Brundibár Arts Festival: The Artists 2024

Alex Aldren
Tenor
Alex Aldren studied medicine at the University of Birmingham, and worked as a doctor at the Royal London Hospital, before joining the Royal Academy of Music Opera School in 2016. After graduating in 2019 Alex immediately went on to cover Vašek in The Bartered Bride for Garsington and D’Esparaudieu in Gerald Barry’s The Intelligence Park for The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He then performed the role of Alfonso in Schubert’s Alfonso und Estrella (Opera de Baugé) and Alfredo in La Traviata (Hampstead Garden Opera). That year he also reached the finals of both Maureen Lehane and Emmy Destin competitions, as well as the semi-final of the international Clermont-Ferrand competition. During the Covid pandemic, Alex went back to work as a doctor in A&E departments around London. While working a shift, he sang Nessun Dorma for some colleagues, a video of which went viral on Twitter, receiving 100,000 views in just a few hours.  .....
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Richard Allen
Harp
Harpist Richard Allen was born in Belfast in 1993 and studied in the UK with Gabriella Dall’Olio then in Switzerland with Letizia Belmondo. As a soloist he has been awarded prizes across Europe as both a classical and traditional musician, notably at the North London Camac Harp Competition and the Concours International Félix Godefroid. Recent highlights include Mozart’s Flute & Harp Concerto with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and Glière’s Harp Concerto with the Ulster Orchestra. As an orchestral musician he freelances with orchestras such as the BBC Philharmonic, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Bergen Philharmonic, and the Orchestra of Opera North. Richard has been invited to tutor courses and masterclasses, most recently at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, the Ulster Youth Orchestra, and the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He is currently teaching at Leuphana Universität Lüneburg. 
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Katya Apekisheva
Piano
Katya Apekisheva is one of Europe's most renowned pianists, in demand internationally as both a soloist and as a chamber musician. Since becoming a prize-winner in the Leeds International and Scottish Piano Competitions and collecting awards such as the London Philharmonic 'Soloist of the Year' and the Terence Judd Award, she has been marked out as a pianist of exceptional gifts, performing with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the London Philharmonic, the Philharmonia, the Halle Orchestra, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony, the English Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, working with conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, David Shallon, Jan Latham-Koenig and Alexander Lazarev.
As a recording artist, Katya has received widespread critical acclaim for her interpretations. Her recording of Grieg solo piano works in .....
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Nathan Braude
Viola
Belgian-Israeli violist Nathan has performed in many of the world's most prestigious concert venues including the Wigmore Hall in London, Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, Amsterdam Concertgebouw and the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. He has also appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras including the »Brussels Philharmonic«, »Orchestre National de Lille«, »Orchestra della Svizzera italiana«, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège”, »Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen«, »Limburgs Symfonie Orkest«, »Solistes Européens Luxembourg«. Nathan’s festival appearances include »Progretto Martha Argerich« in Lugano, »Ravinia Festival« in Chicago, »Festival de Radio France« in Montpellier and the »Festival Juventus« where he was nominated »Lauréat Juventus« in 2008. Since 2010 Nathan regularly performs in duo recitals together with his wife Polina Leschenko.  .....
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Jan Bradley
Percussion
Jan Bradley is a freelance percussionist based in Manchester. He studied at the RNCM. He works with many orchestras including the Halle orchestra, Royal Liverpool philharmonic orchestra, City of Birmingham symphony orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Royal Northern sinfonia, Orchestra of the Swan. Alongside his orchestral work he is a founder member of the percussion quartet 4-MALITY, with whom he has been performing since 1999. In addition to his playing commitments Jan is also a composer having been writing music since he was 13. He writes mostly for percussion but also pieces for trumpet, voice, and orchestra. His works have been performed at venues including the BBC Proms, Snape Maltings and Berlin Philharmonie.
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Seth Collin
Cello
Brundibár Arts Festival Young Professional Scheme 2024
Seth recently graduated from Clare College, Cambridge where he read Medical Sciences. He was an Instrumental Award Holder during his time at Cambridge University, receiving chamber coaching from members of the Doric Quartet, and was principal cello in the Cambridge University Sinfonia and Opera Orchestra. Previously, he was co-principal cellist of the National Youth Orchestra in 2020. Recently, he has played in the 2023 St. Endellion festival and attended the Wye Valley Festival chamber music residency. Seth is currently taking lessons with Louise Hopkins, and studied before that with Karen Stephenson, and Jennifer Langridge at the JRNCM. Another important influence on his playing has been coaching from members of the London Haydn Quartet on the MusicWorks music courses, and MusicWorks Sundays at King's Place. In Newcastle, he assists with and conducts the St. Paul’s Youth Ensembles.
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Nicola Eimer
Piano
British Pianist Nicola Eimer has performed as a soloist and chamber music across Europe, Asia and America and has played at the major UK venues including the Barbican and Wigmore Hall. A graduate of New York’s Juilliard School, Nicola held a Fulbright Scholarship to study with Joseph Kalichstein. She previously studied in London with Danielle Salamon, and then with Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music, where she was subsequently awarded a Fellowship and then nominated an Associate of the Academy. Nicola’s passion for chamber music has led to a wide range of partnerships, in duos as well as larger ensembles. She has won both the chamber music and solo awards in the Royal Overseas League Music Competition  .....
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Magdalena Filipczak
Violin
With her eclectic and extensive repertoire she has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in the UK (including Wigmore Hall, Barbican Hall, St John's Smith Square), in Europe (among others in Het Concertgebouw, Tallinn Philharmonic, Cracow Philharmonic, Baltic Philharmonic) as well as in the USA (Carnegie Hall), Canada and South America. Magdalena’s Carnegie Hall recital debut, postponed due to the pandemic, will be on May 30th 2023. Among her many international competition successes, she is the winner of the IV Heino Eller International Violin Competition in Estonia and recipient of special prizes for the best interpretation of Bach (Bärenreiter Edition Prize) and the best concerto performance (Music Academy in Tallinn Prize). Most recently Magdalena has received Gold Prize of 2018 Manhattan International Music Competition, Silver Prize at 2018 Berliner International Music Competition, and First Prize at 2017 United States International Concerto Competition. For her achievement she was awarded Młoda Polska Scholarship (Young Poland) by the Polish Ministry of Culture  .....
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Dov Goldberg
Clarinet
Dov Goldberg studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Alan Hacker. On leaving the RNCM in 1988 Dov became a founder member of Jane's Minstrels and subsequently joined the Northern Chamber Orchestra as principal clarinet. He has also played first clarinet with the BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata and he is now a member of the Northern Sinfonia. In 1990 Dov made his London Debut at the Queen Elizabeth Hall as part of the Park Lane Group Recital Series and has since made many solo and concerto appearances. In 1994 Dov was invited to join Psappha by Tim Williams and together they recently premièred and gave the first broadcast of Peter Maxwell Davies' Stedman Doubles (1955) in the original version which had been locked away in the British Library for forty years! Dov has played Principal Clarinet with BBC Philharmonic, BBC NOW, CBSO, Hallé, RPO, RPCO, BBC Scottish, SCO, Northern Sinfonia & Opera North. Dov has also worked with Britten Sinfonia, Scottish Opera, Philharmonia, BBC Symphony, Haffner Ensemble & Northern Ballet
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Aleksandra Hałat
Piano
Aleksandra Hałat is a pianist, chamber musician, lecturer, creator of culture, founder of The Karol Rathaus Foundation. The artist graduated with honours from The Henryk Wieniawki Music Secondary School in Łódź under the supervision of Anna Juszczak. She completed her piano studies at The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice in prof. Czesław Stańczyk’s class. Later, she mastered her artistic skills at The University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz (Austria), under the supervision of Otto Niederdorfer (piano class), Chia Chou (chamber music class) and prof. Stacey Bartsch (vocal accompaniment). In 2010, she completed her post-diploma studies in piano chamber music at The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, in Maria Szwajger-Kułakowska’s class. During numerous home and foreign piano workshops and master classes, she has had the opportunity to work under the guidance of such artists as Wojciech Świtała, Ewa Pobłocka, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń, Waldemar Wojtal, Wiera Nossina, Julius Drake, Walter Moore, Norman Shetler, Robert Kabara, Barbara Górzyńska, Tomasz Herbut, Chrisoph Wyneken.
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Xavier Hetherington
Tenor
After reading Classics at St John’s College, Cambridge, British tenor Xavier Hetherington took his masters degree at the Royal College of Music as a Their Serene Highnesses Dr Prince Donatus and Princess Heidi Von Hohenzollern scholar. He graduated in 2020 with distinction and moved on to the Mascarade Opera Studio (MOS) in Florence, Italy. After nine months in Florence Xavier was accepted into the Centre de Perfeccionament at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, and he has just come to the end of a 6 month period there. Xavier has benefited from the generous support of the King-Farlow Trust, Mr Simon Groves, Mr and Mrs McGowan Stuart and Mr John Rae and is an Opera Prelude Young Artist. Recent engagements include Prologue/Peter Quint The Turn of the Screw for the Deborah Warner season at the Ustinov Studio, Bath; Don José Carmen (Waterperry Opera Festival), Scrofulous / Toady / Seer / Saul in a new Purcell/Pountney project Masque of Might, Shepherd and cover Orpheus (Monteverdi) and Mini Vixen (all for Opera North)
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Kyra Humphreys
Violin
Kyra Humphreys is an accomplished orchestral and chamber musician. She has performed with most of the major UK symphony and chamber orchestras and appeared as guest leader or director with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and Orchestra of Opera North. She has appeared as a soloist in the BBC Proms and performed in music festivals around the world. Her world premiere of John Casken’s ‘Après un Silence’ (violin and orchestra version) was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and described as “authoritatively dramatic” by The Times. As the violinist/violist of the Zanfonia Trio Kyra was a finalist in the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition and the trio performed frequently throughout the UK as award winners in both the Munster and John Tunnell Trust concert scheme competitions. .....
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Ania Karpowicz
Flute
Ania is a flutist. curator. activist. Awarded with the „Passport” by the „Polityka” magazine 2020 in the classical music category. Graduate of flute solo studies at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold with Janos Balint  and at the Bacewicz Musical Academy in Łódź in with Antoni Wierzbiński. Laureate of national and international music competitions in Poland and Germany. In the years 2006-2008 flutist at the European Union Youth Orchestra. While at the EUYO, performed at the Royal Albert Hall (the PROMS), Berliner Konzerthaus, Concertgebouw, Zurich Tonhalle, and many other concert halls in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Latvia, and Kazachstan, performing with such musical personalities as Sir James Galway, Janine Jansen, Andrey Boreyko and Vladimir Ashkenazy. Specializes in micro-projects in city spaces realized with local communities. In the years 2010-2012 created „Lokal na Poważnie” scene which aimed at popularizing classical and contemporary music. In 2014 performed with Mariusz Kłubczuk and Barbara Kinga Majewska in a series of concerts „WawaParis1914” introducing classical music into the public space. More

 

Yoshie Kawamura
Piano
Yoshie Kawamura was born in Japan, Nagoya and moved to the UK when she was 11. She was awarded a scholarship to study at Wells Cathedral School with Sanae Nakajima, before receiving Bachelor and Master of Music at Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Joan Havill. A year later she auditioned to study with Prof. Gilead Mishory at Musikhochschule Freiburg in Germany. Yoshie has performed worldwide as a soloist and chamber musician in England, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and Japan. She was invited to join the Berlin Philharmonic Quartet in performing Schumann’s Piano Quintet on their tour of Japan; subsequently she received an invitation from the Poznan Philharmonia to perform as a soloist in a series of concerts in Poland. In 2013 Yoshie moved to Newcastle to study Cultural Management at Northumbria University where she received her second Master’s degree. This lead in co-founding Brundibár Arts Festival with Alexandra Raikhlina in 2016. Yoshie is one of the festival’s administrator as well as a performer. Since 2016, she has been actively involved each year in the festival’s organisation, management of the artists and audience, venue coordinator and as a performer. More

 

Guido Martin-Brandis
Opera Director
Guido Martin-Brandis is a director and cellist based in London. His imaginatively detailed, character driven, musically sensitive productions have garnered excellent reviews in the press, marking him out as a rising talent amongst British opera directors. His last three shows reviewed in Opera Now Magazine all received five star reviews, and his shows have been nominated for the OffWestEnd Awards and also the Standing Ovation Awards. He is particularly passionate about the German and Slavic operatic repertoire, alongside the operas of the French Baroque, and formed The Opera Company in 2017 to put on productions of these works. His first two shows with the company, Onegin and Tatiana, and The Cunning Little Vixen, enjoyed sell out runs at the Arcola Theatre as part of the Grimeborn Festival. In 2022 with The Opera Company he directed the professional UK premiere of the 1737 version of Rameau’s Castor et Pollux, and a double bill of Rameau’s Pigmalion and Nélée et Myrthis.
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Robert Max
Musical Director
Cello
Robert Max is the Musical Director of the Oxford Symphony Orchestra and the North London Symphony Orchestra. He conducted the Symphony Orchestra at Royal Holloway, University of London from 2001-2014 and made regular visits to Romania to conduct the Arad and Oradea Filharmonic Orchestras. As well as performances with the London Chamber Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Covent Garden Chamber Orchestra and the Oxford Sinfonia, Robert has conducted the Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra in Almaty. He was Musical Director of the Zemel Choir from 1994-8, with whom he recorded two CDs for Olympia and toured Israel. As cellist of the Barbican Piano Trio for over thirty-five years, Robert has performed on four continents and recorded for ASV, Black Box, Chandos, Dutton and Guildmusic. While Principal Cellist of the London Chamber Orchestra Robert enjoyed invitations to play as guest principal with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Northern Sinfonia. ... More

 

Eleanor Oldfield
Mezzo-soprano
Soprano Eleanor Oldfield is a recent graduate from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with a BMus (Hons), MMus and MPerf (Dist.) under the tutelage of John Evans and Marcus Van den Akker. She was supported by the Goldsmith’s Company throughout her time at the Guildhall. Since graduating, Eleanor has been on two UK tours with the Merry Opera Company: Mikado in autumn 2022 and Messiah in spring 2023. She is also active as a recitalist, performing in multiple concerts across the country, including returning to her home county of Norfolk to perform as a soloist with North Norfolk Chorale and the Norfolk Sinfonia, performing the role of ‘Maria’ in a concert version of West Side Story with Kidderminster Choral Society, and most recently with newly found Trio di Seta at the Cuckfield Music Festival 2023. She is very excited to be performing the title role in Noah Max’s A Child in Striped Pyjamas at the Brundibár Arts Festival in January. Upcoming engagements also include performing the role of ‘First Lady’ in Wild Arts Production of The Magic Flute as one of their Young Artists for the Summer of 2024 More

 

Noam Pnini
Soprano
Israeli Soprano Noam Pnini graduated with a Master of Music from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. Noam is also an alumna of the Israel Vocal Arts Institute, Jerusalem Music Centre, the Köln Music Academy, Austrian-American Mozart Academy and has participated in workshops with British Youth Opera and the National Opera Studio in London. Her operatic experiences include Tytania (Midsummer Night's Dream); Nannetta (Falstaff); Mademoiselle Silberklang (Der Schauspieldirektor), Semele (Semele); Drusilla (L'incoronazione di Poppea); Belinda (Dido and Aene); Constance (Dialogues des Carmélites); Genovieffa (Sour Angelica) and Télaïre (Castor et Pollux). Noam is also particularly committed to contemporary music and has collaborated with several composers on new works. In June 2022 she won the Tracey Chadwell Memorial Award for her performance of Five Eliot Landscapes by Thomas Adès. More

 

Alexandra Raikhlina
Violin
Alexandra Raikhlina is a Moscow born young and exciting violinist with a passion for chamber music. After moving to Belgium in 1990 she was Laureate of the “Charles de Beriot” competition in Belgium before being awarded a place at the Yehudi Menuhin School. Later she received a full scholarship to complete her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Alexandra has performed extensively as a soloist and a chamber musician in Belgium, England, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Greece, Germany, Portugal, Hong-Kong and Australia. She has appeared as a soloist and a chamber musician in Wigmore Hall, Barbican Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Fairfield Halls, the Sage Gateshead, Centro Cultural De Belem and Helbphilharmonie. Amongst the numerous prices and awards she received are: Craxton Foundation, the Martin Scholarship Foundation and was awarded the LSO String Scheme Experience. She was a prize winner at the Richmond upon Thames Performing Arts festival and a finalist and special prize winner (for best performance of a sonata) at the International Koningin Sophie Charlotte competition.  .....
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Volodymyr Runchak
Composer
Brundibár Arts Festival
Special Commission 2024
Ukrainian composer and conductor, laureate of numerous international competitions of the composers. He has wide artistic interests: creation of music for symphony and chamber orchestras, small ensembles, soloists, chorus, conductor’s activity includes performing of modern Ukrainian and foreign composers’ pieces, organizational activity covers holding international and All-Ukrainian festivals and concerts “New Music in Ukraine”. V. Runchak’s pieces are successfully performed at various international festivals of modern music in Ukraine and abroad.  V. Runchak’s recitals are held in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lutsk, New York, Munich, Paris… His pieces are published by: 4'33'' - Germany, Agenda edizioni musicali Вologna - Italy, Astra - Poland, New Consonant Music - Belgium, “Kyiv” Chamber Chorus Library, and recorded by: Aurophon, Stadt Witten - Germany, Sub Rosa - Belgium, Cambria – the USA. V. Runchak is a propagandist of modern art of music. For three years he has been hosting the New Music in Ukraine broadcast on the National Radio Company of Ukraine Third “Culture” Channel. ;.....
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Peteris Sokolovskis
Cello
Latvian cellist Peteris Sokolovskis is enjoying a freelance career as a chamber musician, orchestral player and very occasionally a soloist. Recently Peteris performed the Dvorak Cello Concerto with the Barnet Symphony Orchestra and Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante with the Corinthian Chamber Orchestra, He will return to perform with the Barnet Symphony Orchestra to play Shostakovich’s 1st Cello Concerto and will play the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto with the Wandsworth Symphony Orchestra. As guest principal Peteris has played with the Netherlands Philharmonic and Trondheim Symphony Orchestras and is a regular in the London Symphony Orchestra and Aurora Orchestra.
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Liubov Ulybysheva
Cello
Liubov Ulybysheva was born in Moscow and started playing the cello at the age of five. Having studied at the Gnessin Special Music School and the Russian Music Academy, she came to London in 2003 to continue her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Stefan Popov and Oleg Kogan, graduating with 1st class honours. Following that, Liubov completed a Master of Music Degree at the Royal Academy of Music with Professor Felix Schmidt, winning the Moir Carnegie Prize for cello on graduation. Liubov became the only cellist to win a prestigious scholarship from the Paganini International Competition funded by the Investment Programme Foundation, Moscow. She was also featured in the Reader's Digest magazine as one of the young stars of the Russian Hope feature.  .....
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Gabriel Waite
Cello
Gabriel comes from Chichester in West Sussex. After being convinced he was going to be a concert pianist and then a sound engineer, Gabriel realised that Cello was the way forward and travelled north to Manchester where he studied with Eduardo Vassallo. At the RNCM Gabriel was a prize winning chamber musician in the Yeomans Quartet and with performances of The Quartet for the End of Time. Gabriel turned down a position with the Coldstream Guards in order to travel further north and work as a district musician in Mo I Rana, Norway. Here Gabriel performed regularly with guitarist Arne Brattland. After a few years working as a freelance musician in Glasgow, Gabriel joined the Royal Northern Sinfonia where he was joined by his wife Jane Nossek a year later. They live in Gateshead with their two daugters
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Imogen Whitehead
Trumpet
Imogen Whitehead is a trumpeter in demand across the UK and abroad. In August 2023 Imogen was appointed Principal Trumpet with Britten Sinfonia. She also often performs as Guest Principal Trumpet with Aurora Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia and English National Opera and is a regular guest player with the London Symphony and Royal Philharmonic orchestras. Imogen is an alumna of Southbank Sinfonia (2016) and a regular deputy for Les Misérables in the West-End. As a soloist, Imogen has premiered a number of works including Stephen Dodgson’s Trumpet Concerto and ‘Trinculo’ by Sally Beamish, commissioned for her by the Park Lane Group. Imogen has also undertaken studies with renowned soloist Tine Thing Helseth thanks to funding from the Royal Philharmonic Society.
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Jeremy Huw Williams
Baritone
The Welsh baritone Jeremy Huw Williams studied at St John's College, Cambridge, at the National Opera Studio in London, and with April Cantelo. He made his debut with Welsh National Opera as Guglielmo (Così fan tutte) and has since appeared in seventy operatic roles. He has given performances at major venues in North and South America, Australia, China, India, and most European countries. In France he has sung the roles of Olivier (Capriccio), Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), George (Of Mice and Men), Guglielmo (Così fan tutte), Shchelkalov (Boris Godunov), Baritone (Hydrogen Jukebox) and title role Till Eulenspiegel by Karetnikov for L'Opéra de Nantes, and Sebastian (The Tempest) for L’Opéra du Rhin. In Italy he has sung the role of Nixon (Nixon in China) at the opera house in Verona and Ferryman (Curlew River) at the opera houses of Pisa and Trento. In Greece he has sung the role of Chou En-lai (Nixon in China) for Greek National Opera. In Belgium he has sung the role of Marcello (La Bohème) for Zomeropera. In Norway he has sung the role of Papageno (Die Zauberflöte) for Vest Norges Opera and Serezha (The Electrification of the Soviet Union) for Opera Vest.
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Bartosz Woroch
Violin
Polish-born violinist Bartosz Woroch is a prize winner at major international competitions such as Pablo Sarasate in Spain and Michael Hill in New Zealand. As a soloist Bartosz has appeared with orchestras across the world, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonic, Bern Symphony Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony and Polish Radio Orchestras with conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Libor Pešek, Lukasz Borowicz and Henk Guittart. As dedicated chamber musician, Bartosz has collaborated with a variety of artists such as Pekka Kuusisto, Sting, Caroline Palmer, Uri Caine, Nicholas Daniel, Jorg Widmann, Piotr Anderszewski and award-winning director Tom Morris.  .....
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