Frans Helmerson

Swedish cellist Frans Helmerson (1945) started his musical education with Guido Vecchi in Gothenburg and later studied with Giuseppe Selmi in Rome and William Pleeth in London. He has performed as a soloist in the US, South America, Asia, and Europe with numerous international orchestras. His passion for chamber music makes him a beloved guest at major European music festivals. He was also the Artistic Director of the International Chamber Music Festival Umeå -Korsholm for a significant amount of time. In 2002, he founded the Michelangelo String Quartet with Mihaela Martin, Stephan Picard, and Nobuko Imai. In addition to his career as a soloist, chamber musician and conductor, Helmerson is a renowned pedagogue. He is currently a professor at the Kronberg Academy in Germany and gives masterclasses all over the world. Frans Helmerson plays a cello by Domenico Montagna (1690-1750).

From a young age, Daniël Kramer received lesson from Ton Hartsuiker. He went on to study at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Håkon Austbø, where he received his Master’s degree with distinction. He also received lessons from Rudolf Jansen, Willem Brons, Murray Perahia, and Claude Helffer, among others. He won prizes at the Prinses Christina Concours in 1994,  Concorso Seghizzi in 2008, and the Concours Olivier Messiaen in Paris in 2007.  His performances as a soloist include concerts with the Residentie Orchestra of The Hague, the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic conducted by Peter Eötvös, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra conducted by Werner Herbers, and the Netherlands Youth Orchestra conducted by Reinbert de Leeuw. He has collaborated with various composers, such as George Benjamin, Louis Andriessen, Toshio Hosokawa, and Sofia Gubaidulina, and has premiered numerous contemporary works.  Daniël Kramer is the principal accompanist of the National Cello Competition and has given many concerts with laureates. He recently collaborated with Eline Hensels, the winner of the competition in 2018, to record a CD which was recently nominated for an Edison.

Piano