February 2023

Maya Fridman, cello (active organizer of benefit concerts for Ukraine)

Comming soon…

Roman Mints, violin (Founder of the “Homecoming” festival of chamber music in Russia, Musician, who played a very important role in education and concert scene in Russia, born in Kharkiv, Ukraine)

Comming soon…

Alexey Kurbatov, piano (composer, who had to flee Russia in March 2022)

Comming soon…

Katja Pitelina, flute (early music specialist)

Comming soon…

Anna Azernikova, voice (founder of Winteravonden aan Amstel festival)

Comming soon…

Nadezjda Artamonova, violin (Kiev’s born violinist, who had to flee Russia in March 2022)

Comming soon…

Maria Nemtsova, piano (canceled all the concerts and a festival in Russia and crossed the border with Latvia on March 4, 2022)

Maria Nemtsova was born in Moscow, Russia in 1984 and began playing the piano at the age of five. By the age of 6 Maria won her first piano competition. She later went on to attend the Chopin Music School studying with Galina Esman, and taking part in the televised competition “Young Musicians of Moscow” (1997). In 1998 Maria Nemtsova was accepted into the competitive Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory Academic College. Whilst at the College, Maria participated in many festivals and gave concerts in Russia, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria and USA. She was accepted into the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory after the graduating from the Music College with distinction in 2002. It was at the Moscow Conservatory that Maria studied with the renowned pianist and teacher Prof. Yuri Slessarev from where she graduated in 2007 with honors. Maria successfully completed her Post Graduate Diploma in Music Performance (graduating with Distinction) at the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London where she studied with Professor Dmitry Alexeev. In 2008 Maria was accepted at the prestigious Accademia Pianistica (Imola, Italy) where she studied with Maestro L.N.Margarius. In 2012 Maria successfully completed her Artist Diploma in Italy and MMus programme at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, where she got a full scholarship and a Derek Butler Award, resulting in a performance at Wigmore Hall in May 2011. In London she was studying with the Professor Deniz Gelenbe. After the performance at the Isabelle Bond Gold Medal Showcase In January 2012 Maria won the Gold Medal, the most prestigious prize at Trinity Laban conservatoire.

Maria has been a prizewinner of numerous international piano competitions including Russia, Italy, Austria and USA. She received First Prizes for her outstanding performances at “Musica di Riccione” in Italy, “P. Serebryakov International Piano competition” in Russia, Fort Worth Concerto competition in USA. In 2013 she has got the third prize at the “Rosario Marciano International Piano competition” in Vienna, Austria. In addition to her solo achievements Maria got the first prize at the International Chamber Music competition «Marco Fiorindo» in Italy in 2015 with her «VitaDuo» ensemble.

Maria was the William Smith International Performance Scholar between 2007-09. During her studies at the RCM Maria gave a number of solo and chamber recitals throughout the UK, Germany, Italy, Tunisia, Mongolia and USA, one of which was the Duke of Edinburgh`s Award International Gala Concert at the RCM in the presence of HRH The Earl of Wessex.
In March 2010, Maria gave her solo debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York City.

She has also participated in International Festivals in Italy, UK, USA, Poland, Russia and other countries. Maria collaborated with Pavel Nersesyan (piano, Russia/USA), Jean-Denis Michat (saxophone, France), Artiom Shishkov (violin, Belorussia), Alexander Ram (cello, Russia/Lithunia), Jean Ives Fourmeau (saxophone, France) and many others.

Maria has performed at major venues around the world including Carnegie Weil Recital Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall, Kings Place and Steinway Hall in London, Boesendorfer Hall and Ehrbar-Saal in Vienna, National Center of Performing Arts in Beijing and Shanghai Oriental Arts Center in China, Great Hall of Moscow conservatoire, International House of Music in Moscow, and many others.
Maria is a founder of the charitable project “Music – for peace” (www.music-peace.com) which includes concerts and master-classes for young musicians who live in today`s conflict zones. Within the project Maria went to perform to more than twenty countries including Kosovo, Israel, Georgia, Armenia, Tunisia and others.
In addition to her solo CDs, which includes works commissioned for her by Giorgi Janiashvili, she has recorded with the saxophonist Vitaly Vatulya and the famous opera singer Dmitry Stepanovich.

Vitaly Vatulya, saxophone (canceled all the concerts and a festival in Russia and crossed the border with Latvia on March 4, 2022. Raised in Simferopol, Ukraine)

Vitaly Vatulya is one of the most outstanding young saxophonists of Russia. He was born in Moscow in 1987. Vitaly started his music education at the age of 7, and at the age of 13 he won a national contest called ‘Young Virtuoso’ in Simferopol, Ukraine. Later Vitaly Vatulya won various awards at ‘Young saxophonist’ European Contest (Gap, France), ‘Classical Heritage’ International Competition (Moscow, Russia), and the International Competition for Wind Instruments (Togliatti, Russia). In 2003-2005 Vitaly Vatulya was training at the European University of Saxophone in Gap. He took classes with leading professors, including Claude Delangle, Vincent David, Christian Wirth (France), Arno Bornkamp (Netherlands), Fabrizio Mancuso (Italy). 

In 2005 Vitaly won the Grand Prix at the International Competition ‘Art of the 21st Century’ in Kiev (Ukraine). After graduating the College of Music at A. Schnittke Moscow State Institute of Music (the class of Professor Yury Vorontsov) and Gnessin Russian Academy of Music (the class of Professor Margarita Shaposhnikova) Vitaly entered the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (The class of the Arno Bornkamp) in 2015. He has participated in master classes of distinguished artists such as Jean-Denis Michat and Jean-Yves Fourmeau (France), Jörgen Pettersson (Sweden), Johannes Ernst (Germany), Nobuya Sugawa (Japan), Kenneth Tse and Frederick Hemke (USA). In 2010 Vitaly Vatulya won the ‘River of Talents’ Music Competition, organized by the St. Petersburg House of Music, and SaxArte International Festival (Cetara, Italy). In 2011 he graduated from the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, won a prize at the Moscow International Saxophone Competition called ‘The Voice of Saxophone in the Modern World’ and got a gold medal at ‘Delphic Play’, the 10th All-Russian Contest in Russia.

In 2015 Vitaly Vatulya has won the First prize at the international saxophone competition ‘Marco Fiorindo’ in Italy. Additionally he won the First prize in the chamber music category, together with pianist Maria Nemtsova, with whom he has formed VitaDuo.
In 2016 Vitaly became a Prize-winner of the 8th International Saxophone Competition in Nova Gorica (Slovenia).

Vitaly Vatulya performs as a soloist and an ensemble player, gives concerts in Russia and abroad. He is a founder of the Symbol Saxophone Quartet and performs with the leading Russian orchestras, including the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, Russian State Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg State Capella Symphony Orchestra and others. Vitaly is a regular performer at the St. Petersburg House of Music.
In 2005 Vitaly also started an active teaching career. His students regularly become winners of international competitions and festivals. Vitaly’s performances can often be heard on the Russian and Ukrainian radio and TV. Since 2007 the saxophonist released three CDs, where he performed the works by Hindemith, Debussy, Franck, Mendelssohn, Borne etc.. Vitaly Vatulya regularly takes part in various festivals in France, Sweden, Austria, Poland, Israel and others. Vitaly is also one of the authors and initiators of the ‘Music for Peace’ international charity project (www.music-peace.com).