In March, five students of the Zakhar Bron School of Music made their debut on stage alongside the famous ZKO Quartet in the beautiful St. Charles Hall Villa by the Lucerne Lake.

For several years, the Zakhar Bron School of Music gives a special concert to express gratitude to people and foundations that share our vision and goals and support our school. This year, together with the ‘Kuma Foundation’, our main supporter since 2013, we selected the magnificent St. Charles Hall Villa in Meggen, Switzerland, as our venue of choice. Nestled along the picturesque shores of Lake Lucerne, this esteemed location offers a panoramic view that leaves visitors speechless. Its grand hall, tailored for chamber music performances, boasts exceptional acoustics, making it one of the premier destinations for chamber music concerts in the country.

 
The concert commenced with a captivating performance by the accomplished violin duo of Alexandra Taub and Vlada Sabella, both students of Liana Tretiakova, the school founder and leading violin teacher. Accompanied by the ZKO Quartet, they showcased their talent with a rendition of Bach’s renowned ‘Concerto for Two Violins in D minor’. Their interpretation honored the Baroque tradition, employing authentic Baroque bows to convey the essence of Bach’s masterpiece.

 
Next, the youngest concert performer, award-winning 7-year-old pianist Maksut Mukhitdin (class of Rafael Lipstein, our leading piano teacher), performed two waltzes by Chopin: ‘Waltz in A minor’ and ‘Minute Waltz’. The little genius impressed the audience greatly – as no one expected such a young musician to be a true piano virtuoso for his age!

 
Following Maksut’s remarkable performance, 17-year-old Sophie Branson, a highly advanced violin student of Liana Tretiakova, took the stage alongside guest violist Lisanne Schick from the Academy of the Opera Zurich. Together, they presented two movements from Mozart’s ‘Sinfonia Concertante in E flat Major’. This wasn’t the first time Sophie and Lisanne had collaborated on this piece; in fact, it marked their third performance together. With each rendition, Sophie’s mastery only deepened, demonstrating her growth and dedication. While performing Mozart can be a challenge, particularly for young musicians (18-20 years old), their rendition was executed with phenomenal grace and precision.

 
Finally, our multi award-winning young violinist Nikita Koller (also class of Liana Tretiakova) captivated the audience with his interpretation of Sarasate’s ‘Carmen Fantasy’. He impressed the audience with his artistry and emotional depth, brightness, and charisma. As the final notes faded, the audience erupted into a prolonged ovation, punctuated by enthusiastic cries of ‘bravo’!

 
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all the members of the ZKO Quartet for providing the unique opportunity for our students to perform alongside such esteemed musicians:

Willi Zimmermann, Violin
Silviya Savova-Hartkamp, Violin
Ryszard Groblewski, Viola
Nicola Mosca, Violoncello

Finally, once again, we would like to highlight that the concert – as well as great many other school events – could only be possible because of the support of the ‘Kuma Foundation’. We are immensely grateful for your contribution and your lasting support!