RESET!

Stefano Bruno (2000, Italy) is a laureate of numerous international competitions. At age 18, he won the 1st prize at the VIII International Cello Competition “David Popper” in Hungary. In 2022, he won the First Prize at the National Cello Competition. Stefano studied at the Conservatory in Foggia, Italy. He continued his studies with Giovanni Gnocchi in Bologna and with Francesco Dillon and Paolo Bonomini in Fiesole. In the past years, Stefano Bruno has been studying at the National Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome with Giovanni Sollima and at the Conservatory of Amsterdam in the class of Pieter Wispelwey. He concluded his studies summa cum laude at both institutions. In 2022, he made his debut in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, with a solo recital in the Kleine Zaal as well as in Elgar’s Cello Concerto conducted by Ed Spanjaard in the Grote Zaal. Stefano is a passionate chamber musician. He is a member of the Trio Eidos (piano trio), the duo Greci-Bruno (duo violin and cello), Ensemble Opificio Sonoro (ensemble for contemporary music) and regularly gives cello and piano recitals with Daniël Kramer. Stefano plays a cello made by Rene Jacquemin between 1925 and 1930 in Mirecourt.

Victor Julien-Laferrière (Paris, 1990) won the first Queen Elisabeth Competition dedicated to the cello, in 2017. He started his study in Paris with Roland Pidoux en would later study with Heinrich Schiff in Vienna and Clemens Hagen in Salzburg. After winning ‘Brussels’, his career would take off. He played at the Sneak Preview of the Biennale in 2017, and played Dvorak’s cello concerto with the Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra in 2018. He would later perform as soloist for, among others, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Amsterdam Sinfonietta. Victor also regularly performs as a conductor and is artistic director of several festivals. Victor Julien-Laferrière plays a Domenico Montagna cello with a bow made by a Dominique Pecatt.

Het Muziek (previously Asko|Schönberg) is one of the most renowned groundbreaking ensembles for contemporary music. Their most important pillars are quality, experimentation, and innovative programming with an eye for current affairs. With a rich network of musicians, conductors, composers, versatile young creators, and partners from various artistic disciplines, Asko|Schönberg contributes to the future of performing arts. Their focus lies on the stimulation and creation of new work by today’s creators. From its homebase in Amsterdam, the ensemble operates all over the world. Their performances in concert halls, festivals, and interdisciplinary shows feature the top repertoire by the great 20th-Century composers as well as the most contemporary 21st-Century work, with an emphasis on pieces by living composers.  Asko|Schönberg has given numerous premieres and performances of rarely played cello concertos at previous editions of the Cello Biënnale Amsterdam.

Frank van de Laar (Laren, 1965) completed his studies with Jan Wijn at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam in 1989 with the highest possible distinction. He continued his education in Hannover with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and in Amsterdam with Naum Grubert. In 1987, he won the 3d prize at the International Brahms Competition in Hamburg and in 1988, he won the first prize at the Postbank-Sweelinck Competition. He made his debut in the Grote Zaal of the Concertgebouw that same year, and numerous performances in The Netherlands and abroad followed in high tempo. He has given concerts in the United States, Asia, and almost all European countries, winning many prizes and distinctions. His repertoire spans from the entire Baroque era to contemporary music, with an interesting role for lesser known early and contemporary works. He is also an active chamber musician. His performances have been recorded by countless radio and television channels and he has released over twenty-five CDs. He is a professor at the conservatories in Amsterdam and Zwolle.