Now regarded as one of the finest cellists of the younger generation,
Alexander Chaushian has performed extensively throughout the world. As a soloist with orchestra his appearances include the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the London Mozart Players and the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Royal National Orchestra of Belgium, Les Solistes Européens de Luxembourg in a gala concert conducted by Yehudi Menuhin, the Boston Pops Orchestra at Boston Symphony Hall, and the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Alexander has given recitals at the Harrogate Festival in England , the Kuhmo International Festival in Finland , La Jolla Festival in the USA , the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris , and in Montpellier as recipient of the Beracasa Foundation Prize of the Radio-France and in Montpellier Festival. Currently he is the Artistic Director of the International Pharos Chamber Music Festival in Cyprus and the Yerevan Music Festival in Armenia . Born into a family of musicians, Alexander Chaushian started to play the cello at the age of seven. After initial studies with his grandfather, Alexander Chaushian Sr, and Zare Sarkisian, he studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School with Melissa Phelps and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London as a student of Oleg Kogan . He then pursued advanced studies at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin with the late Boris Pergamenschikow and later with David Geringas, graduating with distinction in 2005. Alexander Chaushian won First Prize in the Premio Mozart Competition in Verona , Italy , and First Prize in the International Music Competition in Holland . He received the Guilhermina Suggia Gift in London - a grant awarded to outstanding string players - on three occasions. He was awarded the Orchestra of New England Soloist Prize, as well as the first Summis Auspiciis Prize of Young Concert Artists in New York . He was the recipient of the Anna Instone Memorial Award sponsored by Capital Radio. In the 12 th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow . Alexander Chaushian was awarded 3 rd prize, and he won the special prize given by the Munich Chamber Orchestra at the Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD in Germany in September 2005. Alexander Chaushian has collaborated with many distinguished musicians such as Levon Chilingirian, Dmitri Sitkovetsky, and Phillippe Cassard, Yuri Bashmet, Diemut Poppen and Julia Fischer. Alexander’s regular chamber music partners include Ashley Wass and Yevgeny Sudbin.
Israeli pianist
Noam Greenberg studied at the Rubin Academy in Tel Aviv and at Yale University, before moving to London to study with Maria Curcio. His life was changed by his visit to the International Musicians’ Seminar Prussia Cove in 2001, for Master Classes with Ferenc Rados and András Schiff. Many lessons with Ferenc Rados followed in Budapest, and regular visits to the Open Chamber Music Seminars at IMS Prussia Cove. Noam now enjoys a busy concert schedule as soloist, recitalist and chamber musician in both the traditional repertoire and new music and has appeared on many European stages including the Wigmore Hall in London, the Vienna Konzerthaus and Musikverein, the Berlin Konzerthaus, Parco della Musica Roma, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Auditorio Nacional Madrid. An avid performer of contemporary music, he has given many Israeli premieres including Ligeti’s Piano Concerto, in a performance broadcast live by the European Broadcasting Union. He has participated in the festivals of Lucerne, Aldeburgh, Banff, Norfolk, Lapland, Orlando, Schleswig-Holstein, Stage-Barcelona, and IMS Prussia Cove. He is a member of the Waldstein Ensemble together with Gerhard Schulz, Guy Ben-Ziony, and Lilia Bayrova.
At the age of fifteen
Chen Halevi’s debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta created a sensation. Haaretz wrote: “This boy is blessed with a wonderful fusion of artistic musicality and amazing playing technique, all in the service of the muses.” Since then he has performed with several of the most important orchestras in the United States, Europe, and Japan, including the Israel Philharmonic, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the European Soloists, the Heilbronn Chamber Orchestra, the Moscow Virtuosi, the Jerusalem Radio Orchestra, the MDR Philharmonic Leipzig, the NDR Sinfonieorchester Hamburg, and the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. A frequent participant in summer festivals, Chen Halevi has appeared at the Marlboro, Ravinia, and Santa Fe Festivals in the US, while his European appearances have included stops at Schlesswig‑Holstein, Colmar, Forcalquier, IMS, Davos, and Verbier Chamber Music Festivals, as well as the PMF Festival in Japan and the Perth International Arts Festival. A great lover of chamber music, Chen Halevi has performed with Pinchas Zuckerman and Christoph Eschenbach, as well as numerous well-known string quartets, including the Keller, Szymanowski, Fine arts, Miro, Prazac, and St. Lawrence. He is internationally acknowledged as a master specialist in the performance of contemporary music. Teaching and giving master classes feature as important priorities in his career. He is currently the Clarinet Professor in the Trossingen Hochschule for Music in Germany and has travelled all over the world to give Master Classes to spread his school of teaching and playing.
Ailish Tynan trained at Trinity College, the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. She was a Vilar Young Artist at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and a BBC New Generation Artist. In 2003, representing Ireland, Ailish won the Rosenblatt Recital Prize at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.
Her recent opera engagements include Gretel Hänsel und Gretel at the Royal Opera House, Tigrane Radamisto for English National Opera, Papagena Die Zauberflöte at La Scala, Despina Così fan tutte at the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse, and Héro Béatrice et Bénédict for Houston Grand Opera, Opéra Comique and the Grand Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg. Other operatic highlights include Sophie Der Rosenkavalier, Nannetta Falstaff and Atalanta Xerxes for the Royal Swedish Opera, Marzelline Fidelio at Covent Garden under Antonio Pappano, Miss Wordsworth Albert Herring for Opéra Comique and Opéra de Rouen, and Vixen The Cunning Little Vixen for Grange Park Opera. A prolific concert and recording artist, Ailish works frequently with British and international orchestras. Last season she sang Gliere’s Concerto for Coloratura Soprano with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under Kirill Karabits at the BBC Proms, Verdi Requiem at the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele under Michael Hofstetter and Martin's Golgotha under Stephen Cleobury at King’s College Cambridge. Other highlights include the opening night of the BBC Proms in 2009 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Jirí Belohlávek, Haydn The Creation with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Andris Nelsons, The Seasons in Madrid with Harry Christophers; Haydn Nelson Mass with the RTÉ under Douglas Boyd, Vaughan Williams Hodie at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam; and Mahler Symphony No.2 with Philharmonia Orchestra under Jac van Steen. Her latest discography includes An Irish Songbook with pianist Iain Burnside for Signum Classics, Gluck arias with the Classical Opera Company for Wigmore Hall Live, Messiah with the Academy of Ancient Music and the King’s College Choir, Cambridge for EMI, Mahler Symphony No.8 with the LSO under Valery Gergiev, Herbert Hughes songs for Signum and Muriel Herbert songs for Linn Records. She also finished recording Fauré songs with Iain Burnside and Poulenc songs with Graham Johnson. In recitals, Ailish works regularly with Iain Burnside, Malcolm Martineau, Graham Johnson, Julius Drake, Roger Vignoles, Chris Glynn and Barry Douglas, giving recitals extensively including the Wigmore Hall, Edinburgh, City of London, Cheltenham and West Cork Music Festivals.
Engagements in 2011/12 season include Mahler Symphony No.8 with the Philharmonia under Lorin Maazel and Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Antonio Pappano, a Haydn concert with András Schiff and various recitals at the Wigmore Hall, Carmina Burana with the RTÉ and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestras, New Year concerts with the Manchester Camerata and Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Brahms Requiem with the Ulster Orchestra and return to the Three Choirs Festival. She will also sing Gretel for Scottish Opera and Madame Cortese Il viaggio a Reims at the ROH.