Aavik Duo concert

First half:

Fritz Kreisler - Viennese Rhapsodic Fantasietta

Erkki-Sven Tüür - Piano Sonata

Maurice Ravel - Violin Sonata No.2, M.77

Second half:

Fritz Kreisler - Slavonic Fantasy

Arvo Pärt - Fratres

George Enescu - Violin Sonata No.3, Op.25

Biography:

Aavik Duo - Hans Christian Aavik (violin) and Karolina Aavik (piano) - is among the most original of the new generation, characterised by fresh ideas, a versatile repertoire and the courage to take risks. The duo's repertoire is delicately crafted, yet the musicians` interpretation remains free and imaginative. In 2022, Aavik Duo recorded a live concert for Deutsche Grammophon's new series "Rising Stars". The recording was released in March this year. Since January 2023, Aavik Duo participates in the music endowment residency programme of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia. In addition, there will be performances at the Casals Forum, the festival Odessa Classics, the prestigious Robert Schumann Society concert series, as well as Estonia, Vanemuine and Jõhvi concert halls. The duo attaches great importance to the performance of new Estonian music and has commissioned works by Kristjan Randalu, Tõnu Kõrvits and Rein Rannap, which will be performed in the coming seasons.

Aavik Duo's collaboration began in 2014, when both musicians were still studying at the Tallinn Music High School. The violinist and the pianist are united by their humility towards the music, immersion in the work and its context. Listening to the duo is captivating due to their natural and sincere feel for the music, as well as their brilliant virtuosity and refined sound. Both musicians are currently studying at the Academy of Music and Theatre in Frankfurt, Germany, with Professors Erik Schumann and Angelika Merkle, and at the Kronberg Academy, which has been called the new Mecca for chamber music. The ensemble has also been greatly influenced by their studies in Vienna. Their interpretative style is a unique symbiosis of German and Viennese tradition, combining the depth of the German education, the profundity of the musical text with the elegance and unconstrained Viennese style.

Aavik Duo has won numerous prizes and awards at national and international competitions and has performed on internationally renowned concert stages. The duo has also performed at the Pärnu Music Festival, the Usedom Music Festival and at MuseumsSalon in Frankfurt. Hans Christian Aavik and Karolina Aavik have studied with many famous musicians, including Christoph Eschenbach, Steven Isserlis, Kirill Gerstein, Antoine Tamestit and Julian Rachlin. They have had fruitful collaborations with the Eesti Kontsert, Tallinn Philharmonic and Klassikaraadio. Both musicians are outstanding soloists, with Hans Christian winning first prize in the 2022 Carl Nielsen International Competition. In 2021, they released the CD "Aeternus" featuring music by Bach, Pärt and Schubert.

Hans Christian Aavik plays on a violin by Giovanni Paolo Maggini ( ca. 1610), with the kind permission of the Estonian Instrument Foundation and the Sapožnin family, and uses a bow made by Victor Fétique (ca. 1930). As of 2019, Karolina and Hans Christian Aavik are part of the society Live Music Now Yehudi Menuhin, which includes a charity programme that enables young and talented musicians to share their musical talents with people who don't normally have access to them.

More information at Hans Christian Aavik`s homepage www.hansaavik.com

Karolina Aavik`s homepage www.karolina-aavik.com

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