Saisonprogramm 2026/27

Praised for their “playing of such passion and authority” (Classical Source, 2023), the Goethe String Quartet is quickly emerging as one of Europe’s most exciting string quartets. The quartet is comprised of Luke Hsu and Laura Rickard, violins; Marthe Husum, viola; and Rainer Crosett, cello. The GSQ has appeared at festivals in the UK, US, and Europe over the past several years, performing a wide range of works from Haydn to Berg and contemporary music. Most recently, they were Artists-in-Residence at Yellow Barn in Putney, Vermont (US), focusing on Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 132 and three commissioned works written for them by celebrated composers Eun Young Lee, William Cooper, and Reinaldo Moya. Their 2025 American tour included debut performances at Yellow Barn and in the Boston area, at the Wayland Concert Series and Wellesley Chamber Music. A highlight of their 2025 summer will be their debut at Presteigne Festival (Wales) and their return to the Romsey Chamber Music Festival.

The quartet has also appeared at the HearAndNow Festival Amsterdam 2024, performing Berg Op. 3 live on the Netherlands’ NTR Radio 4, and in the Bartok Salon Amsterdam 2023 performing Bartok String Quartet No. 3. They have collaborated with artists such as Donald Weilerstein, Doric String Quartet, Kim Kashkashian, Laurence Lesser, Parker String Quartet, Miro Quartet, Levon Chilingirian, Anthony Marwood, Roger Tapping, Gunther Pichler, and Paul Katz.

Individually, they have also received international recognition and prizes such as: Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition 2019 (Laureate), Pierre Fournier Award 2018 (Winner), Isaacs and Pirini Competition (First Prize), Verão Clássico Chamber Music Competition (First Prize), and Associateships of the Royal Academy of Music.

Manoush Ruken Toth

Born in 2006 on La Palma, Manoush got an exceptionally early start: violin at two, piano at eight. In 2025, she completed her Bachelor's degree in Basel under Claudio Martínez Mehner and Zoltán Fejérvári with top marks—winning the prize for the best Bachelor's graduation concert to boot. Oh, and she minored in violin along the way. Since childhood, she has won prestigious music prizes, represented Switzerland in 2026 at the European Youth Music Competition in Yerevan, and learned from renowned master musicians. Whether as a soloist with top orchestras or in a trio with her siblings, she performs worldwide and captivates audiences with her thrilling energy and sparkling sound.

Arne Zeller

Cellist Arne Zeller, who has previously appeared in the concert series of the Konzertverein Chur, has been praised for his “completely effortless virtuosity” (SWR Kultur), technical brilliance, and profound musical expression. He has attracted international attention through major awards, including both the First Prize and the Audience Prize at the 2025 International Cello Competition in Budapest, as well as the Hans Gál Soloist Prize in 2026. He performs throughout Europe, Asia, and North America and is regularly featured by public broadcasters as one of the most promising young talents of his generation.

Winning competitions is one thing, but Can Çakmur wants more: he is passionate about deeply nuanced concept projects and cleverly thought-out repertoire. The best example: his current mammoth project with the BIS Records label. By 2028, he will record twelve albums that bring the piano works of Franz Schubert into an exciting dialogue with more modern, Schubert-inspired pieces. A true deep dive rather than just routine programming.

The music world routinely acclaims him for this. His albums collect awards like others collect Instagram likes, including multiple International Classical Music Awards (among them "Young Artist of the Year"), the Diapason d’Or, and the Gramophone Editor’s Choice.

As a soloist, he performs on major stages worldwide—from Wigmore Hall in London and the Berliner Philharmonie to Suntory Hall in Tokyo. In 2024, he also had the honor of inaugurating the newly restored Liszt grand piano in Weimar. When he is not playing chamber music with top-caliber colleagues or traveling as a Kawai Artist, he shares his knowledge: since 2022, he has served as a professor of piano at the renowned Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London. As a chamber musician, he also mentors several intensive study weeks for scholarship holders at the International Music Academy in Liechtenstein.

Powerful keyboard thunder, a colossal repertoire, and a poetic depth reminiscent of the true giants of the golden age of piano: Vadym Kholodenko simply plays in a league of his own. Ever since capturing the Gold Medal at the legendary Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, the classical music world has been vying for the Kyiv-born, Luxembourg-based virtuoso.

From the London Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra to the Vienna Symphony, Kholodenko is a regular guest with the world's leading orchestras and recently made his debut at the BBC Proms in London. The list of conductors he collaborates with reads like a Who’s Who of the international scene (including Karina Canellakis and Sir Antonio Pappano). As a soloist, he brings halls from New York to Paris to a boil. The Guardian raved about his 'iron technique, which in the very next moment can turn into crystalline delicacy.'

Beyond the recital stage, he is a passionate chamber musician (notably in a duo with Alena Baeva) and a prolific recording artist. His albums—ranging from Bach to Prokofiev—are regularly showered with accolades, including the Diapason d’Or de l’année. His secret formula? A photographic musical memory and a style of playing that critics describe as 'uncompromising.

We admit it: he is one of our favorite pianists and has already thrilled audiences in Chur twice before—and now, on his initiative, this extraordinary concert event is coming to life. Illia together with Vadym Kholodenko at two grand pianos! That we are able to present this right here in Chur is simply incredible.

His dream began at the age of six: after hearing a Tchaikovsky concert, Ukrainian-born Illia Ovcharenko knew without a doubt that he wanted to become a pianist. Today, he is among the most celebrated rising stars of the classical world. Having already made waves in over 20 international competitions, his greatest triumph was winning the prestigious Honens International Piano Competition in Canada, which seeks to uncover the 'complete artist.'

Following studies in Kyiv and Tel Aviv, Ovcharenko currently lives in Hanover, where he studies with piano legend Arie Vardi. For him, the piano is not merely an instrument, but a true friend and a mouthpiece for the soul. On stage, he truly thrives in the Romantic repertoire.

The list of venues he has performed at reads like a luxury travel guide: Carnegie Hall, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam have long been part of his schedule. He is also making waves in the recording studio: his album Whispers & Thunder was named among the best classical albums by Gramophone magazine, with critics praising his playing as an 'iron fist in a mink glove.' And when this Roger Federer fan isn't at the piano keyboard, he happens to unwind by doing origami.

Frieda Magdalene Hollmer

Frieda Magdalene Hollmer was born in Cologne in 2014 into a family of musicians. She chose the violin and piano, and since 2019 has been receiving instruction in both instruments at the Rheinische Musikschule Cologne under Michaela Zirnbauer (violin) and Maria Zeidler-Kröll (piano).

She gained further artistic guidance through masterclasses with Prof. Ingolf Turban, Prof. Wolfgang Manz, and Prof. Jacques Ammon. Since 2022, she has also been part of the network at the HMT Rostock (University of Music and Theatre Rostock) studying with Prof. Christiane Hutcap.

Frieda is a prizewinner of several competitions. From 2020 to 2023, she repeatedly earned first prizes with maximum scores in the Jugend musiziert competition across the categories String Ensemble (Trio and Duo), Duo: Piano and String Instrument, Piano Four Hands, Solo Violin, and Solo Piano.

Together with her brother Oscar (cello), she forms a permanent string duo, which won the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber Music Sponsorship Award in May 2023. Additionally, both are scholarship holders at the International Music Academy in Liechtenstein, participating in its intensive study weeks and ongoing activities.

Oscar Benjamin Hollmer

Oscar Benjamin Hollmer was born in 2010 and began playing the cello at an early age. Since 2020, he has been a junior student at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen in the class of Prof. Christoph Richter, as well as studying with Prof. Bonian Tian.

He has actively participated in masterclasses led by Prof. Troels Svane, Prof. Tanja Tetzlaff, Friedrich Thiele, and Prof. Gabriel Schwabe. Oscar is a prizewinner of numerous competitions; a particularly outstanding achievement includes winning the advancement award at the 39th National Jugend komponiert (Youth Composes) Competition in 2024.

At the 32nd Competition of the German Musical Instrument Fund in 2025, Oscar was awarded a cello made by Lorenzo & Tomaso Carcassi (Florence, c. 1768).

Mateusz Szczepkowski

Born in Poland, the violinist completed his studies in Switzerland with honors and taught there for many years. He looks back on a multifaceted career as a section leader, director, and member of renowned ensembles.

Erika Schutter

A passionate chamber musician, the Japanese-Swiss violinist spent over a decade shaping the internationally successful Medea Trio. She currently serves as principal second violin of the Festival Strings Lucerne.

Geneviève Strosser

Following her training in France and masterclasses with prominent mentors, the violist established herself within leading contemporary music ensembles. She collaborates closely with contemporary composers and shares her expertise as a professor at the Basel Academy of Music.

Judith Gerster

After a foray into architecture, the cellist turned entirely to the art of sound, earning her performance degrees in Basel and Zurich. Today, she combines her passion for permanent ensemble playing with historical performance practice and mentoring young talent.

Simone Keller

The Swiss pianist encompasses a broad artistic spectrum ranging from classical music to contemporary works and interdisciplinary art forms. Honored for her global achievements and cultural engagement, she received both the Swiss Music Prize and the Thurgau Culture Prize in 2022, followed by the Zurich Art Prize in 2025.