LORENZO GATTO

SPECIAL MASTER CLASS

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His nomination as a ‘Rising Star’ in 2010 allows Lorenzo to make his recital debut on major European stages including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Vienna Musikverein, the Cité de la Musique in Paris and many others. It further expanded the possibilities of collaboration with orchestras and conductors such as Philippe Herreweghe, Vladimir Spivakov, Walter Weller, Jan Willem de Vriend, Jaap van Zweden, Martin Sieghart, Angrey Boreyko and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

In chamber music, Lorenzo shared the stage with, amongst others, Maria João Pires, Mischa Maisky, Martha Argerich, Menahem Pressler, Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden, Frank Braley and Gérard Caussé.

In 2015, Lorenzo started collaborating with the talented Belgian pianist Julien Libeer. Together, they recorded all of Beethoven sonatas and released a disc that was awarded with a Diapason d’Or of the year.

Lorenzo Gatto plays the ‘Joachim’ Stradivari from 1698.

In his spare time, Lorenzo enjoys a lifelong passion for everything that flies. Look up and see if you can spot him high in the sky, arriving at a concert flying a small plane or even a paraglider.

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ELSA de LACERDA - violin

Musique à Glabais

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"Charisma, presence, technical mastery—Elsa de Lacerda’s violin radiates a rich, captivating sound, driven by boundless imagination, finesse, and freedom."
Tully Potter – The Strad

Recognized early on for her distinctive musical temperament, Elsa de Lacerda was awarded the Government Medal at the age of fourteen following her victory in the Crédit Communal competition. A few months later, she made her solo debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège, marking the beginning of a career defined by high standards, artistic curiosity, and a deep commitment to chamber music.
She trained at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels under Endré Kleve, earning five First Prizes and several higher diplomas with High Distinction. Driven by a constant desire to broaden her horizons, she further enriched her musical journey in the United States at the Eastern Music Festival and subsequently in Italy at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana.
Her affinity for chamber music was deepened through her work with masters such as Walter Levin, Rainer Schmidt, Heime Müller, Natalia Prischepenko, and Eberhard Feltz; their teaching has left a lasting mark on her approach to the repertoire.
For sixteen years, she served as first violinist of the Alfama Quartet, an ensemble with which she maintained a busy concert schedule, performing on major European stages. Her appearances include venues such as Bozar, deSingel, the Philharmonie de Paris, the Cité de la Musique, the Grand Théâtre de Genève, the Philharmonie Luxembourg, the Musée d’Orsay, and Flagey. She also performs at numerous festivals, including the Ambronay Festival, the Flâneries Musicales de Reims, the Artonov Festival, the Alcobaça Festival, as well as festivals in Crans-Montana and those organized by Radio Suisse Romande.
Her discography, comprising nine recordings for the Musica Ficta, FugaLibera, Cyprès, and Harmonia Mundi labels, is regularly acclaimed by Belgian and international critics. Her album ' Schubert', released by Cyprès, won an Octave de la Musique award in 2020.
Recent projects include 'Change' (2023), recorded for the Cyprès label—a program featuring eleven new works inspired by revolutionary and resistance songs—and 'Kiki à Paris' (2024), created with mezzo-soprano Albane Carrère and guitarist Magali Rischette. This latter project, a tribute to Kiki de Montparnasse, sensitively explores the connections between the French 'mélodie' and the emergence of the 'chanson'.
Alongside her performing career, Elsa de Lacerda has spent over twenty years building a reputation as a journalist and music critic. A producer and presenter at Musiq3 (RTBF) for fourteen years, she notably created the daily program 'Autour de Midi', which covered the latest news in the concert and recording worlds. She has also presented the Queen Elisabeth Competition on several occasions for both radio and television.
She contributes as a critic to 'Le Soir'*, 'La Libre Belgique', and 'Le Vif/L’Express', and participates in the "table d’écoute" (listening panel) on Musiq3. Since 2026, she has also written for 'Diapason' magazine.
Elsa de Lacerda plays a Florentine violin by Tomaso Carcassi (1766), generously made available by the Michaël Guttman collection.

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MARIE CARMEN SUAREZ - violin

Académie de Musique de Braine-L'Alleud

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Marie Carmen Suarez, the daughter of a composer, was born in Brussels into a family with a long artistic tradition. She began learning the violin at a very young age and, at fourteen, entered the Royal Conservatory of Mons to pursue her dream of becoming a professional violinist.

A student of Véronique Bogaerts, she further honed her skills under the guidance of Carlo Van Neste. Her career is divided between her two primary musical passions: the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia and chamber music. She currently teaches violin and chamber music at the "Yolande Uyttenhove" Music Academy and is a member of the renowned ensemble "Brussels Virtuosi."

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PIERRE-HENRI XUEREB - viola/viola d'amore

Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Liège

Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Paris

IMEP - Namur

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After receiving a first prize in viola in the Conservatoire d’Avignon at the age of 13, Pierre-Henri Xuereb received a first prize in viola at the CNSMD in Paris at the age of 16.

After two years at the Juilliard School and 2 years at Boston University, where his teachers were Walter Trampler, Lillian Fuchs, the Juilliard Quartet… , he becomes solo viola of the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris, conducted by Pierre Boulez at the age of 19.

He is one of the last students of William Primrose (Provo-Utah).

Since then, his international career took him to many concert halls throughout the world : Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Teatro La Scala (Milano)…

He recently created a new chamber ensemble (The Primrose Ensemble) and is the Artistic Director of the « Fête de l’Alto » in Lasalle in Cevennes.

Pierre-Henry Xuereb teaches viola in the CNSM in Paris, Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Liège and viola d’amore in IMEP, Namu and is regularly invited to give internatonal master classes in Beijing, Kyoto, Korea, Les Arcs, Fontainebleau, Novisad, Malte, Domaine Forget-Canada, USA, …

He has recorded over 70 records and recently performed and recorded, under the direction of the composer, Vladimir Cosma’s concerto for viola and orchestra, which was written specially for him.

 

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RUIXIN NIU - assistant

 

Ruixin Niu holds an interdisciplinary doctorate from the University of Maine (USA), a Master’s degree in viola from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing (China), and a Master’s degree in pedagogy—earned with the highest distinction—from the Royal Conservatory of Liège (Belgium). Her professional profile integrates performance, pedagogy, and interdisciplinary research, with a particular focus on pentatonic musical traditions, contemporary composition, and new technologies.

Currently a viola professor at the Maubeuge Conservatory (France) and the Schola Cantorum in Paris, she possesses extensive international teaching experience. She has taught viola, violin, and chamber music through masterclasses, workshops, festivals, and academies across France, Belgium, China, the United States, and Egypt—including engagements at the Royal Conservatory of Liège, the Cairo Higher Conservatory of Music, and various French conservatories.

As a soloist and chamber musician, she has performed in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Malta, the United States, China, and Egypt. Her artistic portfolio is further enriched by several recordings released under the Continuo Classics and Indésens-Calliope labels. She has performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège and the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy in Japan. A recipient of a scholarship from the Franco-American Academy of Fontainebleau, she will serve as principal viola of the Orchestre Lamoureux for the 2025–2026 season.

Additionally, Ruixin Niu frequently participates in conferences—held in Belgium, France, the United States, and Egypt—dedicated to topics such as pentatonic music, contemporary composition, and the integration of technology into musical practice.

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AXEL de JENLIS

Festival Musiques Vivantes

Festival international Est-Ouest

Soirées musicales au Château de Rixensart

 

​Born in 1989 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Axel de Jenlis began playing the cello at the age of six at the Académie de Rixensart in Belgium. After his early studies with Alexandre Debrus, he continued his training at the Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory in Saint Petersburg in the class of Anatoly Nikitin, graduating with distinction. He later pursued further studies at the École Normale de Musique de Paris with Hélène Dautry, and also received guidance from Mark Drobinsky, Natalia Arzumanova, Philippe Muller and Natalia Gutman.

As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed throughout Europe, Russia, China, Latin America and Africa. He has appeared as a soloist with the Brussels Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Grumiaux Foundation Orchestra and the Ushuaia Festival Orchestra. A former member of the Saint Petersburg Cello Ensemble and former principal cellist of the University of Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, he regularly collaborates with the MusicAeterna ensemble under the direction of Teodor Currentzis.

He has also served on the juries of several competitions, including the Eugène Ysaÿe and Breughel competitions. Together with his two sisters, he founded Trio Jenlis, which recorded an album of French music for violin, cello and harp in 2019. Karol Beffa subsequently dedicated his trio Soleil noir to the ensemble. In 2026, Trio Jenlis received the Culture Prize at the Orchidées ceremony of the Province of Walloon Brabant.

Axel de Jenlis also holds a Master’s degree in Public Affairs – Culture from Sciences Po Paris and an MPhil in Music Studies from the University of Cambridge, alongside his work in artistic direction.

He currently directs several festivals and concert series, including Musiques Vivantes in the Allier region, the Festival International Est-Ouest in Belgium, and the Soirées musicales at the Château de Rixensart.

He plays a 1913 cello by the Belgian maker Hilaire Darche.

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