Einat Aronstein


Israeli born soprano Einat Aronstein is currently in her second season as a soloist in the Opera Ensemble of Theater Trier, where she can be heard in roles such as Musetta, (La Bohème) Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Drusilla (L’incoronazione di Poppea), Valencienne (Die lustige Witwe) and die junge Frau (Reigen). In 2019 she sang the main role in the opera “Der goldene Drache” by P. Eötvös with the Israeli Contemporary Players and conductor Zsolt Nagy both in Israel and in Hungary.

Since 2012 she performs frequently in European opera productions such as “Baruchs Schweigen” (Sheriff) at the Stadttheater Fürth, Germany, and EntArteOpera, Vienna, „Gespräch mit einem Stein“ (Sheriff) and „Der Garten“ (Tal), Bundeskunsthalle Bonn, Germany, as well as Théatre D’Esch, Luxemburg and „Else” (Tal) in the Museum of Modern Art in Salzburg.

Einat has been a guest artist with numerous orchestras and baroque ensembles, among them the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, Residentie Orkest The Hague, Barrocade Ensemble and the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra under such conductors as Zubin Mehta, Christian Zacharias, Andrew Parrott, Dan Ettinger and David Stern. She is regularly invited to renowned international festivals such as Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik, Festival Classique Den Haag and Aldeburgh Festival.

As a Lied singer, Einat has given recitals in The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Scotland, France, Spain, Poland, Israel, China and Vietnam.

Einat has been awarded numerous prizes, such as the Atle Vestersjø Young Talent Award at the 3rd International Singing Competition for Baroque Opera Pietro Antonio Cesti in Innsbruck, Austria, the second prize at the Concorso Lirico Città di Magenta in Italy and the audience prize at the Concours International de Chant des Châteaux en Médoc 2013 in Bordeaux, France. She has been a recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation Awards for Outstanding Musical Performance since 2008 and has received scholarships from the Israel Vocal Arts Institute Foundation and the Ronen Foundation.

www.einataronstein.com

Sophie Wedell


Sophie Wedell divides her time between solo, chamber music and orchestral playing as a permanent member of the Orchestra of the 18th Century.

Her recent performances of Schnittke’s Moz-Art à la Haydn with her orchestra and Maestro Hidemi Suzuki, a fusion of 20th-century music with period instruments, illustrate her enthusiasm for exploring the unlimited possibilities of the violin.

During the Covid-19 crisis she focused on re-imagining the experience of live music. In a local artist’s collective she designed and staged FRAGILE PRESENT, a performance for two violins and contemporary dance in outside spaces that was selected for funding from the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.

Her curiosity has lead her to perform music ranging from the Baroque period to contemporary repertoire in renowned festivals and venues across Europe, such as the Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik, Resonanzen Festival Vienna, Heidelberger Frühling and ECLAT Festival.

Since 2019 Sophie is one of few select young artists supported by the Jumpstart Jr. Foundation of Amsterdam. The foundation kindly loans her a fine Italian violin made by Gioffredo Cappa in Turino, around 1700.

www.sophiewedell.com

Nora Matthies


Nora Matthies first began playing the cello at the Georg-Friedrich Händel Konservatorium in her hometown of Halle/Saale. There she also took lessons in singing, piano and music theory.

In 2002 she began studying with Prof. Tilmann Wick at the Hannover Music School (HMTMH). Having obtained her diploma, she went on to the OrchesterzentrumNRW for a degree in orchestral playing. She finished her studies with a Master’s degree in Baroque cello with Viola de Hoog at the HfK Bremen.

Nora has broad experience in orchestra playing. She was a member of several youth orchestras (e.g. RIAS Jugendorchester, Junge Deutsche Philharmonie), trainee and later substitute for the NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Hannover as well as a member of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra Academy. In 2010 she held a scholarship from the MCO foundation and went on tour with the orchestra through Europe. From 2009 to 2010 she was a member of the Folkwang Chamber Orchestra Essen.

Nora also regularly plays with renowned Baroque orchestras such as Hannoversche Hofkapelle, Göttinger Barockorchester and la festa musicale. In 2014/15 she was a trainee of Holland Baroque.

Nora is a very passionate chamber music player.
She often participates in performances of Ensemble megaphone, where contemporary music is combined with light installations and dance.

www.noramatthies.de

Avinoam Shalev


Israeli born historical keyboard player Avinoam Shalev is the 1st prize winner of the International Bach Competition in Leipzig in 2018 and had his Wigmore Hall debut in 2019. Since 2021, he serves as professor of historical keyboard instruments at the Berlin University of the Arts.

He completed his Bachelor’s degree in the fields of piano, harpsichord, organ and musicology with distinction 2011 in Tel Aviv. After moving to Hanover, Germany, he acquired two Master’s degrees in harpsichord and historical pianos, respectively. He is an experienced solo and chamber music performer, playing concerts in Israel, the USA, Central and South America, across Europe, Russia and the Ukraine. He has played solo recitals at the Göttingen Händel Festspiele, Israel Mozart Festival, the Bach Festival in Leipzig and the Bachwoche Ansbach, among others. Avinoam is a trustee of the Keyboard Charitable Trust in England and received the Young Artist full scholarship from Accademia Villa Bossi in Italy.

He co-founded prize-winning Ensemble Arava as well as the Lynx Ensemble, combining Swedish folk music with continental European Baroque arrangements. He is part of the production Händel goes Tinder, which has run in festivals across Europe. Avinoam was an adjunct professor (Lehrbeauftragter) at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart.

www.avinoamshalev.com