Born in Verona in 1987, Andrea Battistoni is one of the rising young talents on the international music scene. He holds the positions of Principal Conductor of the Teatro Carlo Felice of Genova, Arena di Verona and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 2006, he has conducted in major opera houses, including the Deutsche Oper of Berlin, the Bavarian State Opera of Munich, Semperoper of Dresden, Mariinsky Theatre of St. Petersburg, Palau de les arts of Valencia, the Royal Opera of Stockholm, and in his native Italy, he has led performances at the Arena di Verona, Teatro San Carlo of Naples, Parco della Musica of Rome, Teatro La Fenice of Venice, Teatro Verdi of Trieste, Teatro Lirico of Cagliari and Teatro Massimo of Palermo. In the concert hall he has led the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, La Scala Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. At the age of 24, he became the youngest conductor ever to conduct at La Scala of Milan. He believes passionately that Art belongs to everybody and often brings this message to wide audiences outside concert halls and opera theatres: he conducted the La Scala Philharmonic in the Forum Assago in Milan in front of 8,000 people and led the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI at the Piazza Castello in Turin for an audience of over 25,000. In 2012, his first book Non èÌ musica per vecchi (It Isn’t Music for the Old) was published. Andrea Battistoni began his musical education at the age of seven and studied with Gabriele Ferro, Gianandrea Noseda and Maurizio Barbacini. He graduated from the Verona Conservatory with a degree in Composition and has had many of his symphonic, chamber and theatre works performed across Europe.
Yaron Gottfried is one of the most prominent musicians of his generation in Israel, a multidisciplinary artist who bridges classical,contemporary and jazz music. Gottfried held the position of Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Netanya Kibbutz Orchestra for 11 years between 2002-2013 with great success, presenting fresh innovative programs, packed halls, rave reviews and over 120 concerts in a season.
He graduated his studies at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem under Maestro Mendi Rodan.
Gottfried’s conducting repertoire spans from the renaissance period to contemporary music.
Gottfried is a frequent guest at Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, In October 2016 He was invited to substitute for Maestro Zubin Mehtaand conduct all eleven season opening concerts with major artists such as Yefim Bronfman, Khatia Buniatishvili , Prague philharmonic choir among others.
In January 2015 he led the IPO replacing Maestro Valery Gergiev at short
notice with an Israeli premier of Shostakovich 4th Symphony; the concert received rave reviews from the critics.
In September 2015 he performed a German premier with WDR Funkhausorchester of his “Pictures at an Exhibition-Remake“ for jazz trio and orchestra after Mussorgsky.
In October 2015 he lead the IPO Annual Gala event in an all-Gershwin program. In January 2015 he led the IPO replacing Maestro Valery Gergiev at short notice with an Israeli premier of Shostakovich 4th Symphony; the concert received rave reviews from the critics.
Highlights of the 2016-17 season include concert series with the Maggio musicale Fiorntino orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, Jerusalem Symphony, San Jose Youth Philharmonic, Beijing Symphony orchestra, Raanana Symphonette , Tel Aviv Soloists Orchestra, Leading a new production of <em>Orfeo ed Euridice</em> with the Israeli Opera with Macao symphony, Leading the opening concert of the Rubinstein competition and the premiere of four of his new compositions, Piano Trio, Nocturne for trumpet and Orchestra, Mongolian Suite for symphony Orchestra and a new Song Cycle.
Gottfried was awarded the “Israeli Prime Minister’s Award for Composers 2014,” and he is regularly invited to conduct and perform his works with major orchestras, festivals and halls worldwide such as: Israel Philharmonic, Jerusalem Symphony (IBA), Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, Israel Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Jerusalem, Raanana Symphonette, Sinfonietta Beer Sheva, China Philharmonic, Beijing Symphony, Chengdu Philharmonic, Manila Philharmonic, WDR Funkhausorchester, Potsdam Chamber Orchestra and Chorus, Tbilisi Symphony, Thüringen Symphony, Budapest Concert Orchestra, Debrecen Philharmonic, Kodaly Philharmonic, Brazos Valley Symphony, La Crosse Symphony, Portland Chamber Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony, Salta Symphony, L’Auditori – Barcelona Symphonic Band and Tallinn Festival Orchestra, among others. He is regularly invited as a guest artist to perform at major halls in China such as “Forbidden City Concert Hall“ (FCCH), Beijing Concert Hall, Beijing NCPA as well as festivals in China, Italy, Denmark, Georgia and Estonia.
Gottfried’s unique approach to rhythm and sound is deeply reflected in his compositions which represent a fusion between genres and styles. His works are published by Sikorski Music Publishers. His “Pictures at an Exhibition-Remake“ was released in May 2014 on a new CD with GPR Records and is distributed by Naxos USA. The album received great reviews from Fanfare Magazine and in the Israeli press. Among his works are concertos, orchestral works, vocal works and orchestral arrangements. His “Baroque Jazz Project” for jazz trio and orchestra has been performed over 50 times, receiving high acclaim all over the world with many orchestras. A new tango album which he musically produced and arranged for international artist Yasmin Levy was released by Harmonia Mundi in September 2014.
Gottfried is the Head of Composition and Conducting Department at Rimon School for Contemporary Music and Jazz.
The Israel Cultural Excellence Foundation selected Maestro Gottfried as its chosen artist for 2003-2007. He is a member of the prestigious MacDowell Colony in the USA and 1st prize winner of the Young Artists Conductors competition held by the Israel Philharmonic and the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, and 1st prize winner of the Red Sea Jazz Festival Composition Competition. Gottfried’s deep musical interests in jazz led him to perform with major jazz artists such as: Eddie Gomez, Eddie Daniels, Didier Lockwood, Dave Liebman, Ira Sullivan, Randy Brecker, Georgie Fame, Kitty Margolis, Benny Golson and Jimmy Heath to name a few.
Kirill Petrenko has been chief conductor and artistic director of the Berliner Philharmoniker since August 2019.
Previously, he was general music director of Bayerische Staatsoper for seven years after first engagements in his career had taken him to the Vienna Volksoper, Meininger Staatstheater and the Komische Oper Berlin.
He has appeared as a guest at the Wiener Staatsoper, the Semperoper in Dresden, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Opéra Bastille in Paris. In 2013, he headed a new production of Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelungen at the Bayreuth Festival, which he conducted until 2015.
In the opening concert of his first season at the helm of the Berliner Philharmoniker, Kirill Petrenko conducted Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony – not least as a programmatic declaration of intent for the exploration of the core Classical-Romantic repertoire with which he intends to begin each season in the future. Unjustly neglected composers such as Josef Suk and Erich Wolfgang Korngold play an important role in his concerts. Kirill Petrenko has frequently conducted world premieres of symphonic works and operas in addition to key works of the 20th century and has also committed himself to contemporary music during his tenure in Berlin: following on from a piece by Anna Thorvaldsdóttir, a number of works have been commissioned from contemporary composers.
By directing projects of the Karajan Academy and concerts of the National Youth Orchestra of Germany, he is dedicating himself to the training of young musicians and introducing young people to different aspects of music.
At the Easter Festival in Baden-Baden, he will continue to conduct operas as well as concerts. Outside Berlin, Kirill Petrenko can also be seen on tour with the Berliner Philharmoniker, at festival venues such as Salzburg and Lucerne, the European music capitals and soon in Asia – and of course in the Digital Concert Hall.
In addition to concert recordings with music by John Adams and Gustav Mahler (Symphony No. 6), both as part of comprehensive presentations of the composers’ works, a CD/SACD edition has already been released with symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Franz Schmidt as well as Rudi Stephan’s Music for Orchestra; Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 Pathétique is still available as a single edition. Further releases of selected performances are in preparation.
Lahav Shani is Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic from 2020. Since his conducting debut with the orchestra in October 2013, he has conducted the Israel Philharmonic every season. His close relationship with the orchestra began in his youth, when he performed as a pianist in a Youth Concert and in 2007 he appeared as soloist under the baton of Zubin Mehta. He then went on to play regularly with the orchestra as a pianist and double bassist.
Lahav Shani rose to fame after winning the prestigious Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg, in 2013. Since 2016 he has served as Chief Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the youngest conductor to hold the position in the orchestra’s history. In 2017-2020 he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
His appearances as guest conductor include concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Orchestre de Paris, Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Swedish Philharmonic and Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra. He also works regularly with the Staatskapelle Berlin, both in opera productions and in symphonic concerts.
Born in Tel Aviv in 1989, Lahav Shani began his piano studies aged six with Hannah Shalgi,
before continuing his studies at the Thelma Yellin High School and subsequently with Prof. Arie Vardi at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel Aviv University. He completed his studies at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler, Berlin, where he studied conducting with Prof. Christian Ehwald and piano with Prof. Fabio Bidini. He was mentored by Daniel Barenboim during his studies.
In July 2018 he made his piano recital debut at the Boulez Saal in Berlin. He has appeared as solo pianist under the baton of Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta and Valery Gergiev with many orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw, Vienna Philharmonic, Mariinsky Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin and Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra. He also has considerable experience performing chamber music and is a regular performer at the Verbier Festival, and
has also appeared at the Aix-en-Provence Easter and Jerusalem International Chamber Music
Festivals.
Back to top
