Iddo Bar-Shai was born in Nazareth in 1977 and studied at the Rubin Conservatory in Tel Aviv under Pnina Salzman. He attended masterclasses in several countries, including those of Alexis Weissenberg. At the age of eleven, Iddo Bar-Shai received a scholarship from the American-Israeli Cultural Foundation. At twelve, he gave his first concert with an orchestra. He has since successfully participated in various competitions in Israel, the United States, and France, as well as major festivals (Verbier, Ravinia, La Roque d’Anthéron, Lisbon, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, and La Folle Journée de Nantes). He has also performed with various chamber music ensembles (Ysaye, Aviv, and Ebene quartets).

Several concerts by Iddo Bar-Shai have been broadcast on radio. His first two CDs featuring sonatas by Haydn and Chopin’s mazurkas, recorded on the Mirare label, have been highly acclaimed by critics.

Recognized for “her mastery of phrasing and dramatic dimension” (Diapason), “her infinite delicacy” (Le Populaire du Centre), and “her breathtaking virtuosity” (ResMusica, Prades), Irène Duval has won multiple international competitions and is a regular performer of concertos, recitals, and chamber music, and has become known for the intensity of her interpretations and her keen interest in combining lesser-known works with central pieces of the repertoire.

Irène places great importance on chamber music and has had the opportunity to perform and work with musicians such as Gidon Kremer, Olli Mustonen, Ferenc Rados, and Christian Tetzlaff. She happily participates in the Open Chamber Music at IMS Prussia Cove in Cornwall, the Krzyzowa Chamber Music Festival in Poland, the Norsjo Chamber Music Festival in Norway, and the Festival Chamber Music Connects the World at the Kronberg Academy.

Blythe was born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. She studied in the United States before moving to Switzerland, where she lived with her husband and children.

Blythe is a passionate chamber musician, counting among her partners the Ebene Quartet, Menahem Pressler, Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos, Lawrence Power, Nobuko Imai, Steven Isserlis, István Vardai, and Gábor Takács-Nagy.

She has performed in venues such as Wigmore Hall, the Royal Concertgebouw’s recital hall, the ElbPhilharmonie’s recital hall, Schloss Elmau, and the Verbier Festival. On the organizational front, Blythe is a founding member of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, has been the artistic director of Schloss Elmau, and was recently appointed co-artistic director of the Verbier Festival. Blythe plays on a G.P. Maggini viola from 1610, generously loaned by a private benefactor.

Frank Braley studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris under Pascal Devoyon, Christian Ivaldi, and Jacques Rouvier, earning unanimous First Prizes in Piano and Chamber Music. In 1991, he won the Grand Prize and the Audience Prize at the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium. Both the public and the press recognize him as a “great” laureate, praising his exceptional musical and poetic qualities.

Regularly invited to Japan, the USA, Canada, and throughout Europe, Frank Braley partners with major orchestras such as the Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de France, Philharmonique de Radio-France, and many others. He has performed under the baton of esteemed conductors including J-C Casadesus, Stéphane Deneve, Charles Dutoit, Armin Jordan, and Hans Graf, among others. Braley’s extensive repertoire and collaborations have solidified his reputation as a versatile and accomplished musician on the international stage.

Over the last twenty-five years of her career, Carolyn Sampson she has sung with countless world-class musicians and these recordings serve as testament to both her versatility as an artist and wide variety of repertoire.

Live performance highlights of the season include her debut at Berlin Staatsoper singing Cruse in a new Peter Sellers production of Charpentier’s Medée conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, Mahler Symphony no B (soprano 1) with NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester under Semyon Bychkov, Bach Passions with the Netherlands and Rotterdams Philharmonisch Ordest and concerts with the Cesk Filharmonie, Budapesti Fesztivalzenekar, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Symphonieorchester des Baverischen Rundfunks under Sir Simon Rattle. She presents recitals at the Wigmore Hall, Queen’s Hall Edinburgh and at the Muziekgebouw as part of the Grote Zangers series.

Bertrand Dazin is a countertenor, haute-contre, and alto singer. From the age of seven until 1995, he was a member of the Petits Chanteurs de Lille and the Maîtrise Boréale directed by Bernard Dewagtère. He studied at the CNR in Lille and at the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles. A student of the late British countertenor James Bowman since 1995, he has worked with numerous conductors such as Jean-Claude Malgoire, Olivier Schneebeli, Laurence Equilbey, Gabriel Garrido, Marc Minkowski, Frans Brüggen, Emmanuelle Haïm…

From 2000 to 2023, he founded and performed in duo with his master James Bowman the Baroque ensemble La cathédrale invisible.

He has participated in numerous recordings and television or radio broadcasts, and has organised and staged many recitals around baroque music and poetry.

American cellist Madelyn Kowalski has built an impressive musical career, beginning with cello lessons at age seven and making her concerto debut at 14. She studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under Alison Wells, earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Notable performances include recitals at the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad, where she received the André Hoffmann prize, and collaborations with artists like Kim Kashkashian, Jane Coop, and Jonathan Ferrucci. Kowalski has participated in prestigious festivals such as IMS Prussia Cove and Yellow Barn Festival, and attended masterclasses with renowned cellists including Steven Isserlis and David Geringas.

She has premiered works by composers like Diana Syrse and Errollyn Wallen, and received awards such as the Louis Carus Duo Ensemble Prize at the RCS.

Italian-Australian pianist Jonathan Ferrucci has established himself as a versatile performer across Europe, Australia, and the United States, showcasing his talents in prestigious venues like Wigmore Hall and Carnegie Weill Hall.

A recipient of various awards, including the International Bach Competition in Leipzig, Ferrucci’s repertoire spans from baroque to contemporary composers, with a particular focus on J.S. Bach.

Notable projects include upcoming recitals in the UK and France, as well as an album release featuring Bach’s complete Toccatas in 2025. He has collaborated with renowned artists like Angela Hewitt and has been influenced by mentors such as Giovanni Carmassi and Joan Havill. Ferrucci’s commitment to music extends beyond the piano, as he is also a dedicated practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga, which he considers essential to his life and musical endeavors.

Born in 1992 in Marseille, Anna Göckel has traveled with her violin to some of the most beautiful musical stages, from Tokyo to the Opera House of Mexico, passing through the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Herkulessaal in Munich, Carnegie Hall in New York, and the La Roque d’Anthéron Festival.

Passionate about chamber music from a young age, she co-founded the Karénine Trio with which she shared intense years of research and concerts (2009-2015).

In 2024, she is invited as artist in residence to two prominent chamber music venues, by Steven Isserlis with the Open Chamber Music at Prussia Cove (UK) and with the legendary Marlboro Music Festival, under the artistic direction of Mitsuko Uchida and Jonathan Biss. In 2023, Anna Göckel joined the Aviv Quartet, becoming its first violin.

Renowned pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet is celebrated for his prolific recording and concert career in the classical music sphere.

Engagements for the 2023/24 season feature performances with esteemed orchestras like Les Siècles and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, conducted by luminaries such as François-Xavier Roth and Leonard Slatkin. His recital series at Wigmore Hall showcases diverse programs, often in collaboration with notable musicians like Steven Isserlis and Quatuor Danel. Bavouzet has graced prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall and Philharmonie de Paris, and he is a regular presence at festivals like Verbier.

With an exclusive recording contract with Chandos, Bavouzet’s recordings have garnered critical acclaim, earning awards from Gramophone and Diapason d’Or. Notable for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, and French composers, Bavouzet holds esteemed positions within the classical music community, including the International Chair in Piano at the Royal Northern College of Music. Throughout his illustrious career, he has collaborated with esteemed figures and received prestigious awards, including the ICMA Artist of the Year.

Amira Casar was born on May 1, 1971, in London, to a Russian mother and a Kurdish father. She trained in theater under Blanche Salant and Paul Weaver and completed her education at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art from 1991 to 1994.

Her films include the Quay Brothers’ The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes, Anatomie de l’enfer by Catherine Breillat, Thomas Gilou’s cult comedy trilogy La Vérité si je mens !, for which she was nominated for a César award, Transylvania by Tony Gatlif (Official Selection, Cannes Film Festival), Nuit de chien by Werner Schroeter (Special Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival), Prenez soin de vous by the artist Sophie Calle (Venice Biennale, 2007) and Bertrand Bonello’s Saint Laurent (Official Selection, Cannes, 2014). She has also worked with directors such as Carlos Saura, Anne Fontaine, Guy Maddin and Wolfgang Becker.

Recently, Amira Casar appeared in Soeurs d’armes (2018) by Caroline Fourest, Cigare au miel (2021, Venice Film Festival) by Kamir Aïnouz and Yaban by Tareq Daoud. In 2022 she starred with Chris Pine in the Hollywood film The Contractor(Amazon Prime) by Tarek Saleh. In 2023, she played the role of Edith Frank in A Small Light (Disney+), a US series about Anne Frank.