Since 1995, many young artists have been helped at the start of their careers by the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO), a network of more than 20 concert halls across the continent which each year selects six musicians to present to audiences under the aegis of its Rising Stars programme. The Palace of Arts is among the members of this prestigious organisation, giving Hungarian audiences an opportunity to witness musicians at the start of their careers who will in all likelihood join the front rank of the “mature generation” of performers within a few years. Such hopes may well be cherished by Greek clarinettist Dionysis Grammenos who, aged barely 18, won the Eurovision Young Musicians international competition in 2008 – the first wind player to win in the history of the competition. He went on to perform at the opening ceremony of the Vienna Festival, broadcast in more than 20 countries. Sir Roger Norrington has said of him: “Dionysis is a marvellous clarinet player. He has fine technique, excellent musicianship and is a pleasure to hear.” Proof of this young artist’s versatility is that he is currently studying conducting at the Liszt School of Music in Weimar, while he has been artistic director of the Corfu Festival of Arts since 2010. Grammenos has worked with Vladimir Ashkenazy and Christian Lindberg, and has a strong commitment to chamber music. He has compiled this evening’s programme with a view to showcasing every aspect and potential of his instrument, accompanied by Karina Sposobina on piano, who also teaches at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory.
Cast and Creative team for Romantic Adventures at Palace of Arts, Festival Theatre
Accompanied on piano by: Karina Sposobina Dionysis Grammenos – clarinet