The Faculty is staffed by first-class, dynamic, inspiring and friendly teachers, who have all a wide experience of both teaching and performing, whether as soloist, in chamber music or with orchestras.
Coming from a wide array of different countries, they bring an unrivalled richness of experience and cultural variety to the Academy, whilst having in common their enthusiasm for sharing their knowledge and passion for music-making.
Delphine Hensler Born in Geneva, pianist Delphine Hensler performs regularly in England and Switzerland as a soloist and chamber musician, alongside her busy pedagogical activities. She has performed in solo in many music festivals in Manchester (UK), in the Cour de l’Hôtel de Ville in Geneva, and made her London debut in 2009 with cellist Frédéric Steinbrüchel at the Purcell Room, with whom she plays extensively.
A keen chamber musician, Delphine also founded the Pirandello Trio with whom she has been recently invited in the serie ‘Les Grands Interprètes’ in Neuchâtel (Switzerland).
Alexandra Dariescu Selected by Young Concert Artist Trust in 2008, Alexandra Dariescu is quickly establishing herself as one of the most versatile pianists of her generation.
She performs all over Europe, whether playing concertos with orchestras, in solo recitals or in chamber music concerts. Recent engagements include recitals in the Wigmore Hall, Barbican, Leeds International Series and City of London Festival, and concertos appearances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra, Nottingham and York Symphony Orchestras, and Northern Chamber Orchestra amongst others.
Frédéric Steinbrüchel Swiss Cellist Frédéric Steinbrüchel has been performing across Europe, whether in recital or with various chamber music formations. He has taken part in many festivals, such as the Shostakovitch Festival of Manchester, or the Festival de l’Orangerie in Geneva, where he was awarded a recital ‘Carte Blanche’.
His association with the pianist Delphine Hensler has led him to explore 21-Century compositions, of such composers as McRae, Shchedrin or Carter. Founding member of the Pirandello Trio, he has just completed a tour of the UK and Switzerland with great success.
Andrienne Delor Soprano Andrienne Delor has performed in her native Switzerland and across Europe, whether in recitals or as soloist with choirs or with orchestras. Her affinity with French music in particular has led her to record, also for the radio, the music of composers such as Fauré or Debussy as well as compositions written especially for her.
Her lyrical activity has led her to sing in roles such as Yniold (Debussy) ou Barberine (Mozart) at the Grand Théâtre in Geneva and on other European stages. A very experienced teacher as well, she is currently Head of Voice at the Geneva Conservatoire.
The Faculty
Annette Negus Annette Negus studied Flute and Dalcroze Eurhythmics at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart before moving to the UK, where she now resides. She regularly performs in several orchestras and ensembles, with the Levante Wind Quintet and guitar-and-flute duo Reflections throughout the UK and in her native Germany.
She is a very successful and experienced flute teacher, and her pedagogical interests have lead her organise and run musical projects and workshops, aside from her busy teaching practice. She is also a fully qualified Yoga teacher.
2012 Faculty includes:
Wendy Ghysels Violinist Wendy Ghysels received her Soloist Diploma, Teaching Diploma and String Quartet Diploma in the classes of J.-P. Wallez and G. Takacs at the Geneva Conservatoire, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma at the Royal Academy of London. She is a laureate of numerous prizes including Vocation, Frieder Wald, Leenards, and Dénéréaz.
Wendy has performed as a soloist with orchestras at the Opéra Royal La Monnaie (Brussels), at the Victoria Hall (Geneva) and the Salle Paderewski (Lausanne). She also teaches at the Geneva Conservatoire, and is leader of the Byron Quartet, who recorded for Aparté/Harmonia Mundi.
François James Violinist François James received a Gold Medal and Postgraduate Diploma in the class of G.Montmayeur in Mâcon, and a Concert Diploma, Soloist Diploma, Teaching Diploma and String Quartet Diploma at the Geneva Conservatoire. He has also followed the masterclasses of T. Varga, V. Pikaisen, V. Gluzman and J. Ter Merguerian.
François has performed in Europe, United States and China, and been broadcasted as soloist with orchestra on the Swiss Radio. Associate leader of the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, he is 2nd violin of the Byron Quartet, which recently recorded for the label Aparté/Harmonia Mundi.
Francesco D’Urso 2nd prize in the Aosta International Trombone Competition in 2008, he graduated from the Geneva Conservatoire and received his Master from the Musical Institute of Aosta. Francesco works extensively with numerous orchestras, including the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the National Orchestra of the Academy Santa Cecilia in Rome and the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Turin (as solo trombone in 2009).
Currently teaching in several music institutions in Switzerland and France, first trombone of the Jura Symphonic Orchestra, he performs internationally with the Moya Trombone Quartet.
Francesco Bartoletti Graduate with distinction from the Parma, Lausanne and Geneva Conservatoires, the italian cellist Francesco Bartoletti has been a finalist and prize winner of several international competitions, and has followed the masterclasses of, amongst others, Antonio Janigro, François Guye, Bernard Greenhouse and Misha Maisky.
He has performed across Europe - Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany - as well as China, whether in recitals or playing concertos with orchestra, and his concerts have been broadcasted on the Swiss radio. He is currently professor of cello at the Geneva Conservatoire.
Jelica Mijanovic A first-prize winners in 9 international competition, the guitarist Jelica Mijanovic has given solo recitals in concerts and festivals across Europe - Switzerland, France, Austria, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia and Montenegro.
She completed aged 19 her Bachelor of Music at the Geneva HEM, and then two years later received a Master in pedagogy in the same institution, where she is currently completing her Master in Performance . She was also a laureate dof the Swiss Musicians’ Association, and a recipient of the prize awarded by the Kiefer-Hablitzel Foundation.
Béatrice Zawodnik The oboist Béatrice Zawodnik performs in soloas part of ensembles such as the Ensemble Phoenix in Basel, the Collegium Novum in Zürich or the Klangforum Wien. She has also taken part in numerous festivals: Davos, St-Moritz, Luzern, Musica (Strasbourg), Festival d’automne (Paris), Ars Musica (Brussels), Madrid, Shanghai.
Very interested in contemporary music, she is also a member of the Contrechamps and VORTEX ensembles. She teaches oboe and chamber music both at the Geneva Music Conservatoire and the Conservatoire Populaire de Musique.
Lucia de Pinto A graduate of the San Pietro Conservatoire San Pietro in Naples, pianist Lucia de Pinto has also followed the tuition and masterclasses of Vincenzo Vitale and Eduardo Vercelli. In parallel to her teaching career she has also extensively performed in several chamber music formations and in piano four hands, both in Switzerland and abroad.
A greatly experienced pedagogoue, she has taught since 1980 at the Conservatoire Populaire de Musique in Geneva, where she actively participated in the institution’s life, creating performance opportunities for students and collaborating in the setting up of multi-disciplinary projects.
Valérie Bonnard The mezzo-soprano leads Valérie Bonnard a career as a soloist both in Switzerland and abroad, and has taken part in many festivals and concerts series as well as radio and television recordings.
A great specialist of the oratorio, she has collaborated extensively with Michel Corboz, under whose direction she has recorded for the Mirare label. She has recently appeared as part of the chamber concert series of the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zurich, and in recital at the St-Ursanne Festival. She is alo a professor of singing at the Geneva Conservatoire.
Julien Cellich Julien Cellich performs in orchestras, chamber music and solo in parallel to his pedagogical activities. He has played with the Suisse Romande Orchestra, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra and Geneva Chamber Orchestra amongst others, and performs regularly in chamber music with such groups as the Terpsychordes Quartet.
He has also taken parts in productions combining theatre and music (Opéra de Poche, Genevox, etc.), and has performed under the baton of conductors such as N. Jaarvi, P. Steinberg et F. Luisi. He also teaches clarinet in several music schools in Geneva.
Sara Boesch Recipient of a Soloist Diploma, flautist Sara Boesch has also followed the masterclasses of Trevor Wye, Andràs Adorjan, Robert Dick and Jan de Winne. She was a member of the Lausanne Sinfonietta, and has performed with the Geneva Chamber Orchestra and regularly with Michel Corboz’s Ensemble Vocal et Instrumental de Lausanne.
In parallel to her activities as a performer, she teaches flute at the Geneva Conservatoire. As a baroque flautist she plays in such ensembles as Musica Poetica, Heinrich Schütz, Cantatio, and Gli Angeli.
Amandine Pierson Violinist Amandine Pierson studied with G. Montmayeur in Mâcon and then with Marie-Annick Nicolas at the Geneva HEM, where she completed her sudies. She has also participated in the masterclasses of musicians such as Raphaêlle Des Graviers, François Payet-Labonne, Viktor Pikaysen, Sandor Devich, and Gyula Stuller.
She has taken part in many festivals (Geneva, Montreux, Champéry, Cluny...) and, in parallel to her performing career in recital, chamber music and orchestras, currently teaches violin at the Geneva Conservatoire.
Isabelle Imperatori Steinbrüchel Harpist Isabelle Imperatori Steinbrüchel has performed in solo recitals, chamber music and with orchestra in France, Switzerland, Germany and the United States. She has collaborated with, amongst others, the Verbier Festival Orchestra, the Phoenix Ensemble Basel, the Orchester der Oper Zürich and the Bienne Symphony Orchestra.
Her performances has been broadcasted in the UK, Germany and Switzerland. A Laureate of the ‘Jeunesses Musicales Suisses’ competition, the United Kingdom Harp Association, and of numerous foundations, she also teaches harp in several music schools in Zurich.
Jérôme Pétain First Prize at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon in the class of Jean Christophe Gayot, oboist Jérôme Pétain has also received tuition from Pascal Saumon (super solist at the Orchestre National de France) in Paris.
He currently combines his activities as a performer with a strong interest in pedagogy. Solo oboe in the Orchestre de Mâcon, he regularly performs in solo and with several chamber music ensembles in France and in Switzerland, and plays in the French national orchestras. He is also professor of oboe in the Conservatoire of Mâcon and Autun.
Céline Kayaleh Viola player Céline Kayaleh is in great demand both as a performer and pedagogue. A laureate of international competitions, she performs as soloist, in chamber music and in some of the major European orchestras the world over, collaborating with such musicians as Edo de Waart, Bernard Haitink, Roberto Benzi or Wilson Hermanto.
Her pedagogical activity has lead her to participate in International Viola Congresses in Canada and Germany. She is also viola professor at the Ecole Supérieure de Musique of the Kayaleh Academy in Switzerland.
Maria-Angeles Cuevas Pianist and singer, she graduated from the Geneva Conservatoire and received tuition from Fausto Zadra, Victor Merzanov and Jean-Claude Pennetier amongst others. Maria-Angeles Cuevas collaborates extensively with guitarist Alessandro Nebbiolo, with whom she is invited in Europe’s most important festivals.
Attracted as much by the classical repertoire as by the popular music of Spain and Latin America, she also explores the fusion of music and other mediums (poetry, dance, visual arts). She is the founder of Ars-Musicae, a space dedicated to music pedagogy and creation.
Massimo Pinca A highly versatile and multi-faceted musician, double bass player Massimo Pinca performs in numerous ensembles ranging from baroque music (Silete venti!, Academia Montis Regalis, ...) to jazz (Favola Musica, Marco Jimenez Trio, ...), as well as working with the great orchestras of Switzerland (OSR, OCG) and beyond.
A student of Alberto Bocini, he also received tuition from Kalus Stoll and Franco Petracchi in classical music and Steve Coleman and John Taylor in jazz. Massimo Pinca is currently double bass professor at the Conservatoire Populaire de Musique de Genève.
Laure Ermacora Harpist Laure Ermacora graduated with distinction from the Brussels Royal Conservatoire Royal, and from the Conservatoires of Fribourg and Geneva, studying with Susanna Mildonian and Geneviève Chevallier as well as following the masterclasses of the Mozarteum with Maria Graf and of the Accademia Chigiana in Sienna.
She has been collaborating for many years with the Suisse Romande Orchestra, as well as with Michel Corboz, the Geneva Motet and the Choir Novantiqua of Sion. She also teaches harp in several music schools of the Geneva and Lausanne region.
Stéphane Mooser A graduate from the Lausanne and Freiburg Conservatoires, horn player Stéphane Mooser performs with the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, the Berner Symphonie Orchester, the Contrechamps Ensemble and the Toronto Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, and in chamber music with the wind quintet "Eole" and the sextet "Winds Unlimited". He has performed in the most prestigious venues of Europe, Israel, China, Canada and Costa Rica.
Stéphane Mooser is principal horn of the Orchestre de Chambre Fribourgeois since its creation, and teaches horn at the Fribourg and Lausanne Conservatoires.
May be subject to modifications.