Tag Archives: Violoncello

CELLO – Roger Morelló Ros (Young String Musicians Academy Mainz)

Teachers:

© Pau Fabregat

Roger Morelló Ros (b. Catalonia 1993) is a committed, expressive, and highly imaginative cellist with a remarkable ability to connect with his audience, serving as a communicative bridge between creator, creation, and listener. He creates performances that convey passion, authenticity, and spontaneity, captivating both audiences and organizers in prestigious venues such as the Philharmonie Berlin, the Suzhou Bay Grand Theater in China, Palau de la Música Catalana or Casa Milà (Gaudí’s building in Barcelona), where he was an Artist in Residence during the 2018/19 season.  

Winner of more than 30 grants and prizes in competitions, Morelló’s solo career has led to collaborations with numerous orchestras  – most notably the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, and has been invited to important festivals such as Verbier Festival, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Rheinhessen Musikfestival (Artist in Residence 2024) or the Schumannfest Düsseldorf, to name just a few. 

He recently released the album The Voice of Casals in homage to Pau Casals, a careful and precise work, brimming with life and emotion — a delicate balance that Morelló masterfully achieves in both his recordings and performances, as highlighted by critics. Additionally, he has released Schumann goes Tango (Austrian Gramophone, 2022), and Founders Trio (Hänssler Classic, 2024) which premiered in Florida.

He studied with David Blay and Damian Martínez in Spain, before moving to Germany to pursue a Master’s and a Soloist-Diploma with Maria Kliegel at the University of Music in Cologne, graduating with honors and with the financial support of the Humboldt Foundation, Deutschlandstipendium, and the Güell Scholarship

Roger Morelló is regularly invited to give masterclasses (Berkeley School, Music Festival Salut Taiwan, Vila-seca Conservatory of Music – Spain, Jiangxi Arts Center Grand Theatre – China) and is a professor at the Streicherakademie Mainz (Mainz University of Music). His performances have been broadcast by the BBC, Spain’s National Radio, German broadcasters (WDR, SWR, NDR), and Belgium’s RTBF – Musiq3, among others.

© Neda Navaee

André Dolabella was born in Belo Horizonte (Brazil). He began his piano studies in 1995 with Professor Robério Molinari, and in 2000 he moved to Professor Frédéric Meinders. From 2002 to 2008, André Dolabella completed his diploma and master’s degree in piano with Prof. Solter at the Karlsruhe University of Music with the highest marks.
André Dolabella has received numerous awards, including the 2000 “Arnaldo Estrella” competition in Minas Gerais, the “Young Soloists OSPA” in Porto Alegre, the 2001 “Franz Liszt National Piano Competition” in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro and the 2003 “Guiomar Novaes” competition in Sao Paulo. In Germany, he won the 2003 KulturFonds Baden e.V. competition and received a scholarship from the Richard Wagner Association in Karlsruhe. In the same year, André Dolabella won the Büttner Piano Competition.

From 2009 to 2013, Dolabella was a member of the ensemble at the Hanover State Opera as a répétiteur with conducting duties. As a soloist, he has given concerts with various orchestras, including: Minas Gerais State Orchestra, Porto Alegre State Orchestra, Bacau Philharmonic Orchestra, Lower Saxony State Orchestra Hanover, Hastings Philharmonic. Dolabella also devotes himself to chamber music and song accompaniment and has performed in numerous cities in Brazil, Italy, Spain, Finland, Greece, England and Germany. Dolabella is a lecturer at the Nuremberg and Mainz University of Music for string accompaniment.

PIANO and CHAMBER MUSIC – Tomoko Ogasawara (University of Music Freiburg)/Matthias Ranft

After studying at the State University of the Arts in Tokyo where she was born, the pianist Tomoko Ogasawara continued her studies in Germany at the University of the Arts in Berlin and the University of Music in Freiburg im Breisgau, where she received the solo diploma with honors and went on to win 1st Prize in the German Hochschulwettbewerb.

Among her teachers were Georg Sava, Tibor Hazay and Georgy Sebok who influenced her artistic development and led her to early success, for example as finalist in the international competitions “Maria Canals” / Barcelona and “ Clara Haskil” / Montreux.

Since then concert engagements have taken Tomoko Ogasawara to the concert halls of the international music world (such as Berlin, Montreux, London, Paris, Tokyo, Jerusalem, Bangkok, Shanghai). She has played concerts together with Albrecht Mayer, Jörg Widmann and Tabea Zimmermann and regularly plays with the principals and leading musicians of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the Bavarian Symphony Orchestra and the SWR Orchestra also in the context of chamber music formations, such as the piano trio “Franconia”, the ensemble “Abraxas” and at international festivals such as “Affinis” in Japan.

As soloist Tomoko Ogasawara has played, among others, with the Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Bad Reichenhall Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Bamberg. She is featured in numerous radio broadcasts as well as CD recordings. In the season 2006/2007 Ogasawara performed the complete cycle of piano sonatas by W. A. Mozart.

Currently Tomoko Ogasawara passes on her musical experience through the teaching position she holds at the University of Music in Freiburg im Breisgau as well as regular master classes in Tokyo and Yokohama. Students of hers have won prizes in both national and international competitions.

The Hamburg born Matthias Ranft received his first cello at the age of seven and while still in high school he started studying at the Conservatory of Music Arthur Troester. His musical education lead him to Freiburg with Christoph Henkel and then later after winning scholarships from the DAAD and the Cultural Society of German Industry he went to study with Janos Starker in Bloomington, Indiana, USA. Before his graduating from the Conservatory in Freiburg he had already collected Orchestra experience between 1981 and 1983 as solo cello with the Hofer Symphony and won the 1984 Mendelsson Competition in Berlin.

Since 1985 Ranft has been the first cellist with the Bamberg Symphony/ Bayerish State Philharmonic. On the side he takes regular part in international festivals such as Affinis in Japan. He also concertizes as a chamber musician with the ensemble ABRAXAS, Trio FRANCONIA,  with Jörg Widmann, and with Frank Peter Zimmermann among others. He has also played as soloist under Gilbert Varga, Roger Norrington, Adam Fischer, Lawrence Renes and Jonathan Nott.
His musical accomplishments are shown through countless radio and CD recordings. He has shared his musical experience as a docent at the Freiburg Conservatory from 2001-2004 and at masterclasses throughout Japan. Matthias Ranft plays on a Giovanni Grancino cello from 1695.