“…Great clarity and temperament mark her way of playing the Viola, using all forms of expression…A very special event!…” - Frankfurter Allgemeine
Tatjana Masurenko,
born in Russia, received her early training at the Special Music School and the
State Conservatory in St.Petersburg. While still a student she was playing concerts
with the leading orchestras of Russia.
In 1991 she moved to Germany to continue her studies with Kim Kashkashian and Nobuko
Imai at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold. Her many encounters with Boris Pergamenschikow,
Paul Badura-Skoda and György Kurtag had a lasting influence on her artistic development.
She has won prizes and awards at numerous international competitions, for example,
the “Lionel Tertis” International Viola Competition in England, the Markneukirchen
International Viola Competition in Germany and the “Yuri Bashmet” International
Viola Competition in Moscow, that was to seal her position amongst leading Violists.
She has been a guest soloist with many orchestras in Europe, USA, Asia and Russia,
like the NDR Radio-Philharmonie, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
Berlin, the St.Petersburg Philharmonics, the Hongkong Symphony Orchestra and the
Thomanerchor Leipzig, collaborating with Boris Pergamenschikow, Christian Tetzlaff,
Lars Vogt, Isabelle van Keulen, Jan Vogler and the Vogler-Quartet. During that she
also worked with conductors like Marek Janowski, Eiji Oue, Herbert Blomstedt ,Georg
Christoph Biller and Peter Oundjan.
Since 1996 only the artist has been guest of many important festivals such as Marlboro
Music Festival (USA), as well as festivals in the United Kingdom (Prussia Cove and
Hindemith Festival London), West Cork Festival (Ireland), Delft Chamber Music Festival
(Netherlands), “Spannungen” Festival, Schloss Moritzburg and ECMA in Cologne (Germany),
“Schubertiaden” in St.Petersburg (Russia) and made her debut on West German Radio
(WDR), North German Radio (NDR), Deutschland Radio Berlin, in Wigmore Hall (London),
in Small Hall of the Berlin Philharmonie. Besides all these concert tours Tatjana
Masurenko is Professor for Viola at the oldest German Hochschule für Musik “F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy”
in Leipzig and conducts as well several master classes in Germany, USA, Turkey and
Russia.
After her first CD-Recording of G.A. Benda´s Viola Concerto the “Fono-Forum” wrote:
“…The young Russian viola-player Tatjana Masurenko is a real discovery. Her recording is thoroughly convincing, her sound is beautiful, her technique is brilliant…”
“…Tatjana Masurenko is one of the most creative viola players around this time…” - Nobuko Imai
Betil Başeğmezler
was born in Istanbul. After studying the viola with Jules Higny graduated from the
Ankara State Conservatory and joined the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in Ankara.
With a state scholarship, she entered the Royal Collage of Music in London and studied
with Frederick Riddle for four years and received A.R.C.M. and L.R.A.M. degrees.
Later with Bruno Giuranna at the Academia Chigiana in Siena Italy.
In 1984 she became the principal violist of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra.
She has performed on the radio and TV and in concert halls. Presently she is a professor
and head of the viola department at the Hacettepe University State Conservatory.
Miki Hashimoto performed her first concert , in Kyoto Piano and Chamber Music Festival in 2000 when she was a student.She graduated from Kyoto College of Music in 2001. Between 2002 and 2004 she worked with Prof. Klaus Schilde at "Hochschule für Musik-Franz Liszt“. In 2004 she became a pupil of Prof. Markus Tomas at "Hochschule für Musik und Theater-F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy and graduated in 2006. Later, she studied piano accompaniment and chamber music as a meisterclasse student of Prof. Gunhild Brandt and Prof. Philipp Moll, by means of the scholarship of "Mitteln des Freistaates Sachsen", and she graduated in 2008. By the moment, she is working as a correpetiteur at "Hochschule für Musik und Theater - Leipzig"
“I try to understand their (old masters) aesthetical and sound concepts, and then aim to give my instruments the personality and quality of an old one.” - Jürgen Manthey
Born in the Black
Forest in 1965 (Scharzwald-Germany). He started violin playing at the age of eight.
After the school he studied geology and palaeontology and also visited violin making
courses with Juliet Barber in Cambridge. After having finished his studies, Jurgen
Manthey’s musical and violin making activities became more serious: He began an
apprenticeship with Andreas Hampel in Hamburg. Due to his influence my interest
has always been concentrated on making new violins in very classical manner.
Jürgen Manthey has established his own workshop in Leipzig since 2004. There he
keep in close contact with many internationally renowned musicians, again focussing
on making new violins, partly copies or free interpretations of the old Italian
masters.
Jürgen Manthey builds about a dozen of violins, violas, and cellos every year which
most of them ordered by professional players. His instruments has gained many prices
in international competitions:
- International Jacob-Stainer Competition 2001: Four prices for violin (best combination
of sound and craftsmanship), viola and violoncello
- BVMA International Violin and Bow Making Competition London 2004: 1st prize in
the playing category for violin
- International Jacob-Stainer Competition 2004: Four prices for violin, viola and
violoncello.