LORENZO GATTO

SPECIAL MASTER CLASS

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His nomination as a ‘Rising Star’ in 2010 allows Lorenzo to make his recital debut on major European stages including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Vienna Musikverein, the Cité de la Musique in Paris and many others. It further expanded the possibilities of collaboration with orchestras and conductors such as Philippe Herreweghe, Vladimir Spivakov, Walter Weller, Jan Willem de Vriend, Jaap van Zweden, Martin Sieghart, Angrey Boreyko and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

In chamber music, Lorenzo shared the stage with, amongst others, Maria João Pires, Mischa Maisky, Martha Argerich, Menahem Pressler, Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden, Frank Braley and Gérard Caussé.

In 2015, Lorenzo started collaborating with the talented Belgian pianist Julien Libeer. Together, they recorded all of Beethoven sonatas and released a disc that was awarded with a Diapason d’Or of the year.

Lorenzo Gatto plays the ‘Joachim’ Stradivari from 1698.

In his spare time, Lorenzo enjoys a lifelong passion for everything that flies. Look up and see if you can spot him high in the sky, arriving at a concert flying a small plane or even a paraglider.

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KATI SEBESTYEN - violin

Brussels Conservatory 

Prins Claus Conservatory, Groningen

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Born in Hungary, Kati Sebestyen has been the head of the String department at the Brussels Conservatory. She was also "extraordinary professor" of the Queen Elisabeth Chapel  and was a member of the artistic comission of the Queen Elisabeth International Competition-violin.

She's regularly invited as jury member and for master classes: Mozarteum Salzburg,  Jong Talent Amsterdam , Hannover, Lübeck,  University of North Carolina, CIM Morges Suisse, Conservatoire de Reykjavik, etc.

She performed as a soloist or as a member of a chamber music ensemble all over Europe and in the USA.  She was a member of the Haydn Quartet, violin-conductor of the Sebestian Strings-chamber orchestra and member-founder of the Ensemble Contrats. She recorded several CD's for EMS Records and other label.

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PIERRE-HENRI XUEREB - viola/viole d'amour

Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Liège

Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Paris

IMEP - Namur

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After receiving a first prize in viola in the Conservatoire d’Avignon at the age of 13, Pierre-Henri Xuereb received a first prize in viola at the CNSMD in Paris at the age of 16.

After two years at the Juilliard School and 2 years at Boston University, where his teachers were Walter Trampler, Lillian Fuchs, the Juilliard Quartet… , he becomes solo viola of the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris, conducted by Pierre Boulez at the age of 19.

He is one of the last students of William Primrose (Provo-Utah).

Since then, his international career took him to many concert halls throughout the world : Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Teatro La Scala (Milano)…

He recently created a new chamber ensemble (The Primrose Ensemble) and is the Artistic Director of the « Fête de l’Alto » in Lasalle in Cevennes.

Pierre-Henry Xuereb teaches viola in the CNSM in Paris, Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Liège and viola d’amore in IMEP, Namu and is regularly invited to give internatonal master classes in Beijing, Kyoto, Korea, Les Arcs, Fontainebleau, Novisad, Malte, Domaine Forget-Canada, USA, …

He has recorded over 70 records and recently performed and recorded, under the direction of the composer, Vladimir Cosma’s concerto for viola and orchestra, which was written specially for him.

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EMMANUEL TONDUS - 'cello

Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Liège

 

At the age of nine, Emmanuel Tondus started studying the cello with Léon Massart. In 1999, he enters the Conservatoire Royal de Musique in Mons and attends the classes of Jean-Pol Zanutel, Luc Dewez and David Cohen. He also followed a training in Ancient Music with Hervé Douchy and Guy Van Waas. He also improves in Chamber Music at the Ecole Normale Alfred Cortot in Paris in Nina Patarcec’s class and will benefit advice from Didier Poskin (Brussels), Oleg Kogan (London) and Hélène Dautry (Paris).

 In 2002, he is invited as solo cello to join the Académie Baroque Européenne (European Baroque Academy) under the direction of Rinaldo Alessandrini. For Ancient Music, Emmanuel often plays with Dominique Corbiau and La Fiamma.

Emmanuel has worked with the Orchestre de Chambre de Wallonie (Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia), the Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège, the National Orchestra of Belgium, the Philharmonia Orchestra of London. He is now fix member at the Brussels Philharmonic.

 Emmanuel regularly performs with chamber music ensembles: in Sonata, Trio Notturno, the Quattro Celli Ensemble, the Aura Anima Quartet, the Solisten van Brussels Philharmonic, Ô-Celli… but also solo with Orchestre Symphonique du Val de Sambre, Ensemble Pas Sage, Piacevole Chamber Orchestra. Emmanuel has been invited at the “Festival de l’Eté Mosan”, the “Nocturnes de Beloeil”, the Festival of Enghien, the Festival “Les Sons Intensifs”, the Festival « Les Inattendues » (Tournai), the « Printemps Musical de Silly »,... and he is the originator and artistic director of the Festival « Gerpina Musica ».

Emmanuel has recorded with Damien Bossy, pianist, a fisrt album around pieces of L.V. Beethoven, J. Brahms and D. Schostakovitch and a second one, under the label Antarctica Records, « Tales » around pieces of Janacek, Connesson and Rachmaninov. Still under Antarctica Records, Emmanuel recorded the album « Night Birds », together with the accordeonist Bram Van Weverberg.

Emmanuel plays a Alexandre Breton cello (copy of Carlo Ruger detto il Per, Cremona 1707) and a Victor Bernard bow (Brussels, 2016).

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PIERRE FONTENELLE - 'cello

IMEP-Namur

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Belgian-American cellist Pierre Fontenelle is celebrated for his audacious projects and versatile artistry, earning recognition as a rising star of the Belgian classical music scene.

A top prizewinner at the 2022 Breughel, 2020 Buchet, and 2019 Edmond Baert Competitions, Pierre Fontenelle also served as Cello-Soloist for the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège until 2022 and has since performed at prestigious venues across Europe and Asia, including Flagey, Chapelle Reine Élisabeth, la Seine Musicale, Taipei National Concert Hall, and Shanghai Oriental Art Center. Soloist performances with renowned ensembles include the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, Musiques Nouvelles, Casco Phil, and Ensemble Appassionato.

Pierre’s commitment to Belgian music earned him the 2024 FUGA Trophy from the Belgian Composer’s Union. Upcoming highlights of the 2024–25 season include the release and concert tour of his album Roots (Spring 2025), a series of concerto performances, premieres by composers Apolline Jesupret and Jean-François Jung, and an artist residency at the Abbaye de Royaumont with pianist Ninon Hannecart-Ségal.

His collaborative work extends to artists such as Jodie Devos, Florian Noack, Gaëlle Solal, Gwendoline Blondeel, and Gergely Madaras. Beyond classical music, Pierre explores popular and contemporary genres in Duo Kiasma with accordionist Frin Wolter, with whom he won the Accordé’Opale Competition. Following his 2024 release American Album with chamber music ensemble Oxalys, his solo album Roots reflects his tribute to contemporary American music.

Self-taught from a young age in Seattle, Pierre pursued formal training in Luxembourg, Namur, Mons, and Paris with mentors including Éric Chardon, Han Bin Yoon and Anne Gastinel. Now a professor at IMEP (Namur), he performs on a 1690 Ruggieri cello and an 1860 Nicolas-François Vuillaume cello, generously provided by the King Baudouin Foundation.

Namurois of the Year 2020, Pierre is also the founder and artistic director of Concerts des Dames at the Abbaye Notre-Dame du Vivier and enjoys reading and writing poetry.

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ELISABETH LEFEBVRE - 'cello 'Young artists'

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Elisabeth began studying the cello at the age of 4 at the “Yolande Uyttenhove” Music Academy in Braine-l'Alleud.

She then continued her training at the Waterloo Music Academy with Marinela Doko.This encounter was decisive in shaping her subsequent relationship with the cello, smoothly propelling her towards a future in music. At the age of 15, two years after meeting Marinela Doko, Elisabeth entered the IMEP Institute in Namur, in the “Jeune Talent” section. There, she studied with Sarah Dupriez and Eric Chardon. The following year, she was accepted as a “Jeune Talent” at the Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Bruxelles in Marie Hallynck's class. During her year as a Jeune Talent in Brussels, she also had the opportunity to work with Henri Demarquette.

During her studies with Marie Hallynck, Elisabeth regularly took lessons with renowned cellists such as Francis Mourey, Karel Steylaerts and Corinna Lardin.

She now holds a bachelor's and master's degree in cello.

Elisabeth has performed at various festivals, including the Festival Artonov and Festival Musiq'3, with Shirly Laub's orchestra. She also leaves the beaten track of the classical music world for concerts in the world of pop, notably accompanying the singer Berre. She has played regularly in various chamber music and orchestral projects, notably with the Young Belgian Strings, Orchestre BruMe, Mahler Student Festival Orchestra, etc.

In 2022, Elisabeth won the “Orchestra Academy” competition, enabling her to perform with La Monnaie and the Belgian National Orchestra. She performed Camille Saint-Saëns's opera Henry VIII at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, conducted by Alain Altinoglu, and has since been a frequent guest with the Belgian National Orchestra.

During the Summer of 2023, she had the opportunity to add a whole new experience to her career as a cellist by taking part in the musical West Side Story as part of the Bruxellons Festival. Elisabeth has also just won first prize in the Horlait-Dapsens competition with her chamber music trio.

In parallel with her musical practice, she has a passion for teaching her artistic discipline, and is studying for the Agrégation and Master Didactique diplomas at the Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Bruxelles.

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