writing about cellos, she enjoys experimenting with variant cellos. As well as her modern instrument, she plays a 5-string baroque cello, a small 5-string cello, and sometimes travels with her folding prakticello.
She studied cello with Fred Raimi at Duke while doing her undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As part of her interdisciplinary major in music history, art history, and archaeology, she wrote an undergraduate honors thesis under the supervision of Prof. Jon Finson on the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century evolution of the cello. She earned a master’s in cello performance at Auburn University, studying with Martha Gerschefski, and went on for her musicology doctorate at the University of Oxford (Somerville College) where she was mentored by Prof. Jeremy Montagu and Prof. Hélène La Rue. While in England, she continued her cello studies with William Pleeth.
Dr. Neece lives in Durham, NC, with her husband and cats. When not playing or writing about the cello, she enjoys reading, photography, and Taekwondo.
Visit https://www.CelloMuseum.org .
Guest curator and researcher Erica Lessie is a freelance cellist in the Chicago area, working in a broad range of styles across many facets of the Chicago music scene. Erica has performed on the Oprah Winfrey show with both Whitney Houston and Seal, and has also appeared with Diana Krall, Andrea Bocelli, Peter Cetera, the Four Tops, and Johnny Mathis. She is an auxiliary member of the rock band Tributosaurus and co-founder of Cherchez la Femme, a musical ensemble dedicated to presenting the arts expressed by women across the millennium. Ms. Lessie also developed Cellos of Unusual Shape, a solo presentation that explores the diversity of variant cellos.
Currently, she teaches at DePaul University Community Music Division, Sherwood Community Music School at Columbia College, and Chicago High School for the Arts. She has composed duets for flute/cello as well as piccolo/toy piano and is creating a collection of short pieces for solo cello.
Ms. Lessie received a B.M. from Indiana University, where she studied cello with Fritz Magg and chamber music with Rostislav Dubinsky and James Buswell. At Florida State University, she earned an M.M. and completed coursework for a D.M.A.
She currently resides south of Chicago with her husband and two children.
Visit https://www.CellosOfUnusualShape.com .
Jan Talich is known nowadays an exceptional figure not only on the Czech cultural scene, but also internationally recognised. In his rich career he is able to connect, at the highest level, his knowledge and experiences of several professions. He performs as a soloist, chamber player, conductor and pedagogue the world-over.
His longest path has been that of his solo career. Whilst still at the Prague Academy he won the both national and international competitions (for example the 1st prize at the Václav Huml International Violin Competition in Zagreb 1989). These helped him begin his solo career, which lasts until today. He has performed with piano partners such as Itamar Golan, Gottlieb Wallish, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Jean Bernard Pommier. For 5 years he was a member of the Kubelík Trio, with whom he recorded the complete Czech writings for piano trio. He left to take up the post of first violinist of the Talich Quartet. The quartet, founded by his father in the year 1964, is one of the world’s best ensembles. During the 20 years of his time in the quartet they have performed regularly in the best concert halls of the world and have recorded many of CDs.
In the last 15 years he started down the track of conducting. He began with Libor Pešek, Sir Charles Mackerass and Jiří Bělohlávek. In the year 1992 he founded the Talich Chamber Orchestra and at the present time he is the Chief conductor of the South Czech Philharmonic (Jihočeská filharmonie). He is in demand as a conductor not only in the Czech Republic, but also in Europe and the USA.
As a pedagogue he utilises the influences gained during his career. As a representative of the Czech School (Otakar Ševčík, Jaroslav Kocián, Josef Suk) he strives to achieve a combination of this tradition with the different interpretational traditions of his teachers from abroad (Ashkenasi, Feher, Zimbalist and Neaman, Rostal and Flesch). He is regularly invited to give masterclasses (Manchester, London, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Brussels, Prades Casals festival, Semering-Reichenau, Montreal and LA.) and to perform around the world.
During the course of his career he has studied innumerable scores of solo, chamber and orchestral works and has also interpreted many premieres of present-day composers. In the past while he has also dedicated himself to the period interpretation of Baroque music. His experiences as a solo and chamber player and his role as a conductor make him a very significant figure in the cultural life not only of the Czech Republic, but also on an international scale. He is the president of the Talichův Beroun Festival.
His discography is very comprehensive. He has recorded tens of CDs with the Talich Quartet (Calliope, BMG-Rca, Prima Volta), with his orchestra (Supraphon, Calliope, Emi, Subterra label, Radio service), the complete recordings of Czech works for piano trio (Bonton) and as a soloist (Calliope, Gramofonové závody, Bonton, Live from Prague Spring Festival).
Jan Talich plays the extraordinary violins made by J. Gagliano in 1780 and by G. P. Maggini in 1600.
Visit https://www.JanTalich.com .
Jan Židlický was born in 1949 in Prague. He graduated at Husova bohoslovecká fakulta. His first placement was CČSH parish in Hostomice pod Brdy. Pastoral work of Jan Židlický ended StB Beroun. Following years he worked at heater room, at cemetery in Nový Bor, in factory Velox Všeradice, in "výměník" of Pražské teplárny, in Orlické Hory Museum (OMOH). After revolution in 1989 he was chief of culture department at the Rychnov nad Kněžnou office. Since 2000 Jan Židlický is priest of CČSH at the Church of St. Jan Křtitel na Prádle in Prague.
Active as a composer, conductor, and educator, Peter Askim is Founder and Artistic Director of The Next Festival of Emerging Artists, Director of Orchestral Studies at NC State University and conductor of the Raleigh Civic Symphony and Chamber Orchestra.
As a conductor, he is known for innovative programming, championing the work of living composers and his advocacy of underrepresented voices in the concert hall. He has conducted premieres by Nico Muhly, Aaron Jay Kernis, Christopher Theofanidis, Brett Dean, Jeff Scott, Aleksandra Vrebalov and led the American premiere of Florence Price’s Ethiopia’s Shadow in America. His work was featured on HBO and National Public Radio conducting Richard Thompson’s soundtrack for The Cold Blue, and he has collaborated with such artists as the Matt Haimovitz, Vijay Iyer, Jennifer Koh, Miranda Cuckson, Jeffrey Zeigler, Nadia Sirota, and Sō Percussion.
With the creation of The Next Festival of Emerging Artists, Askim founded a festival dedicated to the next generation of performers, composers and choreographers. Founded in 2013, the festival structure encourages young artists, ages 20-30, to focus on artistic development, entrepreneurial career strategies and the music of living composers. It has been awarded grants by the Amphion and ASCAP foundations, and the Copland Fund for Music.
With the Raleigh Civic Orchestras, Askim has pioneered collaborative, multimedia concert events focused on social and environmental justice and has programmed a newly-commissioned world premiere on each concert for the last five seasons. Themes have included Martin Luther King, Jr.’s North Carolina “I Have A Dream” speech and a work for Virtual Reality and orchestra highlighting the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the Voting Rights Act. Under his direction, the orchestras have received multiple grants recognizing diversity in programming, including from New Music USA and the Women’s Philharmonic Association. Visit https://www.Next-Fest.org .
Fourteen-year Mira Kardan attends the Colburn School where she studies with acclaimed cellist Clive Greensmith. She began her cello studies in the Colburn Community School with Nancy Yamagata at age five.
Mira has attended summer programs including the Heifetz Institute and Indiana University’s Summer String Academy. At the Colburn School, Mira has served as principal cello of the Community School’s String Orchestra and has been selected to play on the bi-annual Honors Recital.
Additionally, her piano trio was chosen for the school’s Honors Chamber Ensemble program. Her trio has won first place on two occasions in the regional division of MTAC’s VOCE competition.
Now a member of Colburn’s prestigious Music Academy for gifted young artists, Mira participates in a comprehensive program of musical studies that include music theory, history, lessons and ensembles.
Additionally, Mira has had the opportunity to study cello and chamber music with Hans Jensen, Amir Eldan, Peter Stumpf, Fabio Bidini, Susan Moses, and the Calidore Quartet.
Mira’s interests include reading, writing, and listening to music of all genres. She also enjoys traveling and experiencing new international cuisines. Mira lives in Los Angeles with her parents and beloved rescue dog, Daisy.
Stijn Kuppens composes revolutionary, contemporary instrumental music with a central place for the cello. He intends to reach a broad, international public, which calls for a modern approach to his roles as producer, cellist and composer.
In 2019 he released his first cello solo album ‘Inner Cello’, and in June 2021 he will release his second cello solo album ‘Cello Souls’. In his series of Dialogues, he has his music for cello solo dialoguing with other instruments, collaborating with musicians like oboe player Joris Van den Hauwe, violinist Hugh Desmond, drummer Gert-Jan Dreessen and percussionist Brecht Claesen.
Stijn collaborates also with dancers, videographers and visual artists for his live performances and for the production of video clips.
Visit https://www.InnerCello.com .
- Cello Teacher
Stijn Kuppens combines his artistic activities as cellist/composer with a passionate teaching activity. The main focus in his pedagogy is to teach how to make music using the cello, bringing out the unique cellist that is inside every individual.
As a musician the musical content comes first, and on the second place the cello technique. But when learning to play cello, there is a huge importance in feeling comfortable handling and playing the cello.
In his cello technique, Stijn focuses on using energy in the most efficient way, always looking for physical relaxation and balance. After more than 20 years of cello teaching he wants to share some of his insights in a series of webinars.
Brecht Claesen is a freelance percussionist at various Belgian opera, philharmonic, chamber and musical orchestras, lecturer Percussion Pedagogy at the Royal Conservatory Antwerp and percussion teacher at various music academies.
Also in popular music he feels at ease. He played lots of festivals with the Belgian punk band "Janez Detd" for several years and in 2013 he was co-founder of the percussion/sax trio "BAM", which played amongst 300 national and international gigs and still counting.
Visit https://www.BamLiveShow.be .
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