Faculty
Meet Your Faculty
Meet the virtuoso musicians who will guide your journey and bring their artistry to the stage. Click on a name below to learn more about each soloist.
Conductor
Conductor | Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège
Gergely Madaras is Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège since 2019. Together, they have performed across Belgium and toured to Europe and South America, having been regularily featured on Mezzo and Medici.tv and have been building an extensive discography ranging from César Franck through Liszt and Dohnányi for Alpha, BIS, Fuga Libera and Palazzetto Bru Zane labels. Gergely was previously Music Director of the Orchestre Dijon Bourgogne and Chief Conductor of the Savaria Symphony Orchestra. You can find his full biography here.
Guest Soloists
Soprano
Aleksandra Kurzak is a leading soprano in the opera world. She regularly performs on the most prestigious stages and concert halls around the world, including: Teatro alla Scala in Milan (roles such as Gilda, Susanna, and the Countess in Rossini's Le Comte Ory), Vienna State Opera (roles including Rosina, Adina, Susanna, Violetta in La Traviata, Marie in La Fille du Régiment, Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, Liu in Turandot, and Nedda in Pagliacci), Bavarian State Opera in Munich (roles such as Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Rosina, Donna Fiorilla, Rachel in La Juive, and the titular roles in Madama Butterfly and La Traviata), Teatro Massimo in Palermo (roles including Norina and Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana), Welsh National Opera in Cardiff (role of Aspasia). You can find her full biography here.
Violin
A unique blend of virtuosity, restraint and creativity – this is what violinist, conductor and composer Guy Braunstein stands for. Like few others, he not only knows how to convince audiences with his music, but also how to challenge them: Whether with demanding programmes, sophisticated interpretations or his own works and arrangements – Guy Braunstein aims to surprise and reinvent. And although he can easily be categorised in the “tradition of the great Jewish violinists such as Mischa Elman and Isaac Stern” (Telegraph), for him music lives not only from its own history, but through perpetual renewal, updating and unexpected twists and turns. You can find his full biography here.
Mandoline
The first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical Grammy, Avi Avital has been compared to Andres Segovia for his championship of his instrument and to Jascha Heifetz for his incredible virtuosity. Passionate and “explosively charismatic” (New York Times) in live performance, he is the driving force behind the reinvigoration of the mandolin: for more than two decades he has reshaped the history and the future of his instrument, playing it in the most prestigious halls all over the world. In addition to that, Avi Avital has expanded the mandolin repertoire not only with transcriptions of various pieces, but by commissioning over 100 works for the mandolin including concertos for mandolin and orchestra by Jennifer Higdon, Anna Clyne, Avner Dorman and Giovanni Sollima. You can find his full biography here.
Clarinet
Giora Feidman is a living legend of music. With his clarinet, he touches people worldwide, evoking deep emotions, breaking down barriers, and uniting hearts. His playing is more than just music - it is a message of peace, love, and understanding.
Giora Feidman gained international recognition not only for his concerts but also for his contributions to renowned film productions. His clarinet can be heard in the Oscar-winning soundtrack of Schindler's List - a performance that continues to move audiences worldwide. His music also played a central role in the acclaimed German films Jenseits der Stille (Beyond Silence, 1996) by Caroline Link and Comedian Harmonists (1997) by Joseph Vilsmaier. You can find his full biography on his website.
Concertmasters
Violin | Universität der Kunste Berlin, Concertmaster of the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Tomasz Tomaszewski is one of Poland’s most celebrated violinists of his generation. As the first concertmaster of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and a professor at the Berlin University of the Arts, he has built an illustrious career as a soloist, chamber musician, and conductor. A laureate of international competitions, including the ARD Munich, he has performed worldwide and recorded extensively, earning the Fryderyk Award for his work with the European Fine Arts Trio and Baltic Neopolis Orchestra. Tomasz is the primarius of the renowned Polish String Quartet Berlin and founder of the Kammersolisten der Deutschen Oper Berlin. A dedicated educator, he conducts masterclasses globally and directs the International Jerzy Heller Music Courses and the Śląskie Lato Muzyczne Festival. He also chairs the International Beethoven Society and promotes Polish music as president of the European Forum of Polish Music. You can find his full biography here.
Violin | Deutsche Oper Berlin
Piotr Prysiażnik is a distinguished violinist and educator who studied under renowned mentors such as Zenon Bąkowski and T. Tomaszewski, later refining his skills at the Berlin University of the Arts and with the Herbert von Karajan Institute. A prize-winner at international competitions, he has performed with leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic and Deutsche Oper Berlin, under maestros like Claudio Abbado and Sir Georg Solti. A passionate chamber musician, he co-founded The Polish String Quartet Berlin, promoting Polish composers, and established youth ensembles like the Vivaldi Young Philharmonics. As an artistic director, he shaped the Gorzów Philharmonic and the Motion String Orchestra, blending performance with education. His career spans solo, orchestral, and chamber music, alongside recordings and initiatives fostering young talent and Polish music globally.You can find hir full biography here.
Viola | Jerusalem Academy of Musik an Dance
A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the former solo violist of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Zvi Carmeli has performed as soloist with orchestras such as the Gorzow Philharmonic and the Rubinstein Philharmonic (Lodz) Poland, Kuopio Symphony Orchestra Finland, Klaipeda Chamber Orchestra Lithuania, Jerusalem Camerata Israel, Harmonices Mundi Orchestra Linz and the Salzburg Chamber Soloists Austria, the European Community Chamber Orchestra and more. Carmeli has collaborated in performance with ensembles such as the Amsterdam chamber music society, the Concertante chamber players New York, the Zurich Ensemble Switzerland, the Fine Arts Quartet, the Budapest Accademica Quartet, the Amernet Quartet and the Mendelssohn Piano Trio Berlin. He has concertized through out Europe and Russia as a member of "The Four Cultures Quartet" - resident ensemble of the Center for Dialogue , Lodz Poland . You can find his full biography here.
Marlena Grodzicka-Myślak is a cultural manager and a Master of Arts in musical performance, specializing in viola. She is a graduate of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław and the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, where she studied under Professor Stefan Kamasa. Her exceptional musical artistry has been shaped through collaboration with many distinguished figures in the European music scene. Her educational journey includes prestigious institutions such as the "School of Talents" in Poznań, the Academy of Music in Warsaw, and the Cologne University of Music.
She has collaborated with internationally acclaimed artists, including Jozsef Lendvay, Yuri Bashmet, Jacek Kasprzyk, Maxim Vengerov, Andrea Bocelli, Viktor Kuznetsov, Justus Frantz, Kathleen Battle, Giora Feidman, Sabine Meyer, and Stefan Bevier. Currently, she is a member of the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic. You can find her full biography here.
Viola | National Forum of Musik, Wrocław, Poland
The Israeli Cellist holds the position of principal Cellist of the Israel Chamber Orchestra. Noa started playing the cello at age 9 with Mr. Uri Chen and later on with Mr. Hillel Zori, with whom she studied her Bachelor of Music at the Buchman-Mehta School of music. Further studying with Mr. Zvi Plesser (Israel) and Prof. Josef Schwab (Germany). She graduated with highest honor her Master degree with Prof. Stefan Forck at the Musikhochshule “Hanns Eisler”, Berlin. Noa took part in master-classes with well-known cellist as Prof. Uzi Wisel, Prof. Bernard Greenhouse, Prof. Janos Starker, Prof. Wolfgang Boettcher, Prof. Franz Helmerson among many others. You can find her full biography here.
Cello | Israel Chamber Orchestra, West Eastern Divan Orchestra
Oboe and English horn | West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Meirav Kadichevski is a highly accomplished oboist and English horn player with an extensive career performing in prestigious orchestras and ensembles across the globe. Since 2003, Meirav has held the position of First and Second Oboe and English Horn in the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, conducted by the renowned Daniel Barenboim. This role has allowed her to collaborate with some of the world’s most celebrated musicians and perform on international stages. In addition to her work with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Meirav has been a member of the Tel Aviv Soloists Ensemble since 2009. From 2008 to 2009, she served as Assistant Principal Oboe with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestraunder the direction of Zubin Mehta, further solidifying her reputation as a leading orchestral musician. You can find her full biography here.
Flute | National Forum of Musik, Wrocław, Poland
Jan Krzeszowiec is an outstanding flutist whose artistic and pedagogical work sets the highest standards in the world of music. A graduate of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, he completed his studies with distinction, receiving the prestigious Primus Inter Pares title in the class of Professor Jerzy Mrozik. He is a laureate of numerous prestigious flute competitions, including those in Warsaw, Kraków, Bucharest, and Aversa. His artistic skills were honed under the guidance of world-renowned masters such as András Adorján, Patrick Gallois, Julius Baker, János Bálint, Peter-Lukas Graf, Jeanne Baxtresser, and Miriam Nastasi. As a soloist, he has collaborated with distinguished conductors, including Jacek Kaspszyk, Lawrence Foster, Giancarlo Guerrero, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Massimiliano Caldi, Bassem Akiki, and Tan Dun. You can find her full biography here.
Trumpet | Principal trumpet Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Born in Leicestershire England, David studied at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music. Prior to joining the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, David spent three years with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Daniel Harding and Claudio Abaddo. He has been honored to work with many of the world’s leading conductors including Gustavo Dudamel, Philipe Herwegge, Tugan Sokhiev, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Marc Minkowski. David has travelled the world playing in many internationally renowned orchestras under the baton of the premier conductors of our time. These include: the Philharmonia, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Welsh National Opera, Orchestra Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and the Beijing Symphony Orchestra. You can find his full biography here.
French horn | Wurth Philharmoniker, Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Prof. Zbigniew Monkiewicz has performed with numerous symphony orchestras, including Sinfonia Varsovia, the Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Grohmann Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic, Georgian Sinfonietta, Kammerorchester Ingolstadt, Philharmonie der Nationen, and the Łódź Philharmonic. His extensive discography includes archival recordings for Polish Radio and Television, as well as commercial releases. From 1992 to 2002, he served as the principal horn soloist at the Arthur Rubinstein Łódź Philharmonic, and from 2002 to 2015, he held the same position at the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw. You can find his full biography here.