Kirill Monorosi is an Australian pianist, musicologist, composer and teacher.
Links to recordings and Live-concerts:
Prof. Inge Rosar, Germany
Inge Rosar studied music education in the piano class of Prof. Walter Blankenheim at the University of music in Saarbrücken, Germany and completed her studies with the concert exam. She won awards in many competitions, such as: 1st prize in the International Bach Competition, Paris, France (1983); 1st prize for two pianos in the International Piano Duo Competition “Carlo Soliva”, Moncalieri, Italy, 1986; the Master Players Prize in the International Piano Duo Competition, Lugano, Switzerland, 1989.
She has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and Lied accompanist in Europe, Russia, the USA, Argentina, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia.
In 1992, together with Prof. Walter Blankenheim, Inge organised the 1st International Piano Competition J. S. Bach, Germany (which took place at the University of music in Saarbrücken). In 1998, Inge was asked to become a jury member of this competition. From 2007 to 2016, she was artistic and administrative director and chair of the competition jury. Since 2016, the International Piano Competition J. S. Bach in Memoriam Walter Blankenheim, Germany has been jointly organised by Inge Rosar (Co-chair of the Jury) and Dr Kirill Monorosi (Artistic director and Co-chair of the Jury). In 2020, Inge and Kirill founded the International Online Play Bach Competition for children and students.
From 2001 until her retirement in 2020, Inge was Professor of Piano and Didactics/Methodology at the Würzburg University of Music. In April 2020, together with Kirill and Olaf Krüger, she founded the International Johann Sebastian Bach Academy in memory of Walter Blankenheim, which offers online seminars on Bach interpretation and online lessons.
In January 2012, her article “Problems and Opportunities: Designing the Piano Works of
J. S. Bach on the Modern Piano” was published and was featured in the book The Pianist’s Craft. Mastering the Works of Great Composers published by Scarecrow Press in the USA.
From 2012 Inge Rosar and Dr Kirill Monorosi gave a number of master classes and lectures in universities in Europe, Russia, USA, Argentina, South Korea, and Australia. From 2012 Inge Rosar began recording piano works by J. S. Bach, and has so far recorded 12 CDs, some of which appear with an interpretive edition of J. S. Bach’s scores, indicating structures, articulations, fingerings, and dynamics. The scores are published by La Folia Music Publications, Sydney.
Dr Chihyu Chen, Taiwan
Pianist Chen, Chih-Yu was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She started playing piano at the age of four and later attended the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria, where she studied piano solo under the tutelage of Austrian music education expert Walter Fleischmann (the author
of “Aus Klavierspiel wird Musik”, known as The Piano Playing Technique of Reproducing Music), and German professor Wolfgang Watzinger (who has taught in several conservatories including Berlin; a jury member of International Beethoven and Brahms Piano Competitions); chamber music with Avedis Kouyoumdjian (the winner of the International Beethoven Competition in 1981).
She graduated with Master of Piano Performance and Master of Chamber Music. In addition, Chen also specialises in academic fields and received PhD in Musicology from the same university. After the
graduation, Chen decided to broaden her piano profession by following the guidance of Romanian pianist Meira Farkas.
During her residing period in Austria, Chen has received prizes from numerous piano and chamber music competitions, such as Austria Korneuburg International Piano Competition (1997, Second Prize); International Brahms Chamber Music Competition in Pörtschach, Austria (2001, Excellence Award).
After winning the First Prize at the Fifth International Piano Competition J. S. Bach, Saarbrücken, Germany in 2004, Chen was assigned as a jury member of the competition since 2007, and her Goldberg Variations from the final round was broadcasted via German National Radio. At the meantime, she has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber music member across Austria and Germany, such as the chamber music concert under the project ‘Brahms-Marathon’ in Vienna Concert Hall (Wiener Konzerthaus) in 1996; as a soloist in ‘Bach-Zyklus’ concert – to mark the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death in Karajan Centre in 2000; a live recorded concert in the Austrian National Radio (ORF) Concert Hall in the same year, and so on.
After returning from Europe in 2005, Chen actively engaged in various occasions: being awarded “New Star” from the National Performing Arts Centre in 2008; performed in the National Theatre and Concert Hall in Taipei during the same year. In March 2009, she collaborated with the Kaohsiung City Youth Orchestra, performed Beethoven Piano Concerto No.1 in the Cultural Centre of Kaohsiung City. In November 2010, Chen premiered the piano works of Taiwanese composer, Huang Futong, in Tainan.
Besides the recitals in grand concert halls, Chen is also keen to promote classical music to a larger amount of public. Therefore, she has also performed in many other venues, including the Jinan Nursing Home and Wenzao University of Foreign Languages. In 2018, she was invited to Kaohsiung Audio Show, “We, Vienna”, to record J.S. Bach’s masterpiece, the full version of Goldberg Variations on a vinyl record. Later in 2019, she released her first CD album “Bach to Bach”.
Chen’s involvement in chamber music is as remarkable as her solo career. She has collaborated with numerous musicians, including violinist Oleh Krysa, Christophe Boulier, Efim Zoubritski, Zhang Qun; cellist Dai Leewen and Zeng Jiayi; violist Lin Meiru and flautist Sun Li. In 2005, she was assigned as the accompanist for Vienna Children’s Choir while they performed in Kaohsiung. Since 2016, she has been invited from time to time, to perform on tour with Muen Chamber Orchestra in the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as the international concert tour with the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra. In 2018, Chen received an invitation from pianist Dr. Lei Minhong, to work together as “Duo Pianiximo” and performed in Guangzhou, China.
Chen had worked in Prayner Konservatorium and Schubert Konsevatorium in Vienna as vocal accompanist between 2002 and 2004. Ever since moving back to Taiwan in 2005, she teaches in
the music department of National Taiwan Normal University, National Kaohsiung Normal University, National Pingtung University and Tainan University of Technology. She is the founder and artistic director of Kaohsiung International Piano Music Festival, established since 2019.
Link to recordings:
KKbox https://www.kkbox.com/tw/tc/search.php?search=mix&word=Chih-Yu+chen
amazon https://www.amazon.de/J-S-Bach-Goldberg-Variationen-BWV988-Chih-Yu-Chen/dp/B07XVRNDGP/
spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/4eK6LiokmzJod9dHsPs5yR?si=JLHr5QT8R5CYi8oaVIS73A
iTunes https://music.apple.com/de/album/j-s-bach-goldberg-variationen-bwv-988/1479769643
Anne Riegler, Germany
was interested in the artistic and pedagogical aspects of music making right from the beginning of her studies: almost at the same time, she took up an artistic and pedagogical course of study with piano as her main subject in Würzburg. Her studies took her to the Conservatory in St. Petersburg and to the Mannes School in New York, where she obtained her Master’s degree and taught group piano lessons. In summer 2020 she will receive her master class diploma in Würzburg.
Teaching music has become a matter close to Anne Riegler’s heart, which she realises in various ways:
In her artistic work as an internationally award-winning pianist she offers moderated concerts. In these concerts, she entertainingly explains what she associates with music or the background of the works. In her experience, even a little information allows the listener a new, dust-free approach to classical music. In 2017 her first CD “à la manière de…” was released on the TyxArt label, featuring works by Maurice Ravel and composers whom he portrays musically.
In 2016, Anne Riegler composed a “musical fairy tale” of read text and programmatic piano pieces to make music an experience for children, enabling them to listen intuitively. Since then she has been composing regularly for her piano students, and a full-length children’s musical will be published by Carus-Verlag in 2020.
Anne Riegler teaches at the Musikhochschule in Regensburg and privately in Würzburg and gives piano courses for amateur pianists. From 2017 she will be an observer in Inge Rosar’s lessons in the subjects rehearsals and technical methodology (both for beginners and advanced students). Little by little she took over more and more of the teaching.
For Anne Riegler, the mixture of performing, composing and teaching forms an ideal balance of being a musician. It enables her to look at the core of the matter, namely the music itself, from three essential points of view, which constantly influence and inspire each other.
Links:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKzXc-yS3ukxrMDyAPJoUKQ?view_as=subscriber
Dr Georgi Boykin, Bulgaria
Georgi Boykin was born on May 6 1993 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. In 2012 he finished the Dobrin Petkov National School for Music and Dance in Plovdiv with piano under Stella Oslekova. He continues his education in the National Academy of Music Prof. Pancho Vladigerov in Sofia, where he finished his master’s degree in 2017 studying with Prof. Dr Borislava Taneva and where he is currently a PhD candidate. In May 2021 he finished his studies and received his Dr PHD.
Georgi has been the soloist of several orchestras in Bulgaria, playing concertos from Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Poulenc and has participated in many masterclasses and festivals, including the Lancaster International Piano Festival (2014, 2015), Piano Extravaganza (2016), the Poros International Piano Academy (2017), the Rhodes Art Music Festival (2018). In 2017 Georgi had a concert tour in Japan, including concerts in Yokohama, Okinawa, Fukuoka and Okayama.
He has had numerous concerts in Germany in cities like Saarbrücken, Ottweiler, Weimar, Würzburg and others. Among the prizes he has received are 1st prize at the Schumann-Brahms International Piano Competition (November 2008, Plovdiv, Bulgaria), 1st prize at the Nis International Piano Competition (March 2014, Nis, Serbia), 2nd prize at the Albert Roussel International Piano Competition (October 2014, Sofia, Bulgaria), 3rd prize at the Pancho Vladigerov International Piano and Violin Competition (April 2015, Shumen, Bulgaria), 1st and special prize at the 3rd National Academy Competition J.S.Bach and his contemporaries (December 2015, Plovdiv, Bulgaria), 3rd prize at the International Piano Competition 2018 – From Bach to Jazz (April 2018, Athens, Greece), Diplom (2016) and the Special prize in the name of the founder of the competition – Walter Blankenheim (2019, for the first time in the history of the competition) at the International Piano Competition Johann Sebastian Bach in Memoriam Walter Blankenheim (formerly Saarbrücken, Würzburg/Germany).
Links to recordings (live and studio):
March 2016, live recording S. Bach – Prelude and Fugue Nr. 18 G-sharp minor BWV 863, WTC I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fySh1AWSQTk June 2017, live recording S. Prokofiev – Sonata No. 8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Tfvn8Bm9E&t=163s March 2018, live recording E. Rautavaara – Sonata No. 2, 2nd and 3rd mvt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ryg82YQ3s March 2019, live recording: Preliminary round in the International Piano Competition J. S. Bach in Memoriam Walter Blankenheim /Germany (formerly Saarbrücken/Würzburg) S. Bach – Inventions 4, 7, 8, 11, 13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmgmoAaNZv0 June 2020, studio recording S. Prokofiev – Sonata No. 9, 1st and 2nd mvt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC2TwrhiXJo June 2020, studio recording P. Hindemith – Sonata for Violin and Piano https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyWJfTM_f2YJingjing Zhang, China
was born in Tianjin, China in 1983. She first studied diploma music at the Music Middle school Affiliated to Tianjin Conservatory of Music in China and then at the University of Music, Würzburg / Germany in the piano class of Prof. Inge Rosar and then in further education with a concert diploma. From the winter semester 2008 she also took numerous pedagogical courses for qualified music teachers for several semesters.
Jingjing took piano at numerous master classes, including with Prof. Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and Prof. Arnulf von Arnim. Participation in master classes in J. S. Bach on the piano with Prof. Walter Blankenheim shaped her interpretation of Bach’s piano works.
With repeated participation in chamber music courses, u. a. the Voces Quartet gave her suggestions for playing in the piano duo.
In competitions, she reached the semifinals at the International Piano Competition in Vienna / Austria in 2007 and, with her piano duo partner (You-Jeong Kim, South Korea) won first prize in the International Piano Competition for Duo Playing in Italy / Moncalieri in 2008. Jingjing Zhang gave numerous solo concerts in Germany and China. In April 2015 she played a solo concert at the Grand Theater in Tianjin; in September 2015 a solo concert in the University Hall in Beijing. She also played in many concerts as a chamber music partner with singers, strings and brass.
In a report by a well-known pianist from the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg, Jingjing’s play said: (2011) “… a wonderful, very open musician and an excellent pianist. Your playing is characterized by a superior piano technique and especially by flexibility and a great naturalness.” In a review after a concert in Germany (Ottweiler 2015) you could read: “If you get goose bumps, you know that it is good.”
Since 2016, Jingjing Zhang has been a jury member of the competitions: International Franz Schubert Piano Competition for Children and Youth in China, Asia Pacific Cup International Music and Dance Competition in China and the United States Open Music Competition in China.
She is currently teaching at the YEW CHUNG International School of Beijing.
Link to Recordings:
Würzburg/Germany: University of Music, Great Hall: Großer Saal: (part1) https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDE3NjUxOTI5Mg==.html
Würzburg/Germany: University of Music, Great Hall: (part 2) https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDE3NjU0MDU2MA==.html
Concert in Tianjin, Conservatory (part 1) https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDE3NjU3MDk4MA==.html
Concert in Tianjin, Conservatory (part 2) https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDE3NjU4NzUzMg==.html
Concert in Tianjin, Conservatory (part 3) https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDE3NjYwMzI5Mg==.html
Concert in Tianjin, Western Shore Art Salon https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDE3NjEzMTQwNA==.html
Review in newpaper: http://www.saarbruecker-zeitung.de/saarland/neunkirchen/ottweiler/Ottweiler-Floetisten-Klavierwettbewerbe;art446737,5934690
YOU-JEONG KIM, SOUTH KOREA
You-Jeong Kim, born in Korea, graduated from Deokwon Art High School. She finished her diploma course and advanced studies (concert diploma) at the University of Music in Würzburg (University of music) in the piano class of Prof. Inge Rosar with distinction. She took part in master classes for Bach Interpretations with Prof. Walter Blankenheim and Prof. Inge Rosar in Saarland.
During her studies at the University of Music in Würzburg, she also participated in contemporary music projects, which further trained her understanding of musical processes and their possible interpretations. So she played in the concert for the master class with David Geringas and Cecile Ousset, performed in chamber music concerts in the days of new music, played duo chamber music performances, participated in the concerts of the ensemble for new music, and gave concerts with compositions for new music with the Würzburg University orchestra. Her concert activities include piano recitals in a series of concerts in the town hall of Spiesen-Elversberg, Saarland and concerts with works by JS Bach in the Bach Center in Haus Blankenheim, Saarbrücken. ”
In the national music competition of Gimpo University in 2000, she won 3rd place in the Classical Music Composition section. At the 20th International Piano Competition for Piano Duo Citta di Moncalieri, March in 2008 , Italy, she and her duo partner Jingjing Zhang, China won the 1st prize (You-Jeong Kim was the first Korean to receive a 1st prize). The duo was invited to perform at the Moncalieri City Theater, Italy.
The head of the artist agency in Frankfurt, Mr. Wolfgang Fahrenholtz, said after one of her concerts: “A big and beautiful bud is blooming.” At her final concert at the university in Würzburg, András Hamary (professor for piano at the university in Würzburg) remarked: “She understands what she is playing!”
Link to recordings: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmH6U_7OLekFjswRehdOPHA
피아니스트 김유정은 독일 뷔르츠부르크 음악대학 피아노과를 최고성적으로 입학하였으며, 2009 년 최고성적으로 졸업하였고 (사사:Prof. Inge Rosar) 독일 Saarland에서 마스터클래스 BachInterpretationen을 수료하였다. (사사:Prof. Water Blankenheim)
일찍이 2000년 김포대학 전국음악콩쿨에서 순수클래식 작곡부분 3위로 입상하였고, 독일 뷔르츠 부르크 음악대학 재학 중 작곡 프로젝트, 현대음악 프로젝트 참여하는 등 작곡에도 재능을 보여 그로 인해 작품에 대한 이해와 해석하는 감각이 탁월하다는 호평을 받고 있다.
“David Geringas” 와 “Cecile Ousset” 마스터클래스 수료를 비롯해 “Tage Der Neuen Musik Kammerkonzert”(독일 뷔르츠부르크 음악대학 대극장), Duo 실내악 연주, “Konzert des Ensembles Neue Musik”(독일 뷔르츠부르크 음악대학 대극장), 독일 Saarland 시청 초청 연주(Spiese in Saarland Rathaus), 모차르트 아우라 홀(Mozart-Gymnasium Aula Saal), 독일 Saarland, BachZentrum “Haus Blankenheim”, Komposition Neue Musik Orchester 와 협연 등 활발한 연주활동을 펼쳐온 그녀는 특히 2008년 제20회 유럽뮤직 콩쿨 “Citta di Moncalieri: 실내악 부분에서 한국인 최초로 1위 입상이라는 쾌거를 거두었으며, 이태리 몽칼리에리 (Moncalieri in Italy) 극장 초청연주 를 가지며 유럽 음악계에서 두각을 나타내고 있다.
그녀의 연주를 듣고 예술평론가 Wolfgang Fahrenholtz 는 “크고 아름다운 꽃봉우리를 피우고 있 다” 라고 하였으며 교수 András Hamary (독일 뷔르츠부르크 음악대학) 는 “그녀는 스스로 무엇을 치는지 제대로 이해하고 연주한다” 라고 호평하였다.
Link to recordings: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmH6U_7OLekFjswRehdOPHA
Hongyi Sophia Cai, Australia
Born in China, Sophia commenced her piano lessons at the age of 9 and was awarded with Distinction in the Grade 9 exam (highest non-professional grade) held by the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing, China) at 12 years-old. Just months before migrated to Australia in 2004, she won the gold medal in Chinese Young Performers Competition by playing the renowned Chinese piano concerto “Yellow River”.
After migrating to Australia, Sophia continued her piano lessons with Bulgarian pianist Nikolai Evrov, chamber music lessons with Associate Professor Gerard Willems and Dr. Bernadette Harvey in Sydney. In 2012 she graduated with Bachelor of Music (Performance) and in 2015 with Master of Music Studies degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with two scholarships. She has performed extensively in masterclasses and concerts in Sydney. In 2013 she joined the Sydney Conservatorium Orchestra and performed Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem with Conservatorium Choir and Conservatorium High School Choir, the concert was live recorded and played on ABC Classic FM (Australian Broadcasting Corperation). In the following year, Sophia was appointed as Assistant Teacher at the Sydney Conservatorium Open Academy and Conservatorium High School.
After years of teaching, Sophia decided to follow her passion as a concert pianist. She moved to Würzburg, Germany in September 2016. In May 2019, she graduated with Master of Music (Performance) at the University of Music Würzburg, under the tutelage of Prof. Inge Rosar, combined with chamber music under Prof. Denise Benda. In March 2019, Sophia was the quarterfinalist in the International Piano Competition “Johann Sebastian Bach” in Würzburg, Germany.
Sophia has performed in various venues across Europe, such as Ádám Jenő Music School in Budapest (Hungary); Schloss Drösiedl in Vienna (Austria); Steingraeber & Söhne Piano Factory in Bayreuth (Germany), Haus Blankenheim in Saarbrücken (Germany), and Historical Town Hall in Karlstadt am Main (Germany).
Sophia is pursuing her Certificate of Performance degree under Prof. Roland Batik at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna from March 2020.
Links to live – concerts:
Preliminary round in the International Piano Competition J. S. Bach in Memoriam Walter Blankenheim (Würzburg 2019, University of Music, Germany): https://youtu.be/xzpAgD-2jGM
Salon Batik, Ebergassing Castle, Austria: youtu.be/ma_B_TPjmTE