Elegance. If the concert programme at the St. Agnes Convent had to be encapsulated in a single word, it would be precisely that. Delving further, one might characterise it as “restrained elegance”. Beethoven, Mozart, Dvořák, and Brahms all built their music on classical foundations, but in these particular cases they touched the very essence, for reasons unique to each. Beethoven’s first violin sonata is the work of a composer who was still single-mindedly preparing for creating a lasting musical legacy, keenly absorbing knowledge from his teachers Haydn and Salieri. While Mozart’s sonata no. 21 is a little less playful than one might expect, it accentuates the composer’s soulfulness all the more. Dvořák’s Romantic Pieces demonstrate that even music composed for amateurs cannot conceal the fact that it was crafted by a master. Brahms’s third – and last – violin sonata reiterates what his three predecessors on the programme all understood: beautiful music, like elegant clothing, requires no unnecessary embellishments. All it takes is quality materials, excellent workmanship, and a few well-chosen accessories.

A quickly rising presence in the musical world in Europe and in the United States, violinist Andrea Cicalese, was born in Naples, Italy, in 2005. Despite his young age, Andrea has already performed as soloist on some of the most important stages in Europe, such as the Berliner Philharmonie or Munich's Gasteig and Herkulessaal, among others. Andrea is currently performing on a violin built by Guarneri 'Del Gesú' (Cremona, 1731), whose loan was made possible thanks to the cultural and philanthropic initiative "Adopt a Musician", promoted and sponsored by MusicMasterpieces SA - Lugano (CH).

The upcoming season 2024/2025 include recitals in Europe with pianists Alexander Malofeev, Eric Lu, Filippo Gorini, Massimo Spada and many others, as well as his debuts at Ravello Festival, Lerici Music Festival, Festival della Tuscia and Associazione Opera Prima in Italy, as well as his debuts at Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival, Rheingau Musik Festival and Mosel Musik Festival in Germany. Followed by his debuts at the festivals, Andera will be performing Bruch’s violin concerto with Munich Symphony Orchestra and their chief conductor Joseph Bastian for 'München Musik' at Isarphilharmonie.

Andrea will give his recital debut at Tonhalle Zürich, Switzerland followed by concerts with Alexander Malofeev across Europe and Andera will be returning to the United States of America as soloist with Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and their multiple GRAMMY-winning music director JoAnn Falletta at Kleinhans Music Hall of Buffalo performing Glazunov’s Violin Concerto. Andrea will also play a number of innovative chamber music recitals in California and New York with pianist and “Living the Classical Life” show host Zsolt Bognár.

A few past performances worth pointing out include Cicalese's debut as a soloist in Munich, where he opened the summer season of acclaimed promoter 'München Musik' performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto as well as numerous appointments as soloist with the Baden-Baden Philharmonie. Together they have performed violin concerti by J. Sibelius and F. Mendelssohn.

In 2023 Cicalese was the first violinist who - after decades - gave a public performance on the iconic Ex-Menuhin 'Prince Khevenhüller Stradivarius' violin (Cremona, 1733).

In October 2022 Andrea Cicalese played for the first time in the United States a outstanding recital with Alexander Malofeev – the audience praised the two young musicians with a long-lasting standing ovation and 5 curtain calls. Furthermore 'Pianist Magazine' (London, GB) reviewed: " The creative energy of the duo was more than the sum of its formidable parts. Violinist Andrea Cicalese brought an effortless command of communicative possibilities and natural charisma to the program of Beethoven, Schubert, and Grieg".

Andrea is the youngest guest in the history of the film series “Living the Classical Life”, with three appearances on the program in 2021, 2022, and 2023 for forthcoming release, a record-breaking number of features. Andrea regularly performs in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and the United States of America.

Andrea began violin studies at age seven with Rudens Turku in Munich, Germany and at age 11 he was the youngest student ever to be admitted to the Perosi Academy in Biella, Italy, where he attended masterclasses with Ana Chumachenco. In 2019, he won first prize at the “German Young Musician Competition” (Jugend Musiziert) and shortly after, he made his debut in Munich’s Gasteig with Beethoven Violin Concerto and members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 2020 he studies with Josef Rissin at the University of Music and Performing Arts of Karlsruhe.

source: Artemon Music

Eric Lu won First Prize at The Leeds International Piano Competition in 2018 at the age of 20. The following year, he signed an exclusive contract with Warner Classics, and has since collaborated with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, and presented in major recital venues.

Recent and forthcoming orchestral collaborations include the London Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lille, Finnish Radio Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Shanghai Symphony at the Proms, amongst others. Conductors he collaborates with include Riccardo Muti, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Ryan Bancroft, Marin Alsop, Duncan Ward, Vasily Petrenko, Edward Gardner, Sir Mark Elder, Thomas Dausgaard, Ruth Reinhardt, Earl Lee, Nuno Coehlo, and Martin Frӧst.

Active as a recitalist, he is presented on stages including the Cologne Philharmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Queen Elizabeth Hall London, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, San Francisco Davies Hall, BOZAR Brussels, Fondation Louis Vuitton Paris, 92nd St Y, Seoul Arts Centre, Warsaw Philharmonic, and Sala São Paulo. In 2024, he is appearing for the 6th consecutive year in recital at Wigmore Hall London.

Eric’s third album on Warner Classics was released in December 2022, featuring Schubert Sonatas D. 959 and 784. It was met with worldwide critical acclaim, receiving BBC Music Magazine’s Instrumental Choice, writing, “Lu’s place among today’s Schubertians is confirmed”. His previous album of the Chopin 24 Preludes, and Schumann’s Geistervariationen was hailed ‘truly magical’ by International Piano.

Born in Massachusetts in 1997, Eric Lu first came to international attention as a Laureate of the 2015 Chopin International Competition in Warsaw aged just 17. He was also awarded the International German Piano Award in 2017, and Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2021. Eric was a BBC New Generation Artist from 2019-22. He is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Robert McDonald and Jonathan Biss. He was also a pupil of Dang Thai Son, and has been mentored by Mitsuko Uchida and Imogen Cooper. He is now based in Berlin and Boston.

source: Artemon Music

The Convent of St. Agnes in the 'Na Františku' neighbourhood of Prague's Old Town is considered the first Gothic structure not only in Prague but in all of Bohemia. It was founded by King Wenceslas I in 1233–34 at the instigation of his sister, the Přemyslid princess Agnes of Bohemia, for the Order of Saint Clare which Agnes introduced into Bohemia and of which she was the first abbess. The convent was preceded by a hospital. The 'Poor Clares' originated as an offshoot of the Order of St. Francis of Assisi, and the convent was at one time known as the Prague Assisi. Agnes was an outstanding figure in religious life of the thirteenth century. Besides this Clarist convent she also founded the only Czech religious order – the Hospital Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star. She was canonized in 1989.