22th INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COURSE
VIOLIN
JOSE RAMON HEVIA
A graduate of the Brussels Conservatory, he was awarded a scholarship by the Conservatorio Superior in Madrid on several courses. He studied in Paris with Sandor Vegh and in Germany with E. Pándula, giving recitals on both courses.
He currently divides his time between teaching and performing chamber music, and is a founder member of the "Numen Quartet" and the "Astur Quartet", which has performed in practically every city in Spain and has made numerous recordings for Spanish national radio and television.
He has also performed with the quartets all over Europe, including Belgium, France, Germany and Portugal.
He has worked as a teacher of violin and chamber music at the Conservatorio Superior de Música in Bilbao and is currently lecturer in violin at the Conservatorio Superior de Música in Oviedo.
He is also the founder and director of the International Music Courses and the International Violin, Viola and Violoncello Competition held here in Llanes.
SERGUEI FATKULIN
Teacher in Novosibirsk until 1985 and teacher in the Music Training Professional School at the Chaikovsky Conservatory and the Musical Academy Gnessina.
He was a member of the Novosibirsk quartet, of the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra and of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra until 1994.
He was then invited by Professor Zahkar Bron to be his assistant at the Queen Sofia Higher School of Music in Madrid. He is also invited to teach at the Lübeck Conservatory and at the Cologne Higher School (Germany).
He founded his own school in Madrid, the Fatkulin Academy.
From then on, he is one of the professors in great demand for teaching students in Spain and abroad. He is regularly invited to give summer classes, Master Courses and Masterly Classes in countries such as: Russia, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Austria, England and France.
ANNA BAGET
Catalonian violinist, trained in Barcelona under the direction of Gerard Claret and Goncal Comellas. She continued her studies at the Indiana University (U.S.A.) where she obtained a Master’s Degree in Violin and Pedagogy studying with Franco Gulli, Yuval Yaron and Mimi Zweig.
As a soloist, she has played with the Chamber Orchestra "Solistas de Catalunya", the Quito Symphonic Orchestra and the "Pablo Sarasate" Symphonic Orchestra in Pamplona. She forms a duet with pianist Aníbal Bañados.
She is violin teacher at the Music Professional Conservatory “Adolfo Salazar”, Madrid and the Queen Sofia Higher School of Music in Madrid. She is also violin teacher at the “Summer String Academy” at Indiana University, USA and at the summer classes “Cátedra de Música Emili Pujol” in Cervera.
Her interest in pedagogy has led her to develop systematic training techniques for string teachers. She is regularly invited to give classes in: Ministry of Education and Science, Spanish Young National Orchestra, Madrid Government, Basque Country University, Alcalá de Henares University, Castilla la Mancha University, “Music Stage of Cambra”, ”Course for music professors and teachers Stage 2000” from “La Caixa”, Jaén University, Tarragona Government, Music Schools of the Barcelona City Council. In the spring of 2002 she was invited to give masterly classes at the Gossec Conservatory in Paris and to make a concerts tour with her pupils in different cultural organizations in Paris.
AITOR HEVIA
He started learning violin under his father, J. R. Hevia, at the age of 6. He continued his studies under Iouri Nasoushkin and then J. Glickman, at the Guildhall School of Music in London. He would later study under Keiko Wataya and Ilie Grubert at the Amsterdam Conservatory from where he graduated “Cum Laude”. He has been awarded scholarships by: The Ministry of Education and Science, the Principality of Asturias and CajAstur.
He has performed as first violin with a number of chamber and symphonic orchestras such as:
The National Youth Orchestra of Spain (J.O.N.D.E).
Camerata S. XXI.
He was a member of the European Union Orchestra (E.U.Y.O) for two years, gaining experience under maestros of the calibre of Giulini, Rostropovich, Abbado, etc...
At the City of Manresa Music Competition in 2001 he won first prize as first violin with the “ARCHÉ” quartet in Category A.
He has given concerts in Madrid, Bilbao, Barcelona, Oviedo, Hamburg, Amsterdam, etc.
In May 2002, he was invited to perform Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D minor with the Principality of Asturias Symphonic Orchestra (OSPA) and received great public and critical acclaim in the process.
Teaching Positions:
Teacher on the “City of Astorga” Music Courses.
Teaching assistant to Ms. Keiko Wataya, at the “Art and Culture Open Days” held at the University Campus, Bilbao.
Teaching assistant to Ms. Keiko Wataya, at the University of the Basque Country’s Advanced Music School.
October 2003: Toured with the Zürich Youth Symphony Orchestra performing Prokoffiev’s Concerto no. 1 in a number of Spanish provinces.
He is currently first violin of the Quiroga Quartet, and he occupies the Chair of Chamber music / Quartet of String of the Top Conservatoire of Music of Aragon.
CIBRÁN SIERRA
He was born in Ourense in 1979. He has obtained a University Degree in Violin and Chamber Music at the Vigo Music Conservatory, a Master in Fine Arts at the Gothenburg University (Sweden) and an Artist Diploma at the Oberlin University, USA.
He has studied with professors Malin Broman, Per Enoksson and Milan Vitek, granted a scholarship by the Caixa Galicia and Segundo Gil Dávila Foundations.
He was awarded with the First Prize at the”2001 Volrdrich International Competition” (Sweden), and the”Smithsonian Stradivarius Internship” (Washington DC, 2002), First Prize at the ”Xóvenes Concertistas” Competition in Galicia 1998, and winner of the ”Concerto Competition” at the Gothenburg University. He was finalist at the Permanent Competition of Young Musicians, 2000 and at the ”Concerto Competition” in Oberlin, USA.
During year 2003/04 he studied a Master in Music with professor Keiko Wataya at the Amsterdam Conservatory, granted a scholarship by the Caixanova Foundation.
He has performed as a soloist several times with Orchestras from Spain and Sweden, he has been a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Spain and has collaborated with several orchestras such as the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, National Orchestra of Sweden, the Galicia Symphonic Orchestra and the Huaröds Chamber Orchestra (Sweden).
He has recorded for NAXOS, Isidor Records Sweden and Punteiro.
In season 2004/2005 he made his soloist debut with the Concert no.1 by Bela Bartok accompanied by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra at the National Auditory of Sweden.
He is currently violin of the Quiroga Quartet, and he occupies the Chair of Chamber music / Quartet of String of the Top Conservatoire of Music of Aragon.
VIOLA
ASHAN PILLAI
British violist Ashan Pillai was born in Sri Lanka in 1969 and educated as an academic and music scholar at Merchant Taylor's School in England. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London at the Júnior department and later as an undergraduate, qualifying with first class honours in viola performance. He was awarded all the viola prizes during his time at the Academy and later several grants and scholarships to continué his studies in the United States] He continued his studies at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles and later at the Julliard School, New York and the Banff Center for the Arts, Canadá under the two highly-esteemed American pedagogues, Donald Mclnnes and Karen Tuttle.
He won prizes at Tertis International Competition (1994) Rome International Competition (1995), the Royal Overseas League Competition (1995) and made his London recital debut as a winner of the Park Lañe Group Series in 1997 and his New York debut at Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall, as a winner of the Artists International Series in the same year. These critically acclaimed successes launched him on an international stage. He was invited to several international festivals as chamber musician and recitalist (including the Salzburg, Schleswig Holstein, Pau Casals, Ravinia, Tanglewood, Aspen, Banff and Tivoli festivals) and made his Wigmore Hall debut in 1999.
In 1994 he was appointed assistant principal viola in the English Chamber Orchestra and in the same year co-founded the chamber enseñable, Mobius. As a member of the English Chamber Orchestra and violist in its chamber ensemble he has performed in all the major venues worldwide. In 2000 he was appointed Principal Viola with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and in 2001 Professor of viola in the Conservatoire Superior in Barcelona. In 2005 he was invited to join the Zukerman Chamber Players, the string quintet led by Pinchas Zukerman.
As a chamber musician and soloist he has recorded prolifically. His recordings of chamber (including sonatas) and solo works by Debussy, Bax, Ravel, Francaix, Howells, Faure, Villa Lobos, Saint Saens, Mozart, Benejam, Hoffrneister (the complete works for viola) have received high critical acclaim. He has principally recorded for EMI, ASV, Naxos, Meridian, Xadis and Oehms Classics, Altara and SGAE. He has performed solo and chamber debuts of works by some of the most representative contemporary composers such as Krystof Penderecki, Wolfgang Rihm and Gavin Bryars. As soloist he has performed under the direction of Christian Zacarías, Christopher Hogwood (including the European debut of Mozart's Clarinet Concertó in Barenreiter's recent edition and the two concertos of Franz Antón Hoffineister) Ricardo Muti, Robert King, Lawrence Foster, Andrew Parrott amongst others. He has maintained strong ties with his country of birth, returning frequently to perform as soloist and chamber musician as well as in the field of music education. He performed as soloist in 1998 with the English Chamber Orchestra in the presence of HRH Prince Charles to mark the country's fifty years of independence.
Now based in Barcelona Ashan Pillai enjoys a thriving career as chamber musician, teacher and soloist on an international platform. He plays a Gregg Alf viola (after Gaspar de Salo) made in 1992 in Michigan.
DÉNES LUDMÁNY
Born 1980, in Bonyhad, Hungary , Dénes Ludmany graduated in 1999 with professor Sandor Nagy at the Music Acadmy Franz Liszt of Budapest. Between 1999 and 2005, he completed his studies at the University Mozarteum Salzburg with Professors Thomas Riebl and Veronika Hagen. He also attended, between 2000-2002, the Academy of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, with professor Albrecht Rohde.
He has been the winner of several top prizes and awards at different competitions, such as the 1995 Internacional Viola Competition of Debrecen, Hungary, the 2002 International Viola Competition of Bled, Slovenia, and the 2004 Raiffeisen Classic Prize.
Professionally, he has worked as the Principal Violist of the Salzburger Chamber Soloists as well as the Camerata Salzburg. He has also worked as the viola player of the Austrian Ensemble for Contemporary Music (ÖENM).
Ludmany has collaborated with several orchestras, most importantly the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. In Munich worked as well with Helmut Nikolai (principal violist of MPO, member of Rosamunde Quartet), Lorenz Nasturica and Sreten Krstic (concert masters of MPO), Philipp Korner (principal cellist of the Stuttgart Opera) as well as with well-known conductors such as James Levine, Zubin Mehta, Daniele Gatti, Peter Eötvös, Helmut Rilling, Gunter Wand, and Christian Thielemann, among others.
A member of the Ludmany Piano Trio, he’s regularly performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Hungary, Austria, USA, and Germany. Dénes Ludmany has played in various chamber ensembles in Hungary, Austria (Festival Mondseetage, Styrian Chamber Music Festival) Germany, Italy, Spain, China and Japan, and as a soloist in the festival “I Palpiti” in Los Angeles and in Taos, New Mexico, organized by Young Concert Artists International, Inc.
He feels to be dedicated also to support contemporary music, as a soloist and with others (ÖENM) as well.
He is very much honoured and delighted to have been able to pursue chamber music studies with Rainer Schmidt (Hagen Quartet), who mostly shaped his way of musical being.
He is currently viola of the Quiroga Quartet, and he occupies the Chair of Chamber music / Quartet of String of the Top Conservatoire of Music of Aragon.
VIOLONCELLO
ALDO MATA
He was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1973, where he started to study cello at the age of eight with Maria de Macedo and later on also with Elias Arizcuren. At early age he plays solo recitals in Paris (France) and Madrid. From 1991 to 1994 he studied at Escuela Reina Sofia with Ivan Monighetti. At the same time he played for different maestros in Master-Classes: Rostropovich, Gutman, Starker, Helmerson, Greenhouse, Isserlis, etc. During those years he played in the most important concert-halls in Spain, being recorded by Sony his performance of Mendelssohn´s Second Cello Sonata with the pianist Eldar Nebolsin.
In 1996 he obtains under the direction of Kim Scholes his Master in cello “with honors” in the Chicago Musical College. In the year 2000 he receives the Doctor degree in cello from the University of Indiana (Bloomington) where he studied with Janos Starker, Tsutsumi, and Hokanson.
He has been awarded several prizes in competitions: Juventudes Musicales, Chicago Musical College, Popper Competition, etc. He has played as soloist with orchestra in EEUU and Spain the concertos by Dvorak, Haydn, Beethoven´s Triple, Tchaikovsky´s Rococo Variations, etc. He has been awarded with scholarships by Fullbright, Juventudes Musicales, AIE, Albeniz , etc.
From 2001 he is co-principal cellist of the Castilla-Leon Symphony Orchestra with whom he made his solo debut performing Brahms’ Double Concerto. In 2002 he obtains the position of chairman of the cello department at the Superior Conservatory of Salamanca.
His performances of Kodaly Solo Sonata and other solo works have been very well received by the critics. Future recitals include performances in Spain, Croatia, Italy, and South America.
He has been invited to play Dvorak Cello Concerto with the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia as well as Strauss Don Quixote and Elgar Concerto.
In 2004 he was invited as professor by the Cello Forum of Madrid. He is the cellist of the Granados String Ensemble with whom he has extensively toured. Nowadays he plays a cello built in Piacenza by Giuseppe Nadotti in 1787.HELENA POGGIO
She was born in Madrid in 1978. She started her violoncello studies at the age of eight at the Madrid Conservatory and finished in 1999 with a Degree’s Extraordinary Prize. She studied for five years at the Reina Sofía Music School, under the direction of Frans Helmerson. In Bloomington, Indiana University, she obtained the “Artist Diploma” studying with T.Tsutsumi. She continued her studies at the Juilliard School, with J.Krosnick and obtained the “Master of Music”. She has received Magisterial Classes from D. Geringas, L. Claret , B. Greenhouse, J. Starker, P.Müeller and B.Pergamenschikov.
First Prize at the National String Instruments Competition “Ciudad de Játiva”, First Prize and Audience Prize for best string performer at the International Bow Instruments Competition “Julio Cardona” in Portugal, “Outstanding Student” from the violoncello chair at the Reina Sofía School for two years, Second Prize and Prize for “Best Performer of Spanish Music”at the International Competition “Villa de Llanes”, First Prize of the Chamber Music Competition of Young Musicians, First Prize at the Competition of Spanish and Latin American Music at the Indiana University. She has performed as a soloist with different chamber groups at several halls in Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Bosnia, USA and she has recorded for Radio Clásica and TVE.
She was granted with a Fulbright scholarship as well as by the Madrid Government, the Spanish Young Musicians, the Isaac Albeniz Foundation, the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Music Performers (AIE). She has finished her violoncello studies with N. Shakhovskaya and her chamber music studies with R. Schmidt at the Reina Sofía Music School.
She is currently violoncello of the Quiroga Quartet, and he occupies the Chair of Chamber music / Quartet of String of the Top Conservatoire of Music of Aragon.
QUARTET, CHAMBER MUSIC AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
QUIROGA QUARTET
AITOR HEVIA (violin) CIBRÁN SIERRA (violin)
DÉNES LUDMÁNY (viola) HELENA POGGIO (violoncello)
The Quiroga String Quartet was born following the advice and support of the later Charles-André Linale. The quartet takes its name from the great Galician violinist Manuel Quiroga, one of the most important string players of Spanish music history, together with Pau Casals and Pablo Sarasate.
Since its foundation, the quartet has studied with Professor Rainer Schmidt, first at Madrid’s EscuelaReinaSofia and then at the Musikakademie der Stadt Basel, together with Prof. Walter Levin. Other important influences are András Keller, Johannes Meissl, Erich Höbarth, Günther Pichler, György Kurtág, Eberhard Feltz and Hatto Beyerle, with whom they work regularly nowadays.
Top-Prizewinner of several major international string quartet competitions (Bordeaux, Paolo Borciani, Geneva, Paris, Barcelona) tours regularly in major halls and festivals of Europe and South-America (a.o. Wigmore Hall London, Philarmonie Berlin, Les Invalides Paris, Concertgebouw Doelen Rotterdam, Auditorio Nacional Madrid, Heidelberger Frühling, Quintessence Aachen, Kaisersaal Frankfurt, Davos Festival, Auditori de Barcelona, Teatro Solís Montevideo, Buenos Aires, etc.) and has recorded and been broadcast by RNE, SWR2, SwedishRadio, FranceMusique, WDR, MEZZO TV, etc. The Quartet was awarded the Spanish National Radio Culture Prize (Ojo Crítico) in 2007. The quartet collaborates with artists such as Vladimir Mendelssohn, Alain Meunier, Tobias Carron, Jeremy Menuhin, Chen Halevy, Claire Desert, Jensen Horn-SinLam, David Kadouch and Alfredo Perl, among others.
Currently they are quartet-in-residence at the Fundación Museo Cerralbo in Madrid, they teach yearly at the International Summer Academy of Llanes (Asturias) and they hold the string quartet faculty chair at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Aragón, Zaragoza
ASSISTANT OF VIOLIN AND CHAMBER MUSIC
DAVID HEVIA
Born in Oviedo on 11-08-1982. Performs his musical studies at the Conservatory of Music Eduardo Martinez Torner of Oviedo, with his father Jose Ramón Hevia Álvarez, obtaining the highest grades throughout his career. At the same time receive lectures from outstanding teachers as Boris Garlitsky, Alexei Mikline, Rainer Sonne, Ilya Grubert among others.
He is a member of orchestral training for young people, such as JOSCO, JOSPA, JONDE and participates in the city of Oviedo Symphony Orchestra (OSCO). With conductors like; Leon Spirer, Fabio Biondi and Amayak Durgaryan. With performances as a soloist in some of them.
Later post-graduate studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Cajastur and Principado of Asturias scholarship by the eminent pedagogue Keiko Wataya, where they complete their training with groups of chamber and orchestral formations receiving masterclases among others by Alexander Kerr, concertmaster of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
In 2004 Wins Award Special mention in the Eighth National City Xátiva. Year in which interprets numerous recitals in cycles Cajastur along with the pianist Olga Semoushina.
It is admitted into the School Reina Sofia in Madrid in 2005 and studying with Rainer Schmidt, a member of the Hagen Quartet and his assistant Ana Baget. Completing his training chamber music under the tutelage of Marta Gulyás.
In 2006 it obtains the teacher’s square of violin by open competition offered by the Government of Andalusia.
Now combines his pedagogical work with the interpretation.