iPalpiti Alumni

Dedicated to the artistic career advancement of exceptionally gifted young professional musicians and to the promotion of peace and understanding through music.

iPalpiti Alumni

iPalpiti’s alumni have become leading soloists, concertmasters, and orchestral and chamber players around the world. While the accomplishments of all 400+ alumni would be too lengthy to list, here are some highlights:

Roman Patkoló

(Slovakia) – Double Bass Soloist under Columbia Artists Management. Leader, Bassiona Amorosa. Member, Zurich Opera. Collaborates with Anne-Sofie Mütter, including performance with the Boston and London Symphonies in the premieres of Previn’s Double Concerto. Website

“ I’ve never heard such a fantastic player,” said Previn. “…[Patkoló] ’certainly lived up to his billing as a sensational soloist….”

— Strad Magazine

Alexandru Tomescu

(Romania) – State Soloist of Romania, international soloist. Performs on Stradivarius violin from the State collection. Records four CDs annually. Winner of 28 international awards, and recognized as a “violin superstar” by the prestigious Strad (UK) and Classica (France) magazines. Website

Pavel Šporcl

(Czech Republic) – Ranks among the foremost representatives of today’s young generation of violinists. Frequent guest of TV and radio programs; exclusive Supraphon artist, awarded Gold & Platinum albums. Website

Valentina Lisitsa

(Ukraine – USA) – Compared by critics to the legendary artists Horowitz and Rachmaninov. Collaborated with Lynn Harrell, Ida Haendel, Cho-Liang Lin, Vadim Repin, and Hilary Hahn. IMG Artists. Website

Sayako Kusaka

(Japan) – First Concertmaster of Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin (formerly Berlin Symphony Orchestra founded by Kurt Sonderling). “Best Musician of the Year” award from Critic’s Association of Japan (2005), Idemitsu Music Prize (2009). Top prizes in the most prestigious competitions. Solo engagements in prestigious series in Europe and Japan.

Luiza Borac

(Romania) – Concert pianist. BBC 2007 award for the best solo CD recording of the year. (Avie Records) “…pianist of enviable professionalism”- Gramophone.  Featured covers & reviews in Fanfare and Gramophone and other major international publications. Faculty, Hanover Hochschule. Website

Cameron Carpenter

(USA) – Multiple Grammy nominee. “Maveric Organist” – New York Times. Multi-album record contract with TELARC, SONY Classical, DECCA Gold.  Website

Catharina Chen

(Norway) – Soloist. First Concertmaster, Norway National Opera Theater. Leader: Oslo Camerata, Norway Chamber Orchestra. Website

Karina Canellakis

(USA) – Chief Conductor Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra starting 2019 season. Principal Guest Conductor, London Philharmonic Orchestra. Principal Guest Conductor, RundFunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin. Website

LaTonia Moore

(USA) –  Leading roles with the MET, Los Angeles, Washington National, Dresden, Covent Garden and Houston Opera companies in leading soprano roles such as Aida, Tosca, Porgy and Bess. Recorded Mahler 2nd Symphony with Deutsche Grammophon. Website

Boris Brovtsyn

(Russia) – Soloist and Chamber ensemble violinist, IMG Artists. Former: Concertmaster, Kremerata Baltika, Royal Coventgarden. Prize-winner of international violin competitions. Professor, Yehudi Menuhin School of Music, UK. Website   

Kian Soltani

(Austria) -Soloist. Exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon/Universal Classics https://www.kiansoltani.com/

Svetlana Smolina

(Russia-USA) – performs with orchestras and in recitals worldwide, including Mariinsky Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, New York Philharmonic at Avery Fischer, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France. iPalpiti debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2011. Website

Vadim Tchijik

(France) – Award and recording contract with Harmonia Mundi, recital engagements and festival performances in Europe. Website

Lisa Kerob

(France) – Concertmaster of the Monte Carlo Symphony, Monaco. Website

Robert Kowalski

(Poland) –  Violinist, Szymanowski Quartet. Soloist. Former: First Concertmaster at the Radio Orchestra in Lugano / Switzerland. Website

Conrad Chow

(Canada) – Soloist. Faculty, Royal Conservatory of Music. Director, Community Lab School/University of Toronto.  Jury, international competitions. Website

Peter Rainer

(Germany) – Concertmaster, Kammerkademie Potsdam. Professor, Unversitat der Kunste Berlin and Hanns Eisler Hochschule fur Musik.

Juan Miguel Hernandez

(Canada) – Concert violist. Professor, University of Montreal. Professor, Royal Academy of Music, London. Former: Violist, Fine Arts Quartet. Website

Daniel Turcina

(Slovakia) – Concertmaster, Trondheim Orchestra and Soloists, Norway. Artistic leader, Chamber Philharmony. Website

Alexander Snytkin

(Lithuania-USA) – Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Former: Concertmaster, Bergen Philharmonic, Norway. Website

Vesselin Demirev

(Bulgaria) – Concertmaster, Aalborg National Symphony, Denmark. Website

Yamei Yu

(China) – Violinist, Trio Parnassus. Professor chair for violin at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Dusseldorf. Former: Concertmaster, Bavarian State Orchestra, Munich. Website

Eugenia Pikovsky

(Israel) – Principal violinist, Israel Philharmonic. Former: Concertmaster, Bern Symphony, Switzerland; Concertmaster of Jerusalem Symphony. Website

Ryo Mikami

(Japan) – Co-Concertmaster, Sapporo Symphony. Former: Member, Lausanne Soloists (Swiss). Website

Misa Yamuro

(Japan) – 1st violinist, Berlin Radio Symphony; former, Munich Philharmonic (Zubin Mehta, Director).

Marianna Racz

(Hungary/Netherlands) – Solo & chamber recitals in Europe as violinist and flutist. Performs in chamber music series “The choice of Bernard Haitink” both as violinist and flutist; violinist, Concertgebouw Symphony and Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra.

Lauraine Desgrees du Lou

(France) – Chamber musician, 1st violinist, Paris Opera.

Philipp Bohnen

(Germany) – Violinist of the Berlin Philharmonic. Website

Michael Arlt

(Germany) – Violinist of the Berlin Philharmonic. Website

Xinlai Jiang

(Hong Kong/China) – Principal Bass, Hong Kong Philharmonic. Website

Thibault Vieux

(France) – Assistant Concertmaster, Paris Opera.

Peter Danis

(Slovakia) – Concertmaster, Malaysia National Symphony.

Ken Aiso

(Japan) – Violinist/violist, chamber musician. Faculty Loyola Marymount University, LA. Former: Leader of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in London. Faculty – Royal Academy of Music. Website

Eliah Sakakushev

(Bulgaria – Germany) – Artistic Director of Villa Seligmann of Hanover – Germany’s only full time organization for Jewish Music and Jewish Sacred Music. Artistic Director, Musikfest Schloss Wonfurt, Germany. Former: Director of the Jewish Music Festival in Madrid. Principal, Auckland Symphony, New Zealand. Member of the cello faculty, Kronberg Academy (“cello capital of the world”) in Germany. Website

Pedro Carneiro

(Portugal) – Recognized as one of world’s foremost solo percussionists, performs frequently in Europe, the Far East and the USA, and a guest soloist with numerous orchestras. Solo recordings. Website

Timo-Veikko Valve

(Finland) – Principal Solo Cellist, Australian Chamber Orchestra; founding member, Helsinki Cello Ensemble. Website

Emmanuel Held

(Germany) – 1st violin section, Dresden Staatskapella.

Janna Dimont

(Israel/Cyprus) – Concertmaster, Cyprus Chamber Orchestra.

Dmitri Ratush

(Israel) – Principal Violist, Israel Philharmonic. Former: Principal Violist, Bern Symphony, Switzerland; Israel Camerata. Website

Raushan Akhmedyarova

(Kazakhstan) – 1st violinist, San Francisco Symphony; former, Concertmaster of New World Symphony. Website

Alex Akimov

(Russia) – violist. Soloist. Member, Moscow State Orchestra. Winner, Brahms International Competition (Vienna, 2004).

Kazuhiro Takagi

(Japan) – Soloist. Concertmaster Dallas Chamber Symphony. Former: Concertmaster Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Osaka Symphony Orchestra. Website

Eldar Saparaev

(Kazakhstan-Switzerland) – Soloist/Chamber musician. Director, Festivals Switzerland. Website

Peter Dènes

(Hungary) – Violist, Salzburg Camerata.

Isabelle Lambelet

(Switzerland) – 1st violinist, Tonhalle Orchestra, Zurich

Critics Around the World Say:

“I had heard of different similar organizations… All of these things are so often promised, but so
seldom seen. iPalpiti has done it for me and I shall always remember that; therefore, I consider that it
is vital for young musicians and for saving classical music.”

– Alexandru Tomescu, Concert violinist, State Artist of Romania

“iPalpiti has become part of my life. And a huge part. iPalpiti is a real family. Its unique. …The time
with Dr. Schmieder – both in rehearsal/performance and out, the things I’ve learnt – and the
inspiration is impossible to measure…”

– Jacob Shaw/ Cellist UK-Denmark
Founder/Director, Scandinavian Cello School.

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