Arnaldo Cohen was the only student in the history of the Brazilian university to graduate with honors in piano and violin by the School of Music of the UFRJ. His main professor was Jacques Klein, the great Brazilian pianist. Cohen won the 1st Prize in the International Competition Busoni, in Italy, by unanimous vote. Since then he has performed in more than 2,000 concerts all over the world, as soloist of the most important orchestras in the world.

BBC Magazine defined him as a ‘rare phenomenon’. For the Swedish recording company BIS, Cohen recorded a CD dedicated entirely to the Brazilian music and about that recording, the reviewer of the English newspaper The Times wrote: “Cohen possesses an extraordinary technique that is capable of scorching the piano keys or melt our hearts”.

The magazine Gramophone chose Cohen’s recording for the BIS label, with works by Liszt, to integrate the renowned “Editor’s Choice” list and justified: “His interpretation of Liszt is comparable to the one made by Horowitz in colors as well as in temperament. His musical maturity and vertiginous virtuosity place him in the same category as Richter”. The same Gramophone did not spare compliments to Cohen’s CD, which has just been launched, as soloist of the Symphony Orchestra of São Paulo (OSESP), conducted by John Neschling. Performing the two concerts by Liszt and the Totentanz, the critic Jeremy Nicholas summarized: “difficult to surpass”.

After living more than twenty years in London, Cohen moved to the United States in 2004, becoming the first Brazilian musician to assume a perpetual teaching position at the School of Music of the University of Indiana. In England, Cohen taught at the Royal Academy of Music and at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he received the title of Fellow Honoris Causa. He received the “Ordem do Rio Branco” by the Brazilian Government for the services performed to the country in the cultural area. His interest by the academic life got him to participate, as a jury, in several international competitions, such as the Chopin Competition, in Warsaw.

In the last season he performed as a soloist with the orchestras of Cleveland, London Philharmonic, besides recitals all over the world. In May of 2011 he will have his debut at the Symphony Hall, presented by the Symphonic of Chicago.

Recently, the critic Steve Smith, of New York Times, defined Cohen’s art: “With an infallible technique, his performance was a model of balance and imagination.” Yehudi Menuhin, one of the most important musicians of the Twentieth Century, went even further: “Arnaldo Cohen is one of the most extraordinary pianists I have ever heard”.

Extracts from critics

- Chicago Tribune (John Von Rhein) – “A sensational recital.”

- Philadelphia Inquirer (Peter Dobrin) – "The second movement of Mozart’s Concerto, interpreted by Cohen, and accompanied by the Orchestra of Philadelphia, conducted by Sawallisch, sounded as a divine message."

- New York Times (Paul Griffiths) – “Definitely, a great pianist.”

- Seattle (R. M. Campbell) – "You need to listen to Cohen only once to understand all the ‘noise’ his name is generating.”

- Washington Post (Peter Ruhe) – "Cohen’s recital at Kennedy Center was without any doubt the best of the season."

- Baltimore (Steve Wigler) - "Cohen is one of the best pianists not only of our time, but of all times."

- San Francisco (Allan Ultich) – "Listen to Cohen ‘fly’ through his own transcription of the Bat, by Strauss, is to know the true meaning of ‘sensational’.”

- Gramophone – (Jeremy Nicholas) "His interpretation of Liszt is comparable to the one made by Horowitz in colors as well as in temperament. His musical maturity and vertiginous virtuosity place him in the same category as Richter.”

Descendent from a family of musicians, the pianist Olga Kiun started its piano studies when she was 6 years old, with her mother and grandmother, both teachers at the Musical Conservatory of Chisineu (Moldavia).
           
At 17, she entered the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, in Moscow, in the class of the renowned pianist and professor Lev Oborin. As a student at the Conservatory, she received a prize at the International Competition George Enescu, in Romania.
           
After graduating with honors from the Conservatory – highest grades in all the subjects - , she went to Leningrad (today known as Saint Petersburg), where she got her doctor’s degree under the supervision of Pavel Serebriakov.

After finishing her doctor’s studies, she joined “Mosconcert”, a state artistic society, with which she performed several recitals, concerts with orchestra and recordings for the radio and television for the ex-USSR. After one of those concerts, the newspaper “Daguestánskaia Pravda” wrote: “When Olga plays, it seems like it’s not the piano that sounds, but a rich human voice that whispers something extremely personal.”
           
Throughout her career, she performed in several countries, such as Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Uruguay, Paraguay and Peru. In Brazil, she performed for the first time in Curitiba, in 1991. At that time, Gazeta do Povo wrote: “Olga Kiun shows an immeasurable musicality and an emotional and passionate way of playing, necessary for an artist who specializes in the romantic repertoire (...) one of the best pianists that have been in this country”.
           
In Brazil, she has performed as a soloist with the most famous symphonics of the country, such as the State of Paraná Symphony Orchestra, Porto Alegre Symphony Orchestra, São Paulo Municipal Symphony Orchestra, New Philharmonic Orchestra (São Paulo), Campinas Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Antiqua of Curitiba, São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, working with maestros such as Alceo Bocchino, Benito Juarez, Paulo Torres, Adriano Machado, Roberto Duarte, Lutero Rodrigues, Osvaldo Colarusso, Roberto Minczuk, among others.

Since 1993 she has taught at School of Music and Fine Arts of Paraná (EMBAP), in Curitiba, where she has formed a generation of pianists who are active in the Brazilian and international musical panorama. Besides, her pedagogical activities include participations as guest teacher in music festivals all over the country.

“A genuine musician” - Isaac Stern, Miyazaki, Japan, May 2001

An outstanding international musician of our time, Vietnamese pianist Dang Thai Son was propelled to the forefront of the musical world in October 1980, when he was awarded the First Prize and Gold Medal at the Xth International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. It was also the first time that a top international competition was won by an Asian pianist.

He began piano studies with his mother in Hanoi. Discovered by the Russian pianist Isaac Katz, who was on visit in Vietnam in 1974, he pursued his advanced training at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Russia with Vladimir Natanson and Dmitry Bashkirov.

Since winning the Chopin Competition, his international career has taken him to over forty countries, into such world renowned halls as Lincoln Center (New York), Barbican Center (London), Salle Pleyel (Paris), Herculessaal (Munich), Musikverein (Vienna), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Opera House (Sydney), and Suntory Hall (Tokyo).

He has played with numerous world-class orchestras such as the Leningrad Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Berlin, Baden-Baden Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, Warsaw National Philharmonic, Prague Symphony, NHK Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony, Hungarian State Symphony, Moscow Philharmonic,

Russian National Symphony, as well as Virtuosi of Moscow, Sinfonia Varsovia, Vienna Chamber, Zurich Chamber, Royal Swedish Chamber Orchestras, and the Ensemble orchestral de Paris. Also, he has appeared under the direction of Sir Neville Marriner, Pinchas Zukerman, Mariss Jansons, Ivan Fisher, Vladimir Spivakov, Dimitri Kitaenko, James Loughram, Jiri Belohlavek, Hiroyuki Iwaki, Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi, Pavel Kogan, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Sakari Oramo, and John Nelson.

In the field of chamber music, he has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Octet, the Smetana String Quartet, Barry Tuckwell, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Pinchas Zukerman, Boris Belkin, Joseph Suk, and Alexander Rudin, and he has played duo-piano with Andrei Gavrilov.

Some career highlights include a New Year’s Day concert (1995) with Yo Yo Ma, Seiji Ozawa, Kathleen Battle, and the late Mstislav Rostropovich, in a major international event produced by the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation NHK; in January 1999, a Gala-concert opening the Chopin year, where he was the only foreign artist invited to appear as soloist with the Warsaw National Opera Theatre Orchestra; concerts in Isaac Stern’s last festival in Miyazaki, Japan in 2001, which included three performances with Pinchas Zukerman; and a special performance as the only guest artist at the Opening Gala Concert of the XVth International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, where he was also a member of the jury.

Dang Thai Son is frequently invited to give master classes around the world - such as the special class in Berlin in October, 1999, where he taught alongside Murray Perahia and Vladimir Ashkenazy, who extended the invitation. Since 1987, he has been a visiting professor at the Kunitachi Music College (Tokyo), and currently, he teaches at the Université de Montréal (Canada). He has sat on the juries of such prestigious competitions as the Cleveland (USA), Clara Haskil (Switzerland), Hamamatsu (Japan), Rachmaninoff (Russia), Piano Masters of Monte Carlo, Sviatoslav Richter (Moscow), Chopin (Warsaw), C. Bechstein (Germany), and Villa-Lobos (Brazil). In 2007-2008, he will serve on the juries of the Vladimir Viardo (Dallas), 4th China, Artur Rubinstein (Tel-Aviv), and Jeunesses Musicales (Montreal) International Piano Competitions.

Dang Thai Son has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Melodya, Polskie Nagrania, CBS Sony, Victor JVC, and Analekta.

Also, he is the subject of the biography, “A pianist loved by Chopin - The Dang Thai Son Story”, published by Yamaha Music Media Corporation in 2003.

Bruno Canino was born in Naples. He studied piano at the Conservatory of Naples with Vincenzo Vitale. He received diplomas in piano and composition from Enzo Calace and Bruno Bettinelli in Milan.

He performed as soloist and chamber musician in the most important concerto rooms and in the most important festivals in Europe, America, Australia, Japan and China.  

He has had piano duo with Antonio Ballista for 50 years and has been a member of the “Trio di Milano” for 40 years.

As chamber musician, he has worked with renowned musicians such as Salvatore Accardo, Uto Ughi, Lynn Harrell, Itzhak Perlman, Victoria Mullova, Pierre Amoyal.

He was artistic director of the Giovine Orchestra Genovese of the “Campus Internazionale di Musica”, in Latina. Between 1999 and 2001 he was the chief of the music section of the Venice Biennial.  

He participated in several projects with Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio, Karl-Heinz Stockhausen, György Ligeti, Bruno Maderna, Luigi Nono and Sylvano Bussotti, among others.

Canino has made first presentations of several works of contemporary composers.  

Under the direction of Abbado, Muti, Chailly, Sawallisch, Berio, Boulez, he has played with orchestras such as the Philharmonic Orchestra La Scala, in Milan, Santa Cecília in Rome, Philharmonic Orchestra of Berlin, Philharmonic of New York, Orchestra of Philadelphia and the National Orchestra of France.  

He has been a piano teacher for 24 years at the Milan Conservatory, and for 11 years has taught master classes of piano and modern chamber music at Music Hochschule of Bern.

Currently he has been teaching chamber music in Madrid.

He is frequently invited as member of the jury of several important competitions of chamber music (Bolzano, Terni, Santander, London, Maryland, Graz, Vienna, Zurich, Leipzig, Moscow, Normandie, etc.)

He has recorded several CDs such as Goldberg Variations by Johann Sebastian Bach, the complete works for piano by Alfredo Casella Stradivarius. Currently he is recording the complete works by Claude Debussy for piano.

As a writer, he published in 1997 “Vademacum per il pianista da camera” edited by Passigli.

“His performance brought a veritable roar of approval from the audience” wrote “The Irish Times” after Pavel Nersessian received the 1st Prize in the GPA Dublin International Piano Competition in 1991.

Being one of the most remarkable pianists of his generation in Russia, he is known for his ability to play equally convincing in the whole palette of the piano repertoire. He has won prizes in every piano competition he has entered, including Beethoven Competition in Vienna in 1985, Paloma O’Shea Competition in Santander and Tokyo Competition.

Since his childhood he has always been in touch with the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire. He was a pupil of the famous Central Music School of the Conservatoire, where his teacher was Yu. Levin, and later he was a student of the Conservatoire under Prof. S. Dorensky. Upon graduating from the Conservatoire in 1987 with maximum marks – a rare distinction – he was proposed to teach there. He is professor there now.

Pavel Nersessian’s concert activity is very intense. He has been touring around Russia and surrounding states from the age of eight and, since his remarkable successes in international competitions, has on several occasions given performances in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Cannes, Leipzig, Vienna, Budapest, Madrid, Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Dublin, Muenchen, Caracas, Rio de Janeiro, Belgrade and many others.

In 2004 he took part in a program "Almost jazz" in "December Nights" festival which was founded by S. Richter in the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts.

Mr. Nersessian, by special invitation from the Kirov and the Perm Ballet, performed solo part in Balanchine's Ballet Imperial based on the music of Tchaikovsky's 2nd Piano Concerto with performances in the Kirov, Bolshoi, Chatelet and Covent Garden. He also played a solo part in J. Robbins’ ballet “The concert, or The Perils of Everybody” on the music of F. Chopin.

He has recorded numerous disks with the compositions of Chopin, Schumann, Schubert, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Shostakovich etc.

He is also frequently teaching in the USA, Ireland and Japan.

In 2005 he became a merited artist of the Russian Federation.

“Pavel Nersessian is a 33-year-old Russian pianist and a prizewinner in many competitions. He is also the sort of free spirit who can set a stage alight with high-flying bravura, personal colour and imagination. In an age still inclined to admire a more impersonal, tautly disciplined expertise Nersessian’s romantic freedom, his indifference to received wisdom or conventions, will surely both delight and provoke.”
Gramophone magazine, London

“Pavel Nersessian was the soloist in Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, placing the music under a bright, analytical light through playing that was cleanly sculpted and fearlessly muscular.”
The Irish Times

"…Her playing flowed beautifully, and avoided even the slightest hint of sentimentality. Hers was a strongly felt authentic Chopin. Maestro Zubin Mehta collaborated marvellously as a perfect accompanist."...
(B.Bar-Ami,Jerusalem Post)

Originally from Riga(Latvia), Dina Yoffe started her musical education at distinguished E. Darsin's Special School of Music in her hometown and continued at Central Music School in Moscow.

Graduated from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music in Moscow, under the tutelage of Professor Vera Gornostayeva, one of the most important proponents of the legendary Heinrich Neuhaus school.

The concert activities of Dina Yoffe are well known throughout many continents in countries such as France, Germany, England, Russia, Israel, Japan, USA, Finland and Poland. 

Among the high points of her international career are concerts with outstanding orchestras, such as the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta,  the Japanese Radio Orchestra NHK under Neville Marriner, the Moscow Philharmonic under Valery Gergiev and Dmitri Kitayenko,  the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra under James De Pries, Orchestra "Kremerata Baltica” under Gidon Kremer,"Moscow Soloist” under Y.Bashmet, Warsaw Symphonic Orchestra under J.Kaspszyk.

She also gave recitals at very famous  events, such as - F.Chopin Festival in Duszniki, Eurolesia Festival-Wroclaw (honorary chairman Kurt Masur) in Poland, F.Chopin Festival  in Genf,Basel (Switzerland) , Music-Festival in Bayreuth - Germany, concert tours in  Japan,  as well as numerous festivals such as Elba Music Festival (Italy), Summit Music Festival (USA),Concerts in New York (Bargemusic), "Virtuose in Lember” Festival, opening season with Odessa Filharmonie Orchestra in Ukraine, "Chopin and his Europe” Festival in Warsaw, Serate Musicale in Milano, Sala Verdi, "Sala Rossini” in Pesaro.

Together with the wide solo and orchestral career, Dina Yoffe is also an active participant in Chamber Music Festivals, where she played together with many internationally renowned musicians, such as G.Kremer, Y. Bashmet, V.Tretiakov,V. Repin, M. Vaiman, M.Brunello,  and others.

Dina Yoffe has given piano recitals of all F.Chopin works in Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama. The concerts series was filmed and broadcasted by Japanese National Television, NHK.

Dina Yoffe has been given numerous Master Classes in France, Germany, at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Since 2000 she has been a Guest Professor at the Summit Music Festival in New York.

She is a Guest Professor at the Yamaha Master Classes in Paris, New York, Hamburg and Tokyo.

Member of the Jury of international piano competitions in Cleveland (USA), Kiev (Horowitz competition), Odessa (Gilels competition), Takamatsu (Japan), Gdansk (Poland), Bangkok (Thailand), PTNA Piano competition  (Japan), Chopin Competition (Warsaw).

Her students are winners of national and international piano competitions. Many of them are teaching in Music Academies in the USA, Japan and Europe.

Dina Yoffe has numerous Radio, TV and commercial recordings. Among her record releases are Chopin's 24 Preludes (VD-VDC-1334), The Fantasy in f-minor and 19 Waltzes (CD-VICC-63) and Schumann - Symphony Etudes opus 13 and Kreisleriana Opus 16 (AGPL-003), Chamber music of F.Schubert (XCP-5026). C.Franck, S.Prokofiev, DVD live recordings with works by A. Scriabin, S. Rachmaninov for NHK, as well as works by F. Chopin, F. Schubert, R. Schumann, S. Prokofiev, etc., besides a new CD "Real Chopin”NIFC 012, on Pleyel (Paris, 1848) with a Chopin program and CD with R. Schumann Sonata in f sharp minor  and  F. Chopin  Four Scherzos (PAMP-1036/2009).

Carlos Cebro
Uruguay/France