Yablonsky Music Institute
in Florence

"…Yablonskaya's musicality never gives way to merely exploiting the music for its own glory. If tastefulness and stylistic insight mean anything to you, you will thoroughly enjoy listening to Oxana Yablonskaya."

"An orchestra is superfluous for ‘Pictures at an Exhibition' when there is a pianist of Yablonskaya’s powers to paint them in such indelible colors. A thoroughly excited audience lingered for four encores."

Los Angeles Times

"…Yablonskaya is a mixture of passion, power and poetry, and in the course of one concert, put herself, her piano and the audience through everything that could be expected of a piano recital."

Toronto Star

"…An imposing figure at the piano, Yablonskaya goes for the large gesture rather than for subtle detail, and thus we had heard hard driving, percussive performances, which developed an enormous amount of visceral excitement and left no doubt that Yablonskaya is in complete command of the total resources of the keyboard."

Monterey County Symphony

"…A large audience welcomed her back to Chicago, and her program revealed a technique as impressive as ever, as well as a temperament equally at home in the simple elegance of a Mozart rondo and the thundering chords of a Scriabin etude. Being perfectly able to manipulate the keyboard however she wants, Yablonskaya knows when to take risks and when to pull back and let the music speak for itself.

In the two major pieces, the Beethoven Sonata in D Minor, Op.31, both dramatic, emotional works – Yablonskaya’s bold originality surfaced. She took full liberty with the experiments in contrasting rhythm and dynamics in the first movement of the Beethoven. She lingered over the slow introductory bars whenever they returned, letting each rising tone build and echo before plunging into the short, answering flurry of notes.

In the famous Marche Funebre of the Chopin sonata, she emphasized the bass melody’s relentless nature rather than its overpowering volume. In the Sonata’s opening movement, she gave this almost chaotic music coherence by highlighting the return of early motifs. She made sure we heard a rumble of octaves under a singing melody and the harmonic twists that helped reinforce the shape of this hectic, headlong movement.

Yablonskaya’s sheer technical prowess was on the most vivid display in six Scriabin etudes from Op. 8, exercisers composed in imitation of Chopin’s etudes. But as the Mozart Rondo K.511 and the Chopin Noturne Op. 9, No. 1 and Scherzo Op. 31, No. 2 revealed, she also can weave a lyrically meditative melody."

Chicago Sun-Times

Oxana Yablonskaya’s charismatic piano playing and profound interpretations have brought her acclaim for over thirty years. Known for her powerhouse virtuosity, exquisite sensitivity, and deep emotional drive, Ms. Yablonskaya has enchanted audiences world-wide.

Oxana Yablonskaya was born in Moscow. As an adolescent she attended The Moscow Central School for the Gifted under the tutelage of great Anaida Sumbatyan, with whom she worked with until the age of 16. She later studied at the Conservatory of Moscow with the legendary Aleksandre Goldenweiser. At 22, she began a professional relationship with Tatiana Nikolayeva in the Doctorate Program, later acting as her assistant at the Moscow Conservatory. Following graduation with high honors, she was introduced to the Western World in Paris at the Jacques Long-Thibaud Competition in 1963, the Rio de Janeiro Competition in 1965, and the Vienna Beethoven Competition in 1969. She won top prizes in all three competitions, and received numerous invitations for return engagements, but because of the Cold War, was not allowed to do so.

While still in the USSR, Ms. Yablonskaya performed Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto #1 with the Moscow Philharmonic under conductor Yury Simonov at the Composers Jubilee Concert in the Kremlin. She was the first performer to play Rodion Shchedrin’s “Basso Ostinato,” which became her signature piece. Her status as a consummate professional was heightened by many prominent Soviet and foreign composers dedicating their music to her.

Despite the reputation she had earned within the Soviet Union and being a prize winner of three international competitions, she was never permitted to play outside the Eastern Bloc. . Yet, she recorded for the Melodya label and had earned the prestigious title of Soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic. The title put her in the company of elite artists such as Gilels, Richter, Rostropovich, Oistrakh and Kogan. Outstanding solo performances with the Bolshoi Orchestra, the Moscow Stars series, and the Shostakovich 65^th Birthday Celebration Concert were confirmations of her remarkable talent.

In 1975, distressed over constant restraints on her personal and artistic freedom, she applied for a U.S. visa. Her actions resulted in a loss of her position as a professor at the Moscow Conservatory. She inherently was deprived of all concert engagements. She waited more than two years for a visa and finally, she was allowed to leave the country with her father and young son due to the diligence and petitioning by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers, Katherine Hepburn, Bar Ilan, and over 45 famous writers, musicians, senators, and actors.

Ms. Yablonskaya arrived in New York in 1977, unknown, unheralded, and not having touched a piano in more than two years. She made her first New York appearance in a recital at the Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center only four months later, and received laudatory acclaim from the press. Her Carnegie Hall debut recital the following October was attended by a capacity crowd, and she has since taken her place among the major pianists of the world.

Once considered ‘The best kept secret of the Soviet Union,’ Ms. Yablonskaya has now performed in more than 40 countries.

Following her triumph at her London recital debut in the Queen Elizabeth Hall in 1982, the Daily Telegraph wrote: “Yablonskaya is the sort of pianist who accomplishes with ease and naturalness what others struggle for a lifetime to achieve.” In 1986, following her Canadian performance with the National Symphony under conductor Mstislav Rostropovich, a music critic of the Toronto Star wrote, “She played Rachmaninoff’s 3^rd as if it was written for her.”

Ms. Yablonskaya has emerged as one of the most compelling talents of her generation. She has performed with many of the finest symphony orchestras in the world and with many of the leading conductors of our time. An extraordinary recitalist, she is equally renowned for solo performances. In addition to Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, she has performed in the Royal Albert Hall and Wigmore Hall in London, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Royal Concergebouw in Amsterdam, Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, Great Hall of St. Petersburgh Philharmonic, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Sheldonyan Theatre and Holywell Music Room in Oxford, England, Magador Theatre and Champs Elysees Hall in Paris ,Opera House in Sidney,Municipal Theatre in Rio De Janeiro,Seoul Arts Center,Shanghai Arts Center, Royal Thompson Hall in Toronto,92 street Y in New York,Osaka Arts Center and many more.

Ms. Yablonskaya has collaborated in performances with such celebrated conductors as:
Alexander Dmitriev, Alexander Anissimov, Yury Aronovitch, Rudolf Barshai, Herbert Bloomstaadt, Boris Brott, Abraham Chavez, Sergiu Comissiona, Franz Paul Decker, Lawrence Foster, Youosh Forst, Pierro Gamba, Fedor Gluschenko, Inbal, Arnold Katz, Anton Kersies, Dmitry Kitaenko, Eric Klaas, Kirill Kondrashin,Uri Maier, Fuat Mansurov, Nathan Rakhlin, Mstislav Rostropovitch, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Stanislaw Skrowachevsky, Pavel Sorokin, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Yuly Turowsky, Victor Yampolsky and many others.

In 1990, after a 13 year absence, Ms. Yablonskaya returned to Russia for a sold-out concert, master classes and recitals at the Moscow Conservatory. Since then she has returned on a regular basis and is once more recognized as an elite piano virtuoso in Russia.

In recent years, Ms. Yablonskaya has collaborated with her son, renowned cellist/conductor,2007 Grammy Award Nomineee Dmitry Yablonsky. Their concerts have enjoyed vast public and critical acclaim. The New York Times called their Carnegie Hall debut, “A vibrant dialog.” Their recordings together include duo performances for cello and piano as well as Khachaturian and Glasunov piano concertos recorded with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Prokofieff, Brahms , Liszt 1st concertos and Chopin 1st and 2nd Concertos with Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.

In addition to her success as a concert pianist and recording artist, Ms. Yablonskaya has held the position of Professor of Piano at The Julliard School in New York City. She has lectured numerous master classes at many distinguished music schools, academies, conservatories and festivals throughout the world such as Newport and Bowdin in USA, Flaine and Tours in France, Lago Maggiore in Switzerland, Oxford Philomusica in England. Dr.Yablonskaya is a Co- Founder of Puigcerda Musica Clasica International Festival in Spain since 1998, Gabala International Music Festival in Azerbaijan.

Ms. Yablonskaya made numerous editions of piano music by Cimarosa, Tchaikovsky, Lyadov, Balakirev, Gluck, Glinka and others for International Music Company and currently continues her collaboration with this prestigious music publishing company.

Ms. Yablonskaya also serves on the jury of many international piano competitions such as Leeds in England, Franz Liszt in the Netherlands, Prokofiev in St.Petersburg, Russia, Hamamatsu in Japan, competitions in Taiwan, Andorra, at the Seiler International Piano Competition and Vladimir Horowitz International Piano Competition, Piano E-Competition in Minneapolis, Minn. Jose Iturbi in Valencia, Parnassos in Monterrey, Mexico as well as Sendai Competition in Japan and Beethoven Competition in Bonn,Jose Iturbi in Los Angeles, Lev Vlassenko in Brisbane,Grieg in Oslo and Bergen, Shanghai Competition among others.

Among her numerous recordings, Ms.Yablonskaya’s Liszt/Schubert CD won the Grand Prix du Disque from the International Liszt Society in Budapest. In the December 1995 review of her Tchaikovsky CD, the American Record Guide wrote, “Oxana Yablonskaya is an artist who deserves to be heard and in any repertory she chooses.”

In March of 2006 Ms. Yablonskaya performed inaugural "Sold Out" recital in Carnegie Zankel Hall in New York marking the Founding of Chopin Society of New York of which she was appointed Vice -President and Music Director.

The 6 concert tour of France with a "Sold Out" concert in Paris's historical Magador Theatre followed immediately after, where Oxana Yablonskaya performed Rachmaninoff 3rd Piano Concerto with Orchestre National D'Ille de France.
After magnificent performance at Magador Theatre French critic Cyril Brun called Yablonskaya "Grand Tsarina of Russian piano who in an instant opened for us the whole Imperial Russia."

On December 15^th of 2006 another “Sold Out “ “Oxana Yablonskaya and Friends “ event took place at Carnegie Zankel Hall , where Oxana and Dmitry Yablonsky performed Chopin’s Cello Sonata and Grand Polonaise and received standing ovations. Composer Lowell Liberman wrote after attending this concert:” Profound performance of this Sonata will stay in my memory for a long time”.

During this concert surprise ceremony took place – Oxana Yablonskaya was presented with a title of Honorary Academician of International Academy of the Arts at the United Nations, International Academy of the Arts in San Francisco and International Independent Academy of Liberal Arts in Moscow, Diplomas and Einstein Gold Medal for extraordinary achievements in the Arts.

In October of 2008 Oxana Yablonskaya Piano Institute opened it’s doors in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana in Tuscany, Italy. The 2008 was marked by a 70^th Birthday Jubilee Celebration of Oxana and all year she has been performing starting in Italy with New Years Day recital in Catania, then in Israel she performed Tchaikovsky 1^st concerto four times, Grieg concerto in Turkey, solo recital in Tuscany and Master Classes in Hamamatsu Academy, Japan, judging Liszt Competition in Utrecht, Jose Iturbi in Los Angeles,E-Piano Competition in Minneapolis, teaching in Spain, solo recital at MTNA in Los Angeles, Master Classes and chamber music concert in Nice, recording of Tchaikovsky “Seasons” and”Album for the Young”.

Two concerts on November 29^th and December 1^st were televised on National TV in Taiwan – Oxana performed Shostakovich 1^st Concerto with National Symphony Orchestra in Taipei and Taichung. The Grand conclusion of year long celebration took place on December 11^th with the Jubilee "Sold Out" Concert at Carnegie Zankel Hall in New York where Oxana Yablonskaya performed Beethoven 4^th,Chopin 2^nd and Shostakovich 1^st concerti and received standing ovation.

In 2009 ,2011,2013,2016 Mme. Yablonskaya Presided at the International Piano Competitions in Qabala, Azerbaijan and performed with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Beethoven “Emperor” concerto#5.

In 2014 Professor Oxana Yablonskaya and her husband piano builder/technician Alexander Volchonok made a very significant move in their life - made alia to Israel. From October 2016 Dr. Yablonskaya was invited to teach at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Her 80th Jubilee Celebration Concert took place on December 6th 2018 at the Henry Krown auditorium in Jerusalem Theatre where she performed three piano concerti under the direction of her son Mo. Dmitry Yablonsky.
Mme. Yablonskaya will judge Sendai International Piano Competition in 2019.

Dmitry Yablonsky was born in Moscow into a musical family. At a very early age he showed musical talent and at 6 was accepted at Central Music School for Gifted children already having an absolute pitch. Cello became his instrument and at 9 he played Haydn C major cello concerto with Gennady Provatorov conducting.

During these few years before immigration Dmitry has performed in many cities of the former Soviet Union. In 1975 his mother a famed pianist Oxana Yablonskaya applied for a visa to leave the Soviet Union and was denied. For more than 2 years authorities did not let the family leave. With then help of many people and including signatures of artists as Catherine Hepburn, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen King and many others, visa was finally issued. Upon arriving in New York City, in June 1977, Dmitry auditioned for Juilliard School of Music and was accepted.

After Juilliard he went to Curtis Institute of Music and then spent 4 years in Yale University.

In 1979 he was invited to participate in the Marlboro Music festival where he was the young participant.
Dmitry’s cello teachers have been: Isaak Buravsky, Aldo Parisot, Zara Nelsova, Lorne Munroe, David Soyer, not to mention lessons and master classes with Misha Shneider, Mstislav Rostropovich, Andre Navarra, Maurice Gendron, Janos Starker and many others. In Yale Dmitry took conducting class with Otto Werner Muller, who is considered one of the most influential conducting teachers in USA.

He also studied conducting with Yuri Simonov and Gennady Rojdenstvensky. Dmitry Yablonsky has performed in halls as: La Scala, Carnegie Hall, Moscow Grand Hall, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Taiwan National Hall, Codagan Hall, Cite de la Musique, Madrid Auditorium, Champs Elysees Theatre, just to name a few.

Dmitry started to conduct in 1989 in Camerino, Italy and since then has been very active as conductor as well. He has collaborated with orchestras such as: Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Moscow Virtuosi, Moscow Soloists, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, De Filarmonie, Russian State Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Israeli Opera Orchestra Richon LeZion, Tenerife Orchestra, Lamoureux Orchestra, Orchestra National d’Ile de France, Belgian National orchestra, OFUNAM orchestra in Mexico Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and many more.

Dmitry Yablonsky is Chief Conductor of Kyev Virtuosi and since 2016 Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of Kyiv Virtuosi Symphony Orchestra, which play from Vivaldi to Mahler symphonies. Dmitry Yablonsky and Kyiv Virtuosi started to record for the Naxos label and future releases include: Shostakovich Chamber symphonies, Valentin Silvestrov, Pleyel and Hofmann cello concertos, Italian Areas with Azer Zada, Dvorak cello concertos and much more. Dmitry Yablonsky has collaborated with musicians as: Monserrat Caballe, Olga Borodina, Eldar Abdrazakov, Leif Ove Andsnes, Yuri Bashmet, Boris Berezovsky, Roberto Alagna, Krzysztof Penderecki, Dmitry Kitayenko, Vadim Repin and many more.

He has been very active in organizing music festivals all over the world and in 2009 together with Pianist Farhad Badalbeyli organized a large scale festival in Gabala, Azerbaijan, where many world name orchestras and musicians come to share musical experience. Wandering Stars festival in Israel. He has made more than 90 CDs for Naxos, Chandos and Warner/Erato labels. He is Grammy Nominee, Honorary Academician of the Independent Academy of Liberal Arts at the Russian Academy of Sciences, Artistic Personality of Azerbaijan, Professor at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University and the Head of International Relations.

Highlights of 2022-2023 season are:
Kyiv Virtuosi Orchestra is in residence in Chieti, Italy in a beautiful Theatre Maruccino, Kyiv Virtuosi tour to Israel, March 2023, Kyiv Virtuosi Tour to South America May 2023. Film of all 6 Bach suites for Naxos, October 2022, concerts in USA, Italy, Spain, Switzerland just to name a few.

For his cello concerts he uses Matteo Goffriller and Joseph fillius Andrea Guarneri.

Janna Gandelman was born in Kishinev, Moldavia. At the age of 5 she started to play violin taking lessons with Professor Weiner. Already at a very young age she has won numerous competitions still in the Soviet Union, National Violin Competition, Stoliarsky School Competition, International competition of USSR and Auer Competition.

After immigration to Israel in 1979 she has continued her studies with legendary violin pedagogue, Professor Bondarenko, who was David Oistrach's assistant. Also in 1979 Janna was accepted to be a part of the most famous cultural foundations in the world, American-Israel Cultural Foundation, which promoted and still to this day promotes many prestigious cultural projects. As a member of this foundation, Janna Gandelman has performed in many countries around the world. During her studies in Tel Aviv Music Academy with Professor Kless, Janna has won many competitions as: Clearmonunt and Shapira in Israel, Lipitzer in Italy, Atlanta competition, just to name a few.

Janna Gandelman has been a member of many great music ensembles of Israel, which include: Musica Nova, Caprizma, 21 century, Concertmeister of Israel Camerata and many more. As a soloist she has performed with many great conductors, Garry Bertini, Asher Fish, Mendi Rodan and many more. Janna has also been a concertmeister of Flemish Chamber orchestra.

Being a very active chamber musician, she has performed with musicians as: Gidon Kremer, Isaak Stern, Eliso Versaladze, Sol Gabetta and many more, participating in worlds most prestigious festivals as Bloomington, Schleswig-Holstein, Israel, Jerusalem Chamber music Festival. She has recorded Kara Karaev violin concerto for the Naxos label, which was written for Leonid Kogan.

Janna Gandelman has given master classes all over the world including: Russia, Argentina, Brazil, Norway and a special project in Israel called Polyphony, which brings Arab and Jewish students together through music.

Janna Gandelman is concertmeister of Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and teaches at Jerusalem Conservatory Ha Sadna and Nazareth Conservatory, which is a project of Daniel Barenboim. She is a professor of the Buchman-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University.

Janna plays on J.B. Guadagnini violin loaned generously by the Yehuda Zisapel Foundation.

Active as a concert pianist and conductor, Yossi Reshef has given solo concerts, recitals and concerto performances throughout Europe, the United states the Far East, India and Africa to outstanding reviews and audience enthusiasm. He performed in Britain, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Spain, Bulgaria, Russia, South Africa, Azerbaijan, India, the Philippines, Taiwan, and a number of venues in the United States including Los Angeles, Boston, San Diego, Santa Fe, and Carnegie Hall in NY.

Yossi Reshef is the founder and artistic director of the Berlin International Piano Master Class which takes place yearly in Berlin. He is also a faculty member at the prestigious Tel-Hai international Piano Master Classes in Israel. A devoted pedagoge, Reshef lives in Berlin where he has a private studio, attracting students from europe and the far East to come and prepare for auditions and competitions. Reshef inspired hundreds of students in his public masterclasses. He has given master classes in such prestigious venues as the Gnessin Conservatory in Moscow, the Lodz Academy in Poland, the Baku Academy in Azerbaijan, the Zagreb Academy in Croatia, and in all the leading higher education music institutes of South Africa and Taiwan. Following his Doctorate degree, he taught as a Visiting Professor at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.

Born in Israel, Reshef studied with the legendary Pnina Salzman (herself a student of Alfred cortot and Arthur Rubinstein), he later moved to Los Angeles where he completed his doctorate degree with prof. Norman Krieger, serving as his assistant, as well as completing conducting studies with outstanding achievements. He previously studied wth Prof. Jonathan Zak at the Rubin Academy, Tel Aviv University. Reshef started his studies with Martha Even Shushan in his hometown Holon, Israel.

Yoni Gotlibovich is one of the most prominent Cellists to emerge from Israel.
A student of Mr. Zvi Harrell and Mr. Zvi Plesser, Gotlibovich holds an active solo career as is often featured in chamber music concerts in Israel and abroad.

Mr. Gotlibovich is a member of Ensemble Meitar, after being Principal Cello of Tel-Aviv Soloists Ensemble with which he was featured as soloist numerous times as with most Israeli orchestras.
Gotlibovich founded the Cello class in the Barenboim-Saed School in Nazereth, and is involved in numerous educational projects in Israel and abroad. Currently, Gotlibovich is a faculty member of the Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance.

Gotlibovich is invited to give master classes in Israel, Europe, China, USA, Canada and Mexico. Gotlibovich collaborates with world class musicians, such as Maxim Vengerov, Shlomo Mintz, Antje Weithaas and many others in different festivals and concerts around the world.
As a leading figure in the contemporary music world, Gotlibovich holds close contact with some of the greatest composers living today and premieres many solo works, chamber music works and concertos, some of which are dedicated to him.

Mr. Gotlibovich is also the director of a young composers program – Young CEME, and is also the musical director of a chamber music series of Keshet Eilon in Israel.
Mr. Gotlibovich was generously supported by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation for the duration of his studies.

Born 1965 in Jerusalem, Israel, Zvi Carmeli is internationally renowned as a violist , conductor and teacher. Zvi is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the former Principal Violist of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. As a soloist he has appeared with orchestras such as the Israel Camerata Jerusalem, the European Community Orchestra, the Gorzow Philharmonic and Lodz Philharmonic in Poland, the Kuopio Philharmonic in Finland, as well as the Klaipeda chamber orchestra in Lithuania. He has performed in festivals such as the Emila Romagna and Brescia festivals in Italy, Prussia Cove and Ulverston festivals in England , the Israel Festival, and the Moab Festival in the USA.

As chamber musician he has appeared together with renowned artists worldwide such as Vadim Repin , Benjamin Schmid, Homero Francesch and the Fine Arts Quartet and was the founding member of the SoLaRe String Trio, winner of the Netherlands Impresaariat National Competition, touring throughout Europe, USA and Israel, including recording for national radio stations in Holland, Spain and the USA. Carmeli has recorded chamber music for many CD lables such as Ottavo, Divox, Ars Nova, Kontrapunkt and Berlin Edel Classics.

Carmeli regularly teaches masterclasses through out the world in institutions such as Chieti Classica Italy, Hong Kong Academy, Barenboim Said Akademie Berlin, Bard Music College USA, Tibilisi State Conservatory, and the Lenk summer academy in Switzerland.

As a conductor Zvi Carmeli was founder and Conductor of the Berlin Chamber Soloists, guest Professor Conductor of the Muenster Hochschule für Musik Symphony Orchestra, UDK Hochschule Youth Orchestra in Berlin, Collegium Musicum Orchestra Kopenhagen, Denmark with Ivry Gitlis as soloist, Soestenberg Festival Chamber Orchestra Holland with Julian Rachlin and Boris Kushnir as soloists, Savo Festival Orchestra Kuopio Finland and the Israel Netanya Kibbutz Orchestra, among others. He serves as jury member in music competitions and is a sought after master class lecturer in Europe.

The founder and Artistic Director of the "Bronislaw Huberman Program for Outstanding Young String Players" in Israel. Zvi currently teaches viola and chamber music as senior lecturer at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, where he also heads the chamber music department and conducts the academy chamber orchestra . Carmeli also teaches chamber music at the Jerusalem Music Centre and conducts its Young Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Laura Ansaldi attends since a young age very prestigious schools and academies such as the Music Conservatory of Genoa and Milan, the "Accademia Chigiana" in Siena, the Music School of Fiesole, and the advanced training academy "TEMA" in Milan. In addition to opera singing, she is laureate in piano and performing arts.

Her international career as opera soloist starts in 2001 with the opera "Tosca" and since then encompasses significant performances in opera houses and concert halls worldwide, including Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and the USA.

From the outset, Laura has been recognised for her versatility. Officially classified as a dramatic coloratura soprano, she effortlessly masters also a lighter and baroque repertoire. Her most successful roles go from "Elisir d'Amore" to "Tosca," from "Lucia di Lammermoor" to “Norma”, including"Madama Butterfly," Leonora (La Forza del Destino), Elisabetta (Don Carlos), Abigaille (Nabucco), Mimi (La Bohème), Adriana Lecouvreur, Maddalena (Andrea Chenier). Thanks to her acting talent, she is also highly regarded as a musical performer and theatre actress.

Along her career, Laura works with renowned orchestras and conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Carlo Maria Giulini, the Boston Philharmonic, the Longwood Symphony Orchestra, Ottavio Garaventa, Delfo Menicucci, Lorenzo Castriota Skanderberg, Massimo De Stefano, Silvano Frontalini, Sandro Fazzolari, Marco Voleri, Davide Anzaghi, Carlo Torriani, Vincenzo Villani, Bruno Tasso, Rossella Spinosa, the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, the Alessandria Classical Orchestra, the Roncole Verdi Orchestra, the Bilbao Baroque Ensemble, and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra.

Laura has been selected for numerous prestigious international events as main soloist. These include: the International Festival Roncole Giuseppe Verdi, the official celebrations commemorating the life of Maria Callas, the premiere of A. Scarlatti's Stabat Mater rediscovery in Zurich's Grossmünster, the opera rock “Babel" composed by Diego Rocca, the silent film soundtrack project “Phantom of the Opera” directed by Bernard Duc, and the progressive rock and opera symphony "Exeption" composed by Olivier Guenat, the vocal chamber music project “Verdi Rachmaninoff 2023”. Always driven by innovation, she created and performed the project “Soprano solo”, featuring recital for soprano voice and just one string instrument (recital for soprano and cello solo debuted in 2022, soprano and violin solo debuted in 2023).

Teaching is a very important component in Laura’s life and career. She starts teaching very young, immediately showing a great empathy and capability to transfer her knowledge to the students, covering the chair of singing and vocal technique at the “Terre dei Fieschi” academy in Italy, where she becomes president of the whole academy 2 years later. When she moves to Switzerland, she consolidates her position as a successful teacher building her own opera singing class, and serving as singing and acting teacher in several institutions and academies like the 14youstudio Art Academy in Lugano, the Close Encounters Theater Academy and the Zürich International School. She is president of jury for the International Terre dei Fieschi Competition for all the editions.

Deeply committed to social responsibility and integration, she actively participates in charity initiatives. She serves as the official patron of the "Enrico Charles Foundation," (UK organization supporting children with disabilities and their families.) Additionally, she lends her support to the Swiss Pro UKBB Foundation and other Swiss charity initiatives through her performances, among other contributions.
She is main testimonial for the European football tournament Bergdorf EM
Residing in Zurich since 2014, in her private life Laura is a wife and mother of two children.

Cellist Alex Veltman has been a member of Philadelphia Orchestra since 1996. Prior associations included New York Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, NY Chamber Orchestra and New Haven Symphony.

Born in Moscow, Mr. Veltman started studying cello at the Central Music School with his mother. When he was 13, his family immigrated to New York, where he continued his studies with Harvey Shapiro at the Juilliard School, where he received a Bachelor Degree. He then continued at the Yale University School of Music, receiving a Master Degree, studying with Aldo Parisot.

Mr. Veltman has won numerous competitions, awards, and scholarships in the New York area and has given recitals at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and C. Michael Paul Hall, as well as at St. John’s, Princeton, and Yale universities, among others. Additionally, he made several radio and television appearances, including one on WQXR Radio’s Young Artists Showcase in New York.

Among his solo appearances in summer music festivals, Mr. Veltman performed with the Bedford Springs Festival Orchestra in Bedford, Pennsylvania and the Saratoga Springs Summer Festival in upstate New York, and he has attended the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival in Blue Hill, Maine. He has collaborated with such artists as Chantal Juillet, Roberto Díaz, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, and Elmar Oliveira.

Since joining The Philadelphia Orchestra, Mr. Veltman has participated in many chamber music performances at the Kimmel Center’s Perlman Theater and the Academy of Music Ballroom, and he performed and taught master classes in China and USA. He has taken part in orchestral coaching and rehearsals in the Orchestra’s joint project with Project 440 and the All City Orchestra of Philadelphia during the school year and at the All City Orchestra Summer Academy at the Mann Center. He was also on the faculty at the Philadelphia International Music Festival, held at Bryn Mawr College.

Mr. Veltman participated numerous times in recording projects with unique All-Star Orchestra under the direction of Gerard Schwarz, who produced a series of educational live video recordings of classical orchestral repertoire for PBS Television.

Denis Zhdanov was born in the East Siberian town of Magadan on the Pacific Coast.
He received his first piano lesson at the age of eight, and when he was eleven years old moved to St. Petersburg where he began his Cello studies.

He completed an eight-year music programme in only four years and in 1994 was accepted at the Central Music School of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, into the class of Professor Galina Zubareva.

In 1997 Denis Zhdanov took part in and won his first competition, the International A. Rubinstein Competition in Moscow. In the same year Denis was awarded a scholarship by the Vladimir Spivakov Foundation and performed all over Russia.

In 1998 Denis Zhdanov became a student at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory and studied with Professors A. Knyazev and L.Evgrafov. In 1998 he was also engaged as a soloist by the UNESCO Foundation in Moscow.

He graduated from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in 2002, and one year later due to a Europa Stipendium, Denis Zhdanov continued his studies with Professor Peter Bruns at the Hochschule für Musik in Dresden. Later he studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Felix Mendelsohn-Bartholdy in Leipzig.

In 2004 Denis Zhdanov won the First Prize as well as the Audience Prize at the International Brahms Competition, and gave his German debut at the „Semper-Oper“ performing the Second Cello Concerto of D. Shostakovich.

Two years later Denis Zhdanov received the Audience Prize and Special Prize at the International Aram Khachaturian-Competition in Armenia. During this competition Denis Zhdanov became acquainted with Prof. Wolfgang Böttcher, when taking part in his masterclasses and studying privately with him.

Working with so many great musicians such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Gennadi Rojdestvenski,
Antoni Wit,Vasiliy Sinaisky, Dmitry Yablonsky, Dmitri Shebalin, Bernard Greenhouse, Natalia Shahovskaya, Tatiana Grindenko, Dmitri Sitkovetsky, Jury Simonov and Anne Bylsma has had a huge influence on Denis Zhdanov during his artistically formative years.

Together with music partner and violinist Uliana Zhdanov he founded the „Zhdanov- Konzerte“- Artist Agency in 2016 and organises concerts and events Europe-wide.

He collaborates as chamber musician with Eric Le Sage, Tatjana Masurenko, Roman Patkolo, Julia Deneka, Olena Baeva and Dmitri Demashkin among others.

Denis Zhdanov was appointed as professor at the „Iclassical Academy“ in Italy in 2012 He has given many masterclasses which have been made available online.

As an orchestral player, Denis Zhdanov has worked withStaatskapelle Dresden, Münchner Rundfunk, Staatskapelle Weimar, Saarländisches Staatsorchester among others. He is currently Principal Solo Cellist of the Freiburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Denis Zhdanov's rich repertoire includes works from early Baroque until the 21st century.

Uliana Zhdanov was born in Woronesch (Russia). At the age of six she had her first violin lessons. In 1989 she passed the exam to enter the Special Music School of the Art Institute of Woronesch. In 1992 Uliana Zhdanov participated in the International Masterclass of Prof. Wolfgang Marschner in Woronesch. During this course, she gave her debut as a young soloist with the Wieniawski Concert No. 2 and the philharmonic orchestra directed by Marschner. A concert tour to Germany followed one year later and also regular performances with the philharmonic orchestra in Woronesch. In 1997 she received the third prize of the international competition “Classic Heritage” in Moskau. One year later Uliana Zhdanov switched to the Central Music School of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, where she studied with Weniamin Rewitsch.

From 1998 to 2001 Uliana Zhdanov received a scholarship of the Vladimir Spivakov Foundation and performed at the most important concert halls of Russia. In 2001 she was accepted at Tchaikovsky Conservatory and received lessons in the class of Prof. Irina Botschkowa. During her studies she gave concerts as a soloist and as a member of a trio. In 2006 Uliana Zhdanov won the “Maria Yudina Competition“ and received the “Moscow Conservatory State Grand“ as one of the best graduates of Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Between 2007 and 2011 Uliana Zhdanov was concert master of the Tchaikowsky Symphonic Orchestra under General Music Director G. Rozhdestvensky and performed together with e.g. Maxim Vengerov, Mikhail Pletnev, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Natalia Gutman and Placido Domingo.

In order to get more knowledge about European performance practice and tradition as well as the German violin school, the young musician was a master student of Prof. R. Kussmaul at the “Freiburger Musikhochschule” from 2011 to 2013.

2019 Uliana made a CD recording with the cellist and husband Denis Zhdanov and pianst Julia Okruashvili for the Hännsler Classic Label.

Currently Uliana Zhdanov serves as the artistic director of „Zhdanov-Konzerte“- Artist Agency and performs as soloist and member of different chamber ensembles. Among her partners in chamber music are Eric Le Sage, Tatjana Masurenko, Roman Patkolo, and Ksenia Sidorova , among others.