PROGRAM
“Omaggio a Paganini”
Niccolò Paganini (1782 – 1840)
Capricci from op.1 n°13, 14, 10, 4, 9 for solo violin
Gran Sonata in A major for solo guitar
Capricci from op.1 n°9, 20, 7, 21, 24 for solo violin
Sonata concertante in A major MS2 for violin and guitar
Ksenia Milas, has released a CD with the 6 sonatas by E. Ysaÿe and soon she will start recording the 24 caprices by Paganini. She has, performed a duo recitals with Bruno Canino and played Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky violin concerts with symphony orchestra.
“In my opinion, Ksenia is a gifted and charismatic violinist who has a brilliant technique and a captivating presence on stage. She has the makings of a soloist” – Marco Boni, Amsterdam Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra Conductor
Concertizing regularly throughout Europe and Russia, Ksenia Milas Milyavskaya has been acclaimed as an accomplished violinist “who transforms on the stage into a bright, charismatic and virtuoso soloist” (D. Shapovalov), “that considers her well-developed and fast technique not as a goal but as a tool that allows her to convey the composer’s ideas and thoughts to the public” (A. Farulli).
Ksenia is a true representative of the great Russian violin school. She was born in Volgograd in 1989, and at the age of 4 she began her musical path. A year later, on the advice of teachers of the local music school, her family moved to St. Petersburg, where Ksenia was immediately accepted in the class of the professor S.M. Shalman at the Special Music School in St. Petersburg’s Conservatory for gifted children.
From her early childhood Ksenia has been enjoying busy concert activity. When she was only 8 she made her debut in the Mirrors Hall of the Beloselsky-Belozersky’s Palace as a soloist with the St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra. This was the beginning of a brilliant career, that has brought her world-wide successes. “She captivates the audience not only with her charisma and amazing virtuosity but also with extraordinary artistic and creative maturity”, “Kultura” Magazine, S. Petersburg.
At the age of 9, she became the overall winner of the International Competition in Greece (2000, Athens). This award was followed by numerous other victories and recognitions of juries and public in various competitions, both in Russia and abroad. Among them: the 1 All-Russian competition “New Names” (2000, Moscow); the 5 contest of musicians “Youth Assembly of Arts” (2000, Moscow); the International competition “Homeland Tchaikovsky” (2006, Izhevsk); “Award for high performance skills” of the International Festival in Belarus; the “EUTERPE” International Competition (2013, Italy); the “Val Tidone” International Competition (2013, Italy) and many others.
From an early age she has participated in various master classes with famous teachers such as S. Accardo, E. Grach, S. Kravchenko, J. Repko, Z. Bron, P. Vernikov, M. Martin, K. Wegrzyn, O. Semchuk and others. She was also chosen to be the performer for the film “I’ll be a violinist.”
In 2009 she entered the Maastricht conservatory and graduated in 2012, as the student of the outstanding Russian violinist and pedagogue Boris Belkin, in the galaxy of his pupils we find stars like Janine Jansen.
Ksenia has successfully performed in concert halls in Russia, France, Germany, Italy, England, Ireland, Lithuania, Finland, Greece, Switzerland, San Marino, etc., receiving warm appreciation from the public and excellent reviews from the critics; she collaborates with world-renowned conductors such as Darrell Ang (Singapore), Vasily Petrenko (Russia-Norway), Ronald Masin (Germany), Denis Shapovalov (Russia), Carlo Tenan (Italy) and many others. Since 2015 she has been giving concerts with the pianist Bruno Canino, the legend of the chamber music world. Among her concert partners we find R. Koelman, L. Gorokhov, D.Shapovalov, G.Gnocchi and O. Mandozzi just to name few.
Despite her busy schedule, Ksenia finds time for students. She has taught at the Florence Music Academy, “Di.Es.Is.” Academy in Rome and “International Music Academy” in Mantua. She is professor of summer master classes in Gubbio (Italy) and Paris (France). In 2010 she was invited as a Violin Professor by the Strings Department of Imola International Piano Academy “Meetings with the Maestro” (“Incontri col Maestro”). The director of this Academy is Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy.
She plays a Bernardel violin dated 1840.
Edoardo Catemario, international Guitarist and Pedagogue, was born in Naples and started his music studies at the age of 5. He has been studying guitar with Salvatore Canino, Antimo Pedata, Jose Tomas and Maria Luisa Anido. Analisys with Titina De Fazio and the South American composers Leo Brouwer and Oscar Roberto Casares. At the age of 11 gave his first solo recital.
Extremely versatile guitarist, he passes with ease from the romantic repertoire (played on original instruments) to the baroque, to the XXth century music, to contemporary music and vanguards. His repertoire includes a vast amount of solo works, besides the almost all the chamber repertoire and 42 Concertos for guitar and orchestra.
He has won several national and international competitions first prizes. In January 1991 was the first prize winner of the prestigious “Andres Segovia” guitar competition in Almunecar (Granada) and in 1992 of Alessandria international Competition
Catemario has performed in concerts, broadcasts and major festivals in countries such as: Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Czech Republic, Poland, United States, South America, Australia and United Kingdom. Grosser Saal of the Wiener Musikverein (Vienna), Auditorio Nacional (Madrid), St John’s Smith Square and Royal Academy of Music (London), Associazione Scarlatti (Napoli), Amici della musica di Palermo, Perugia e Padova, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall (New York) Cite de la musique (Parigi) Teatro Coliseo (Buenos Aires) Sidney Meir Bowl and Town Hall (Melbourne), MusikHalle (Hamburg) TVE2 (Spain), RTF3 (France), RAI1 and RAI3 (Italy) among others.
He has premiered several compositions (some dedicated to him), between them: “El Kalasha de Avalokitesvara” by Eduardo Morales Caso, “Drei lieder” by Alexander Mullenbach, “Cuadernos de Danzas” by Mauricio Sotelo, “Memorie di una maschera” by Patrizio Marrone”, “Carpe Diem” by Gerard Drozd and “I racconti di Mamma Orca” by Roberto De Simone.
He is frequently invited as guest soloist by orchestras such as: Wiener Akademie, Orquesta de Andorra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Accademia Bizantina, Orchestra della Toscana, Orchestra di Stato del Messico, Orchestra filarmonica Italiana, Solisti di Fiesole, under the direction of famous conductors such as: Martin Haselbok, Oleg Caetani, Michael Helmrat, Inma Shara, Marzio Conti, Enrique Batiz, Nicola Paszkowski, Ottavio Dantone among others. Apart from his work as a soloist, Catemario is in demand as a chamber musician and has collaborated with many of the worlds leading musicians including: Kurt Wiedmer, Alain Meunier, Franco Mezzena, Vega string quartet, Silesian string quartet, Massimo Quarta, Roberto Fabbriciani, Mario Ancillotti, Sylvie Gazeau, Antonello Farulli, Gabriele Cassone, Vittorio and Duccio Ceccanti, Nicoletta Curiel, Vincent Aguettant, Gabriella Costa Maluberti.
Catemario has many recordings on CD including: DECCA records, ARTS Music, Koch Schwann and EMI which have been awarded with critics prizes: Joker by Crescendo (Belgium), Choice of the month Cd Classica (Italy), 5 Stars Musica In January 2004 his recording of the Concerto n1 by Giuliani was attached to the BBC Music Magazine, in January 2006 he has the cover of Guitart magazine.
He has held Master Classes in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, USA, United Kingdom, Australia and Austria. He has been invited to the Salzburg’s Mozarteum to give a course during the “Sommer Akademie” from 2001 until 2007. Between 1993 and 2001 has been titular of the course of interpretation at the “Conservatoire International de Paris” (Paris, France).
Catemario owns and plays on instruments by great masters of Spanish school dated between 1890 and 1935: Garcia, Simplicio, Jose Ramirez I, Pascual Viudes, Ibanez and Marin.