Recital with Zoltan Despond (Cello) and Vesselin Stanev (Piano)

Ludwig van Beethoven was 26 years old when, confident and ambitious, he composed his second cello sonata. He had set out from Vienna on a tour that also took him to the Berlin court. There he met the fabulous cellist Jean-Louis Duport, but also Frederick William II, whom he sought to impress as a pianist. The dotted rhythms at the beginning of the sonata, a quotation from Baroque music, pay homage to the ruler, while the delicate piano part spotlights Beethoven's abilities.

Johannes Brahms, on the other hand, was an older gentleman when he wrote his second cello sonata, highly experienced as a composer, admired, and wealthy. He saw Beethoven as a role model throughout his life. However, he was by no means an epigone of his great predecessor, as which he was long misjudged - his powerfully maturing F major sonata bears witness to this. Both pieces demand one thing above all: a true duo.

The artists

Zoltán Despond (cello)
Born in 1992, cellist Zoltán Despond received his training from Pierre-Bernard Sudan in Fribourg and from Marc Jaermann in Lausanne, and later from Thomas Grossenbacher at the Zurich University of the Arts, where he graduated in 2018 with a master's degree as soloist. He received valuable advice from Enrico Dindo at the Pavia Cello Academy, and also attended master classes with teachers such as Antonio Meneses, Christophe Coin and Giovanni Sollima. His concert activity takes him all over Europe. He collaborates with musicians such as lya Gringolts, Silvia Simionescu, Marko Milenković or Anahit Kurtikyan. A special focus is chamber music, which he cultivates with Vesselin Stanev, his constant accompanist on the piano.
www.zoltandespond.com

Vesselin Stanev (piano)
Born in Varna (Bulgaria). Educated at the Music Academy in Sofia, with Dmitri Bashkirov at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, with Alexis Weissenberg at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris. Further studies with Peter Feuchtwanger, London. Prizes at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and at the Concours Marguerite Long - Jacques Thibaud. Performances in major concert halls in Europe such as Wigmore Hall in London, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Philharmonie Berlin, Gewandhaus Leipzig and Salle Gaveau in Paris. Travels to the Nordic countries, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Russia and Japan. Collaboration with conductors such as Paul Daniel, Alexander Lazarev, Hubert Soudan and David Zinman.
www.vesselin-stanev.com​​​​​​​

The program in detail:

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827):
Sonate für Klavier und Cello
Nr. 2 in g-Moll op. 5 Nr. 2 (1796)
Adagio sostenuto e espressivo -
Attacca: Allegro molto tosto presto
Rondo. Allegro

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897):
Sonate für Klavier und Cello
No. 2 in F-Dur op. 99 (1886)
Allegro vivace
Affectionate adagio
Allegro passionato
Allegro molto

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Administrative notes

• Cost (per person): CHF 60.-- (free of charge for membership sponsor and friend). Reduction for students and trainees (only with valid ID): CHF 20.--.
• COVID-19: The current regulations of the federal government for indoor events apply.