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Shira Patchornik is an Israeli soprano acclaimed for her expressive artistry and versatility across Baroque, Classical, and contemporary repertoire. She has established herself on leading international stages, collaborating with renowned conductors including Andrea Marcon, Václav Luks, Pablo Heras-Casado, and Ottavio Dantone.

Winner of both the Cesti Competition in Innsbruck and the Concours Corneille in Rouen, she has become one of the most exciting voices in today's Baroque scene. Her debut solo album Bella Furia, recorded with CHAARTS Chamber Artists for Solo Musica, was nominated for an Opus Klassik award.

Recent highlights include appearances at the Teatro Real, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Theater an der Wien, La Monnaie, the Bregenz Festival, the Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik, and the Festival de Pâques in Aix-en-Provence. Her repertoire ranges from Monteverdi, Händel, and Mozart to contemporary opera, reflecting her exceptional stylistic breadth and dramatic presence.

Damien Bachmann was born in Geneva into a family of musicians and has established himself as an outstanding clarinetist. He is the winner of more than 20 national and international competitions and regularly performs on major stages across Europe and Asia. The press praises his playing enthusiastically: he is described as a "gifted musician" whose performance is marked by "lightness and boundless freedom," and as a "phenomenal clarinetist in expression and virtuosity" (Cronica Muzicala, 2020) with a "bewitching sound" (Pizzicato, 2023). His chamber music partners include Janine Jansen, Gilles Apap, and the Quatuor Ébène. He has enjoyed a long-standing collaboration with the casalQuartett, which continues in the CHAARTS ensemble. Thanks to his stylistic versatility, he is a sought-after soloist, particularly for works in the jazz and klezmer styles. Damien Bachmann thrilled audiences at the Paléo Festival Nyon 2025 (Switzerland), where he performed Artie Shaw’s Clarinet Concerto for over 20,000 listeners. As a professor in Basel, he shares his knowledge internationally through masterclasses and regularly serves as a juror at competitions. Damien Bachmann founded the Puplinge Classique Festival in 2010, which he directed artistically for twelve years. In 2021, he and his brothers launched the Schubertiaden Thônex – a new highlight for music lovers in Geneva.

The Brazilian pianist Marcelo Amaral won the Pianist Prize at the 2009 International Robert Schumann Song Competition, and was praised by The New York Times as a “superlative collaborator.” One of the most sought-after accompanists of his generation, he performs with leading singers and instrumentalists and appears at major venues and festivals including Wigmore Hall, Boulez Saal, Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, and the International Hugo Wolf Akademie. A prizewinner of several international competitions, he has recorded for Genuin, Alpha Classics, and Naxos, and his performances have been broadcast by major European radio networks. Since 2014, he has served as Professor of German Lied and Art Song at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg and is a member of the artistic board of the International Hugo Wolf Akademie in Stuttgart.

Photocredit: Mario Werner