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with Brazil’s most talented young artists. She is
currently International Chair of Viola Studies at
the Royal College of Music, London and gives
masterclasses around the world.
Diemut Poppen / viola
Diemut Poppen is one of the finest viola players
of her generation. Born in a musical family,
Poppen studied in Germany, USA and Paris with
some of the greatest viola players of her time,
includingYuri Bashmet, KimKashkashian, Bruno
Giuranna and Peter Schidlof. Diemut Poppen has
been awarded several scholarships and prizes,
among them the Studienstiftung des Deutschen
Volkes and the renowned European Music Prize.
As a soloist, Diemut Poppen has performed in
major music centres all over the world including
the Carnegie Hall in New York, Barbican in
London, Philharmonie in Berlin and Mozarteum
in Salzburg and has worked with musicians like
Claudio Abbado, Leonidas Kavakos and Viktor
Tretyakov. Several composers have written
new pieces for Diemut Poppen, including solo
works, as well as concertos, sonatas and chamber
music. Diemut Poppen has recorded for Deutsche
Grammophon, Cappricio, Live classics, EMI,
Tudor, Ediphone, Ondine, among others. Cyprus
is Diemut’s favourite country and she visits the
island quite regularly.
David Abrahamyan / viola
From a very young age, David Abrahamyan has
collaborated with the Luxemburg Philarmonic,
OSPA in Oviedo Spain, Lagen Laden in Brussels
where he was solo viola or Salzburg Chamber
Soloists under the artistic direction of Lavard
Skou Larsen. He has performed under the baton of
conductors such asClaudioAbbado, ZubinMehta,
Bernard Haitnk, Roberto Benzi, Jesús López
Cobos or Plácido Domingo, amongst others.
Between 2005 and 2009, he was the founder and
artistic director of themaster-class series “Musical
Improvement” in Felechosa (Asturias- Spain)
inviting teachers like Dora Schwarzberg, Liviu
Prunaru, Alexander Chaushyan, Ashley Wass,
pelman or Boris Belkin. Abrahamyan’s chamber
Vitaly Pisarenko