PREMIERE IN BELGRADE
THE EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA AND ART CENTRE GUARNERIUS
ARE PRESENTING
SOYOUNG YOON with her String Trio ORION
String Trio led by the winner of the First prize at the International Competition Wieniawski
Soyoung Yoon, violin (Republic of Korea) and
Veit Hertenstein, viola (Germany)
Benjamin Gregor-Smith, cello (United Kingdom)
On Tuesday, 8 November 2016 at 8pm in concert hall Guarnerius will be held the premiere of the concert ORION STRING TRIO, led by Soyoung Yoon, one of the greatest violinists of our time.
Mr. Kichang Park, charge d’affaires of the Korean Embassy said, “We are pleased to present a brilliant musical talent from Korea and also to show her collaboration with peers in Europe.”
Program: L.v. Beethoven and E. Dohnanyi
Free entrance with required reservation
The artists that represent the Orion String Trio are holders of greatest awards, with enviable solo careers and numerous solo performances around the world.
The specificity of this Trio is that the artists do not use notes during the performances.
The Orion String Trio was formed in 2012 in Basel by Violinist Soyoung Yoon from South Korea, German Violist Veit Hertenstein and British Cellist Benjamin Gregor-Smith. Friendship as well as deep mutual musical understanding were factors in the decision to develop the String Trio besides their individual Solo careers.
In February 2016, The Orion String Trio won 1st Prize as well as the Audience Prize in the 15th “Migros Kulturprozent” Chamber Music Competition in Zürich. The Jury was “impressed and fascinated by the clear joy of playing together, the spirit of the ensemble and the level of professionalism”. The Prize also includes a CD production.
The Orion String Trio performs regularly in Switzerland, for example in the Tonhalle hall in Zürich as well as having given concerts in Germany, England and a big tour around Korea where the trio performed in such Halls as the Isang Yun Birthplace in Tongyeoung and in the Yongsan Concert Hall in Seoul among others.
Important Artistic Influence has been from such Musicians as Harald Schoneweg (Cherubini Quartet), Bernard Smith (Lindsay Quartet) and Thomas Demenga.
Soyoung Yoon, violin (Republic of Korea), the winner of the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition 2011. in Poznan, Soyoung Yoon is recognized as one of the most outstanding young violinists.
Soyoung Yoon studied at the National University of the Arts with Kim Nam-Yun in South Korea and with Zakhar Bron at the Musikhochschule Köln and Zurich.
She started the competition circuit with an astonishing first prize at the 2002 Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition at the age of seventeen and is a prize winner of the top four violin competitions in the world, the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2007, the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2009, the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis in 2010 and the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition in 2011 where she got the 1st prize.
Soyoung Yoon performs as a soloist with the Russian National Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, NDR North German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Quebec Symphony Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, National Radio Orchestra of Kiev, Euskadiko Bask National Orchestra, Bern Symphony Orchestra, Zurich Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonie der Nationen, Trondheim Soloists, Moscow Virtuosi, London Mozart Players, Vienna Chamber Orchestra and Zurich Chamber Orchestra. She works with conductors such as Maxim Vengerov, Krzysztof Urbanski, Krysztof Penderecki, Mario Venzago, Gilbert Varga, Muhai Tang, Justus Frantz, Gabriel Chmura and Saulus Sondetzki.
In recitals she was heard at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Musical Olympus St. Petersburg, Tokyo Santori Hall, Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center, Seoul Arts Center and the Moscow Rostropovich Festival.
Soyoung Yoon also currently serves as the First Concertmaster of Basel Symphony Orchestra.
Soyoung Yoon plays a J. B. Guadagnini violin (ex-Bückeburg, 1773).
Veit Hertenstein, viola (Germany), one of the most exciting musicians on his instrument to emerge in years, German violist Veit Hertenstein plays with “admirable precision, dedication and strong musical expression“ (Augsburger Allgemeine 2013) as well as “maturity, technique, thoughtful musicianship, and a tone of dark honey” (The Boston Musical Intelligencer 2013).
Mr. Hertenstein has been invited to the Marlboro Music Festival, the Seiji Ozawa International Music Academy, the Viola Space Festival Tokyo, Menuhin Festival in Gstaad and the Verbier Festival, where he was awarded the “Henri Louis de la Grange” viola prize. He has also been several times invited to the La Folle Journée Festival in Nantes and Tokyo.
As a chamber Musician he collaborated with Trio Wanderer, Modigliani and Ysaye Quartets, Brigitte Engerer, Valentin Erben (Alban Berg String Quartet) and with Midori.
In the United States Mr. Hertenstein performed in concert halls such as The Merkin Hall, New York, The Kenendy Center in Washington D.C. after winning First prize as well as eight performance prizes in the Young Concert Artists International Auditions 2011 in New York City. Mr. Hertenstein has won several prestigious competitions. In 2009 he was the first violist to win the New Talent Competition of the European Broadcasting Union in Slovakia founded by Yehudi Menuhin, which was followed by world-wide radio broadcasts. He was a prize-winner of the first Tokyo International Viola Competition 2009. In 2007 he was the first violist to win First Prize at the Orpheus Competition in Zurich, Switzerland. Pro Helvetia commissioned a Viola Concerto by Swiss composer Nicolas Bolens which was premiered in Geneva 2014.
Born in Augsburg, Germany, Mr. Hertenstein began studying the violin and piano at the age of 5 and switched to the viola when he was 15. In 2009 he graduated with distinction from the Haute Ecole de Musique in Geneva, where he worked with violist Nobuko Imai. He also has been artistically influenced by György Kurtag, Krzysztof Penderecki, Gabor Takács-Nagy, Yuri Bashmet and Kim Kashkashian.
In 2011 Mr. Hertenstein became the principal violist of the Basel Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland. In April 2016 30 years old he became a professor for viola at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold, Germany.
Benjamin Gregor-Smith, cello (United Kingdom), began the cello at the age of 7, subsequently continuing his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester under Hannah Roberts and Ralph Kirshbaum. After receiving his Bachelor degree with first class honors in Music Performance and his Post Graduate Diploma with Distinction, he then furthered his studies in Switzerland at the Hochschule für Musik Basel with Thomas Demenga gaining his Masters in Specialized Soloist Performance.
Benjamin has enjoyed much success in international competitions around Europe including being a Prizewinner at the Lutoslawski International Cello Competition in Warsaw, Muriel Taylor Scholarship London, Schenk Stiftung Switzerland as well as the Musicians Benelovent fund awards in London, the Guilherminia Suggia gift, the Croydon Concerto Competition, Kenneth Loveland gift and the Sir John Barbirolli Cello Prize Manchester. Ben has also performed widely throughout England and Europe as soloist and chamber musician including performances in festivals such as Prades international Pablo Casals Festival and the Kuhmo Festival Finland. As well as his Solo and Chamber Music Engagements Ben loves playing orchestral repertoire and is currently engaged as assistant solo cellist of Sinfonie Orchester Basel.