A concert to mark the first anniversary of the death of Mstislav Rostropovich, given by one of his outstanding pupils

In association with the Elder Conservatorium of Music, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Adelaide Cello Festival

Li-Wei

Born in Shanghai in 1976 Li-Wei moved to Australia at the age of 13, before accepting a Scholarship to study with Ralph Kirshbaum at the Royal Northern College of Music in 1995. He now lives in London and plays a 1720 Giuseppe Guarneri cello on loan from the Australian Council. Li-Wei has recently been appointed Artistic Director of the Jin Mao Concert Hall in Shanghai.

Li-Wei has established a formidable reputation on the international concert scene and is well known for his brilliant virtuosity, refined musicality and sincerity of interpretation. He has won several prestigious awards including silver medal at the 11th Tchaikovsky International Competition, the 2001 Naumburg Competition and was invited onto the BBC New Generation Artists Scheme during 2001-03.

The New York Times said of him, “Li-Wei is the most gifted young cellist I have heard. Aside from an extraordinary technical fluency, he has a musical intelligence and sensitivity which is breathtaking both for its maturity and profound vision.”
Li-Wei is working with orchestras of the highest level and recent and forthcoming engagements include: BBC Proms with the Scottish Ensemble, London Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony, Kremerata Baltika conducted by Guidon Kremer, Singapore Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Hong Kong Sinfionetta, Sydney Symphony Orchestras, Auckland Philharmonic, China Philharmonic as well as recitals at Wigmore Hall, Graz Festival, Kronberg Festivals and Mecklenburg Festival. Li-Wei has enjoyed successful artistic collaborations with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and Marek Janowski, Osaka Philharmonic, Prague Symphony and Antoni Wit, Halle Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony and BBC Philharmonic.

He continues to be a regular guest with the China Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony and Australian Chamber Orchestra working with highly acclaimed conductors such as Yan Pascal Tortelier, Vassily Sinaisky, Marcello Viotti, Alexander Lazarev and the late Lord Menuhin. In recital and chamber music Li-Wei is a regular guest at the Wigmore Hall and recently made highly successful debuts at the Lincoln Centre NY and in San Francisco and Washington and broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio 3 and NDR.

Caroline Almonte

Winner of the ABC Young Performer's Award for piano, Caroline has performed as soloist in Australia and internationally with conductors Oleg Caetani, Markus Stenz, David Porcelijn, Nicholas Braithwaite, Sebastian Lang-Lessing and Marco Zuccarini. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with many artists, including the Fine Arts Quartet, the Flinders Quartet, Prudence Davis, Alexander Ivashkin, Janis Laurs, Yvonne Kenny, ProArte, Sue-Ellen Paulsen, Li-Wei Qin and appears regularly with the Melbourne Symphony Chamber players. Duo Sol, Caroline's chamber music partnership with Miki Tsunoda has performed throughout Italy, UK, South America, China and Japan. Currently, Caroline teaches piano at the University of Melbourne.

As both soloist and chamber musician, Caroline has won many national and international awards. These include the Keyboard section of the ABC Young Performers Awards, the Frances Quinn Arts Encouragement Award, and the Hephzibah Menuhin Award. She was a finalist in the Gaudeamus Competition in the Netherlands and also at the ARD competitions in Munich. She is the winner of the 1st prize at the International Competition “Trio di Trieste” for Piano and Strings.

In New York, Caroline studied at the Juilliard School with Oxana Yablonskaya, (piano performance) and Samuel Sanders (chamber music). She is the only Australian and one of 100 Alumni across Music, Dance and Drama to have her profile featured in the Juilliard School Centenary Publication. During her years in New York, she performed regularly as soloist and chamber musician in recitals at the Lincoln Centre, the 92nd St Y, and the Metropolitan Museum. She was the pianist in the Arista Trio, staff accompanist at the Juilliard School and often premiered new works at NYU. With soprano Cheryl Marshall, she toured as visiting artists-in-residence at nine universities across the United States and appeared at the New Music Festival in the Netherlands, performing an ‘All American Program’ of 20th Century Music.

Caroline has performed as soloist with all major orchestras in Australia including concertos of Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and Gershwin. With the Harlem Dance Company and Orchestra Victoria she performed the Ginastera Piano Concerto at the opening of the 1999 Melbourne International Festival. As a chamber musician, she has worked with the Fine Arts Quartet, Flinders Quartet, Prudence Davis, Per Forsberg, Alexander Ivashkin, Yvonne Kenny, Sue Ellen Paulsen, Li-Wei Qin, Elise Milman. She is a regular performer with the Pro Arte Chamber group and the Melbourne Symphony Chamber players.

Caroline has also recorded a recital with Yvonne Kenny for ABC Classics, and as part of Duo Sol. She is also a producer with the ABC and has worked on several recording projects featuring Ronald Farren-Price’s last three Beethoven Sonatas and the Seraphim Trio’s Mendelssohn recordings. In 2007, Caroline performed as soloist with the Melbourne Symphony, Orchestra Victoria and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. She also plays chamber music recitals with Duo Sol and Melbourne Symphony Chamber Players.