Through the Looking Glass

The artists will spend a couple of minutes introducing each piece to help enhance the audience’s appreciation and enjoyment of the musical offering. At the end of the program, the audience will have a chance to ask the artists questions about the performance. 
Music by Giovanni Sollima and Georgy Gusev.
The reception starts at 4:30pm, concert at 5:00pm.

About the Artists:
EVGENY TONKHA
“Evgeny Tonkha is one today’s most talented Russian cellists.” – Daniil Shafran
“He beholds an incredible sound. There isn’t anything that he doesn’t understand or can’t do.” – Sofia Gubaidulina, composer
 Evgeny_TonkhaConsidered among most talented Russian cellists, Evgeny performs to international audiences since the age of 10, touring in Germany, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and the USA.
 Evgeny was born into a musical family and studied at the Gnessin Music School (class of his father Professor Vladimir Tonkha.)
After graduating from the Russian Academy of Music, Evgeny was invited by Professor David Geringas to post-graduate studies at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin. Since 2006, Evgeny has been collaborating with the Berliner Philharmoniker Orchestra. Under the baton of maestros Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta, Claudio Abbado, Seiji Ozawa, Mariss Jansons and Daniel Barenboim, he regularly performs with the Berliner Philharmonie, Berlin’s Konzerthaus, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, the Hamburg Philharmonie and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich.
Among his achievements are the 1st Prize and the Golden Medal at the 12th International Cello Competition in the Czech Republic, the Special Jury Prize at the 13th International Tchaikovsky Competition, and prizes for the best performance of contemporary music.
He regularly performs at the Berliner Philharmonie, Berlin’s Konzerthaus, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, the Hamburg Philhamonie and at the Hall of Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich.
Evgeny is a resident participant of Russian and international festivals, such as “The Moscow Autumn”, the Sakharov Arts Festival in Nizhny Novgorod, “Homecoming” in Moscow, the Sofia Gubaidullina Festival, the Pablo Cazals Festival in Colmar, France, the Chopin Festival in London, Santander Festival in Spain, the Rodion Shchedrin Festival in Berlin, the Beauvais Cello Festival in France and the festival, dedicated to the 125th Anniversary of the Berliner Philahrmoniker. His name is registered in “The Golden Book of Russia’s Talents”.
He collaborates with a number of contemporary composers, such as Sofia Gubaidulina, MIkhail Bronner, Victor Suslin, Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, Artyom Vasiliev, Elena Langer,Anna Drubich.
The orchestra performances include the Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra, Neue Philharmonie in Hamburg, Berliner Camerata, the Symphony Orchestras of Nizhny Novgorod, Toliatti and Ryazan and the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra.
GEORGY GUSEV
“Georgy stands out among the very talented performers from around the world as an extraordinary musician who, at his young age, was already able to achieve international recognition and respect.”  - Walter Afanasieff 
Originally from Yekaterinburg (South Urals, Russia) Georgy Gusev has performed as a chamber musician and soloist throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.
He is a graduate of the famed Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory and Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He performs at major music festivals and events worldwide with musicians such as: Vladimir Spivakov, Yuri Bashmet, Giovanni Sollima, Enrico Dindo, Mario Brunello and many others.
In US Georgy has worked with several multi-Grammy Award winning producers and performers such as Randy Jackson, Kenny G, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Walter Afanasieff and others.
During 2011, Georgy founded in Moscow, GOSH Projects - a nonprofit group of young artists committed to actively promoting the cultural exchange between artists of different countries while supporting new projects for young and extraordinarily talented artists from Russia. He is also a founder of the International Music Festival Masters of Music held annually in Moscow since 2013. www.goshprojects.org
As a composer, Georgy began his career with a series of compositions for solo cello entitled, Traveler's Diary that has been incorporated onto the music track for various shows produced by Russian television and Italian RAI. His Carnegie Hall debut in NYC as a cellist and composer took place on February 2nd, 2018.  
Georgy plays 2 cellos made by Ernst Liebich III (Breslau, 1880) and Nicolas Geisser (St. Petersburg, 1901).
www.cellodrive.com