Entertainment

Thommy Ten and Amélie van Tass are among the world’s most successful mentalists. Originally from Austria, the two artists now live in Las Vegas and tour internationally with their shows. They have earned worldwide recognition through numerous awards, including multiple World Championship titles in mentalism. Their global breakthrough came with their finalist appearance on America’s Got Talent. Since then, they have captivated audiences on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including Broadway in New York, the Sydney Opera House, and The Venetian Las Vegas. In their performances, they blend classical magic with modern mentalism, creating a unique combination of wonder, emotion, and subtle humor. At the heart of their shows is always the human being — perception, connection, and the magic of the moment.

Photocredit: Lukas Rauch

Magali Mosnier has been Section Principal at the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France since 2003. After she won the Rampal Competition in Paris (2001) and she was awarded the First Prize and the Audience Prize at the prestigious Munich ARD competition (2004), Magali Mosnier has established herself as one of the most exciting and sought after flautists worldwide. In 2006 she was awarded the German Klassiche Echo for Most Promising Artist and nominated twice for Soloist of the Year at the french Victoires de la Musique Classique in 2016 and 2020. As a soloist, Magali Mosnier has recorded four albums for Sony Classical: Fantaisie, Bach, Mozart and Mozart double concerto with Xavier De Maistre. She also contributed to several chamber music recordings dedicated to Ravel, Dutilleux, Jacques Lenot, Laurent Lefrançois... and recently the Debussy Sonata together with Xavier De Maistre and Antoine Tamestit for Harmonia Mundi (2018). Alongside her activities as a performer, Magali has always been involved in teaching and transmission. After two years at the HEMU Lausanne, she has been a professor at the CRR de Paris for eight years. She also regularly gives masterclasses worldwide and participates in juries for prestigious competitions such as the ARD in Munich or the Geneva Competition. Magali Mosnier is represented by Konzertdirektion Dr. Rudolf Goette Hamburg.

Xavier de Maistre is one of the leading harpists of today and a deeply creative musician. As a passionate advocate for his instrument, he has expanded the harp repertoire and commissioned new works from composers. He also creates transcriptions of significant instrumental repertoire. He is regularly invited by top-tier orchestras from around the world and has appeared at many prestigious festivals, including the Rheingau Festival, Salzburg Festival, Vienna Festival Weeks, Verbier, Budapest Spring Festival, Würzburg Mozart Festival, and Mostly Mozart in New York. De Maistre has been an exclusive artist with Sony Music since 2008. Recent releases include, among others, a DVD with Diana Damrau, his transcription of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 19 in F Major, K. 459, with the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg conducted by Ivor Bolton, Moldau (2015), and La Harpe Reine (2016). Born in Toulon, the artist studied harp with Vassilia Briano at the local conservatory and honed his technique with Catherine Michel and Jacqueline Borot in Paris. He also studied at Sciences-Po Paris and the London School of Economics. In 1998, de Maistre won first prize (along with two performance prizes) at the prestigious USA International Harp Competition (Bloomington) and, in the same year, became the first French musician to join the Vienna Philharmonic. Since 2001, he has been teaching at the Hamburg University of Music.

Birgit Weidt was born in Berlin. The author and cook lives in the German capital when she is not traveling. Formative periods of her life took her, among other places, to La Réunion and Martinique, where she significantly developed her culinary style. Her passion for cooking was instilled in her at an early age: her grandfather intro-duced her to the subtleties of French cuisine. After studying journalism and psychology, she works as both a journalist and a cook. She focuses extensively on culinary subjects and, in addition to several travel books, has published a cookbook on the Creole cuisine of Martinique, Guadeloupe, and La Réunion. In her cooking classes, including those held at Miele, she shares her knowledge in a practical and inspiring way. She continually refines her skills, combining classical techniques with international influences to create a modern, cosmopolitan cuisine.