Christian-Pierre La Marca CELLO 360

 

CELLO 360

 

Les Vents Français MODERNISTE

‘Modern: Designating the most innovative forms of art in a given period, particularly those of the 20th century.’ This definition from the French Larousse dictionary explains the performers’ choice of title – Modernistes – for this new anthology of music for wind instruments: what draws the attention in these works – in different ways at different times and in different fields – are their innovative, progressive and adventurous qualities. Four of the composers featured on this album can legitimately be associated with what is very broadly known as Modernism, referring to the general proliferation of new ideas and new musical aesthetics at the turn of the 20th century and beyond. As for the two works by Philippe Hersant and Thierry Escaich, they call on us to reflect on what modernity means to us today. And, while it is easy to set Modernism in opposition to traditionalism, it is also interesting to distinguish between a composer’s personality and his or her approach to composing.

Iveta Apkalna LIGHT & DARK

For Iveta Apkalna, the organ is the queen of instruments. The now released recording "Light and Dark" from the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg brings the wide sound spectrum of this queen to you!

The wide-ranging programme offers contemporary organ music by Thierry Escaich as well as works by Leoš Janáček. This first recording on the organ of the Elbphilharmonie not only shines with a program rich in contrasts. Titular organist Iveta Apkalna also gives the album a personal touch with "Hell und Dunkel" by Sofia Asgatowna Gubaidulina.

"It's true that our whole life consists of contrasts, but often we don't even notice it. Of course life is colourful, but the basic colours are black and white, and these are my favourite colours too," told Iveta Apkalna at NDR Kultur.

Iveta Apklana is no stranger in her native Latvia. From there she conquered the world with her talent for the great instrument. On 27 January 2017 she was honoured to inaugurate the organ of the Elbphilharmonie with a Mozart recital. With the new organ album "Light And Dark", the charming instrumentalist will be able to inspire even more people with her "Queen".

This gem of classical music is an enrichment for any collection. Whether physical or digital, the album is a listening experience for conscious connoisseurs.

Marie-Ange Nguci EN MIROIR

At the age of 18, Franco-Albanian pianist Marie-Ange Nguci has already positioned herself as an outstanding young artist of her generation. Her technical prowess and exceptional musicality has allowed her to develop a unique and poetic tonal quality, dazzling audiences in performance.

Nguci’s talents were recognized early on when she was awarded First Prize at the Lagny-sur Marne International Piano Competition in 2011. After winning the 2015 Dorothy MacKenzie Competition at the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York (IKIF), Nguci has been invited to give a solo recital at the French Consulate of New York in 2016. 

Performing frequently as a soloist, chamber musician and with orchestra, Nguci enjoys engaging with contemporary classical music and worked directly with composers Thierry Escaich, Graziane Finzi, Alain Abbott, and Fabien Touchard. Most recently, she recorded works by French composers César Franck, Camille Saint-Saëns, Gabriel Fauré, Olivier Messaien and Thierry Escaich, examining different historical periods and aesthetics.

Nguci received her Bachelor’s degree in Musicology at the Paris-Sorbonne University and her Master’s degree in Piano performance with highest honors at the Paris Conservatoire. She is currently enrolled in the Paris Conservatoire’s prestigious Artist Diploma course in piano while studying ondes Martenot and completing additional Master’s degrees in musical analysis and music pedagogy. She is a recipient of major grants from the Meyer and L’Or du Rhin Foundations and the French-American Piano Society in New York.

Beatrice Berrut LUX AETERNA Visions of Bach

Described by the international press as "a revelation, an exceptional pianist", whose "transcendent playing revels in multiple layers of genius and beauty", Beatrice is considered one of the most talented artists of her generation.
She has played numerous concerts throughout Europe and America at prestigious venues (the Berlin Philharmony, the Preston Bradley Hall of Chicago, the Wigmore Hall in London, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Teatro Coliseo of Buenos Aires, the Cleveland Museum of Arts...) in recital as well as a soloist with orchestras such as the Orchestra della Svizerra Italiana, the North Czech Philharmonic, the Camerata Menuhin, the Berliner Kammerphilharmonie, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, the United Nations Orchestra… 

Beatrice was born in the Swiss canton of Valais in 1985, and and after studying at the Conservatoire de Lausanne and at the Heinrich Neuhaus Foundation in Zurich she graduated from the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin, where she studied with Galina Iwanzowa. She was awarded an Artist Diploma in John O’Conor’s class at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. 

She also appears regularly on television (ARTE, France 3, RTS, Sat3, ZDF, Tv Berlin, Canal9) and on Swiss, German, US, French, Belgian and Canadian radios (BBC3, WFMT Chicago, CWKR, France Musique, Espace 2, RTBF…).
Her discography is internationally acclaimed, and whereas Fanfare Record Magazine compares her playing to Horowitz, French magazine Diapason praises her “silvery sound, her warm and charming playing”.
In 2005 Beatrice was personally invited by Gidon Kremer to play several concerts at his festival in Basel, and she regulary appears with first class partners such as Shlomo Mintz, Itzhak Perlman, Frans Helmerson and Mihaela Martin. She has been as well collaborating with French-Belgian cellist Camille Thomas since years now.
Her career has been granted numerous awards - the “Revelacion” prize 2011 of the Argentinian Critics’ Association, Geneva’s Arts Society’s Prize in 2006, The Förderpreis of the State of Valais, as well as the Griffon culturel of the Association du Chablais (CH).