“Caprices of the Night”

Born in 2005 in São Paulo, Brazil, Guido Sant’Anna achieved international acclaim in 2022 when he became the first South American violinist to win the prestigious Fritz Kreisler International Competition. His triumph in Vienna was preceded by another historic achievement in 2018, when he became the first Brazilian violinist invited to the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition in Geneva, winning both the Audience Prize and the Chamber Music Award. His numerous accomplishments have earned him a coveted place on Forbes Brazil’s “30 under 30” 2022 list. Sant’Anna has performed as soloist both in Brazil and abroad with eminent orchestras; at home he has developed a close connection to the São Paulo State Symphony and Minas Gerais Philharmonic orchestras, establishing himself as a familiar presence to local audiences. In October 2022 he stepped in for Christian Tetzlaff in São Paulo with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, play-conducting Brahms’ violin concerto, receiving rave reviews. For his winning performance at the Fritz Kreisler International Competition, he played with the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien under Alexander Joel at the Musikverein.

Previous collaborations include the Emirates Youth Symphony Orchestra, Municipal Symphony Orchestra of São Paulo and Symphony Orchestra of the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro, with his repertoire featuring works by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Ravel. Recital dates include appearances in the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Brazil and Paraguay. Sant’Anna began his violin lessons at the age of five, giving his orchestral debut at the age of seven under the baton of conductor Júlio Medaglia. Aged eight, Guido was a finalist at the Prelúdio Competition, promoted by TV Cultura, São Paulo. He has been a Cultura Artística scholar since 2012, under the guidance of his tutor Elisa Fukuda. Further distinctions include the Graded Outreach Program, a prestigious scholarship for exceptionally gifted Brazilian students at the American School of São Paulo, and his participation at the Perlman Music Program in 2018-19. In 2021 he emerged as the winner of the Young Soloists Competition of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, and in 2022 he received the Grand Prix 2022 by CONCERTO Magazine. Guido plays a violin made in 1874 by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, on generous loan from the luthier Marcel Richters. Guido Sant’Anna has been supported by the KD SCHMID Fellowship Scheme since May 2023.

‘A Master of breathing and vocal line on the guitar’ – this is how the playing of the Polish musician Jerzy Chwastyk was described by the Pizzicato magazine. Jerzy Chwastyk’s extensive repertoire ranges from traditional and classical guitar music to innovative projects and unusual duets with other artists. These include collaborations with the Neuköllner Oper, the actor Hanns Zischler, the bandoneonist Omar Massa and the cellists Susanne Szambelan and Maciej Kułakowski. This versatility is also evidenced by his two highly acclaimed solo CDs: La Joia (2017) and Iberian Soundscapes (2020), “dichter.liebe” (Prospero Classical) with Hanns Zischler and Susanne Szambelan and the CD Romance – Canciones y danzas (2019), which he recorded with the violinist Tjaša Kastelic. On the album “dichter.liebe” recorded in 2022 with Susanne Szambelan and Hanns Zischler, he also appeared as an arranger of songs by Robert Schumann – the first transcription of the well-known cycle was praised by critics as an “absolutely monumental and poignant” work. (Radio France)

Prize winner of many renowned competitions (Concurso Sigall/ Chile, Concurso Fernando Sor/Madrid und Concurso Segovia in Linares and in La Herradura) studied in Weimar, where he attended a master course taught by Prof. Monika Rost and Prof. Tomasz Zawierucha, and in Berlin, where he took up master studies under the supervision of Thomas Müller-Pering. He also participated in numerous international master courses run, among others, by Zoran Dukic or Roberto Aussel. Apart from obtaining a diploma and a Master’s degree he also passed a concert exam in 2015. Jerzy Chwastyk gives concerts as a soloist and chamber musician in the whole Europe.