Avi Avital – Between Worlds transforms folkloric and traditional music into captivating concert experiences. Led by mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital, the ensemble reimagines centuries-old melodies by blending the raw authenticity of folk traditions with the refinement of Western classical music. With diverse backgrounds and boundless curiosity, the musicians venture beyond the familiar classical sphere, drawing on rhythms and textures from across the globe. Together with acclaimed folk vocalists and instrumentalists, they showcase the living legacy of folk performers as guardians of an ancient art.

Since its founding, the ensemble has appeared at leading festivals and on prestigious stages, including the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. Their debut album, Song of the Birds, was released this summer on the classical label Deutsche Grammophon to critical acclaim.

Guided by Avi Avital, the ensemble cultivates an intimate dialogue with its audience, turning each concert into a shared journey of discovery. Classical works are performed alongside the traditional music that inspired them, illuminating the musical dialects that define regional heritage. The atmosphere invites listeners into a deeper connection—not only to the music, but also to the cultures and stories it carries. As audiences marvel at the beauty of sound, they are encouraged to uncover hidden connections and rediscover what it means to feel at home in the world. 

(c) Sisi Burn

“Here is a musician who knows no boundaries—except those of good taste.” (Gramophone)

Avi Avital is the first mandolin soloist ever to be nominated for a Grammy Award and is regarded as a driving force behind the revival of his instrument. With his “explosive charisma” (The New York Times), he performs at leading concert halls and festivals worldwide and has significantly expanded the mandolin repertoire through more than 100 commissioned works, including pieces by Fazıl Say, Jennifer Higdon, and Avner Dorman.

In the 2025/26 season, he will appear with ensembles such as Il Giardino Armonico, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, collaborating with conductors including Giovanni Antonini, Alondra de la Parra, and Anna Rakitina.

With his ensemble Between Worlds, founded in 2023, Avital brings together classical, folk, and contemporary sounds. Their acclaimed album Song of the Birds (Deutsche Grammophon, 2025) features works by Falla, Taktakishvili, and Say. For his recording Concertos (2023), he received the Opus Klassik award.

Avi Avital was born in Be’er Sheva, Israel, and performs on a mandolin crafted by Arik Kerman.

Francesca Di Sauro is one of the most promising mezzosopranos of her generation. Graduated with honor at Conservatorio di Napoli San Pietro a Majella and at Accademia del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, she began very soon a prestigious career. Winner of important international vocal competitions, at 25 years old she debuts as Santuzza, under the baton of Maestro Riccardo Muti. This was only the first of many collaborations with Maestro Muti, with a repertoire that goes from Mozart to Mascagni. She already sang on important stages like Teatro alla Scala, Arena di Verona, Teatro Colòn in Buenos Aires, Teatro Regio di Torino, Oper im Steinbruch and many others. With a repertoire that goes from Baroque to ‘900, she has a versatility that allows her to range across the more tipically mezzosoprano repertoire, without giving up some forays into the soprano one. She sang roles as Carmen, Rosina, Isabella, Dorabella, Santuzza, Fenena, Zerlina, Serpina, Vespetta and many others. She also played as actress and singer in the short film “Tempo ritrovato” produced by Fondazione lirica delle Marche

Alessio Arduini was born in Desenzano del Garda. He graduated with a degree in management engineering and studied singing with Vincenzo Rose. In 2010, he received a scholarship from the Lina Aimaro Bertasi Foundation, won the Salice d'oro competition and the Marie Kraja International Competition in Tirana, and made his debut as the lead in Mozart's Don Giovanni, a Pocket Opera production staged by the Teatro Sociale in Como. His repertoire includes Don Giovanni, La bohème, Così fan tutte, Turandot, La Cenerentola, Le nozze di Figaro, Pagliacci, Roméo et Juliette among others. He has sung at Teatro alla Scala, Metropolitan Opera House, Wiener Staatsoper, Royal Opera and Ballet, Opèra national de Paris, Salzburger Festspiele, Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro La Fenice. Recent engagements include Don Giovanni at the Staatsoper Hamburg, La Cenerentola at the Opéra national de Lorraine in Nancy, the Théâtre de Caen, the Opéra de Reims and the Grand Théâtre in Luxembourg, Roméo et Juliette at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, L'opera seria at La Scala in Milan and Turandot at the Semperoper Dresden.

Christian Pierre La Marca has quickly gained recognition in top concert halls worldwide, earning prestigious awards for his recordings. After his debut in Aix-en-Provence, he studied with Jean-Marie Gamard, Philippe Muller, Gary Hoffman, Frans Helmerson, and Steven Isserlis. He triumphed at international competitions in Osaka, Frankfurt, London, New York, and Vienna. Christian-Pierre has performed with renowned orchestras like the Philharmonia, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de Paris, and Brussels Philharmonic. An accomplished baroque cellist, he has collaborated with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and other top period ensembles. He regularly performs at major festivals such as Verbier, Ravinia, and Monte Carlo, and has worked with composers like Jörg Widmann and Gyorgy Kurtág. A frequent chamber music performer, he plays with artists including Itzhak Perlman, Alice Sara Ott, and Quatuor Ébène, and collaborates with leading singers like Sabine Devieilhe and Philippe Jaroussky. His discography has won numerous awards, including a Gramophone Award for his album Cello 360. Committed to social causes, Christian-Pierre founded the ‘Concert for the Planet’ in 2018 with the GoodPlanet Foundation. He teaches at the Paul Dukas Conservatory in Paris and serves as a Larsen Strings Official Artist. He plays a rare Neapolitan cello from around 1790.

Founded in 2013, Quatuor Arod has quickly become one of today’s leading string quartets, performing at major venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, Vienna Musikverein, and the Elbphilharmonie. They collaborate with artists like Klaus Mäkelä and Daniel Hope, and are committed to both classical and contemporary repertoire. Their award-winning recordings on Erato/Warner Classics include works by Mendelssohn, Schubert, Debussy, and Haydn. Highlights of the 2025–2026 season include residencies at the Mendelssohnhaus Leipzig and La Belle Saison, and appearances at Wigmore Hall, Flagey, and the Paris and Amsterdam String Quartet Biennales. Winners of the ARD Competition (2016), they were also BBC New Generation Artists and ECHO Rising Stars.

With their passion and contagious energy, this French piano duo is currently making waves on both French and international stages. Since 2011, Naïri Badal and Adélaïde Panaget have formed the Duo Jatekok, which means “play” in Hungarian—a concept that has become their signature. Winners of multiple international competitions, bold and inventive, the two pianists have continually deepened their iconoclastic approach to classical music, blending a variety of uninhibited inspirations. From Ravel to Rammstein, and Poulenc in between: this is the vibrant world of Duo Játékok! Officially founded in 2007, Adélaïde and Naïri met long before that date in Brigitte Bouthinon-Dumas’s class, later reuniting at the Paris Conservatoire (CNSM), where they completed their training under Brigitte Engerer, Nicholas Angelich, and Claire Désert. Having shared a passion for four-handed piano music since childhood, they quickly developed a close, sisterly friendship and musical synergy, without ever losing their individual identities.The DNA of their duo has also been enriched through encounters, such as working with the Artemis Quartet during a residency at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel or at the 2017 Pianoscope Beauvais festival, where they discovered a strong artistic affinity with sisters Katia and Marielle Labèque. Since then, the duo has appeared regularly as soloists or with orchestras at festivals such as La Roque d’Anthéron, Théâtre du Châtelet, and La Seine Musicale. Upcoming performances include venues like the Philharmonie de Paris, Flagey and Bozar in Brussels, Le Nouveau Siècle in Lille, the Opéra de Tours, the Folles Journées festivals in Nantes and Warsaw, as well as collaborations with the BBC orchestras and performances in Glasgow, Geneva, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Guatemala, among others.

(c) Sylvain-Gripoix

Swiss harpist Tjasha Gafner (born 1999) won the First Prize and Audience Prize at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich in 2023. The same year, Die Zeit named her among the 30 most influential personalities under 30 in Germany. A graduate of the Juilliard School in New York and the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne, she has already received over twenty awards. Since the age of ten, Tjasha has performed as a soloist in renowned halls such as the Tonhalle Zürich, Konzerthaus Vienna, and Berlin Philharmonie, and collaborated with ensembles including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players, and Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester. Passionate about expanding the harp repertoire, she creates her own transcriptions and releases in 2025 with GENUIN classics an album devoted to her arrangements for solo harp. Also active as a teacher, she gives masterclasses, takes part in cultural projects in Argentina and Congo, and tours with the theater company 2B Company.

(c) Lila Barth

Ispasion Show Productions is a dance company known worldwide for its impressive creativity and graceful beauty. The main mission of the artists is to create unforgettable stage experiences that evoke emotions and captivate the audience.

Dance in its various forms is the central focus. Neo-Flamenco and Neo-Tango, Spanish and contemporary dance, as well as ballet, combine with cutting-edge stage technology and avant-garde visual effects to create a top-tier show.

The artists of the company are talented dancers with diverse backgrounds. They are admired not only for their flawless technique but also for their breathtaking interpretations and expressive stage presence.

Roman von Thurau, born in 1967, comes from the far north. After starting a psychology degree in Hamburg, he discovered his true passion for the stage and the art of magic. He learned the craft of illusionism from a Polish master and completed training in NLP and hypnosis. Vivian, who grew up in Tehran, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo, completed her art studies at FH Hamburg. Always fascinated by the mysterious, she met Roman von Thurau in 2000, and both quickly realized they complemented each other perfectly. As the artistic duo Sonambul, they have since developed unique stage performances that combine intelligent and entertaining experiments in mental magic with Vivian's expressive drawings. Roman von Thurau and Vivian create their own full-length theater shows, touring Germany, and have participated in numerous national and international TV productions. The best part: they can combine their profession with their passion for traveling! After numerous performances in places like the USA, India, Singapore, Cape Town, Marrakech, Bahrain, and the seven seas, their longing for foreign lands, new cultures, and inspiring encounters remains. Roman von Thurau and Vivian live in Berlin, Lisbon, and the Algarve.