Christian Poltéra
String Quartet Jury 2023
Biography
As one of the most impressive cellists of his generation, Poltéra's performance focuses on music alone: without excessive gestures, he reveals the essence of a work. His unique timbre is characteristic of his interpretations, masterfully adapted to each epoch and style.
Already at a very young age, the Swiss Christian Poltéra gravitated to the cello. He began his studies with Nancy Chumachenco and then continued with Boris Pergamenschikov and Heinrich Schiff in Salzburg and Vienna. In 2004, he was awarded the Borletti-Buitoni Prize and named BBC New Generation Artist. As a Rising Star two years later, he was able to present himself to audiences in all the great European concert halls.
Invitations from renowned orchestras take him all over the world. He has made guest appearances with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Los Angeles and Oslo Philharmonic Orchestras, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the Orchester de Paris, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic, the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, the Rotterdam Philharmonic
Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic. His conducting partners have included Riccardo Chailly, Christoph von Dohnányi, Bernard Haitink, John Eliot Gardiner, Philippe Herreweghe, Paavo Järvi and Andris Nelsons.
In addition to his solo career, Christian Poltéra devotes himself to chamber music. A number of recordings (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Hindemith, Schoenberg) document the unique interplay of the unsurpassed Zimmermann Trio with Frank Peter Zimmermann and Antoine Tamestit.
In a trio with Esther Hoppe and Ronald Brautigam, he plays historically-informed or modern programs in European centers such as Edinburgh, Amsterdam and Zurich. In addition, he performs with colleagues such as Mitsuko Uchida, Gidon Kremer, Lars Vogt, Leif Ove Andsnes and Kathryn Stott, as well as with the Artemis, Belcea, Auryn and Zehetmair string quartets.
He is also frequently heard performing at major international festivals in Salzburg, Lucerne, Schwarzenberg (Schubertiade), Berlin, Vienna, Dresden, Schleswig-Holstein and London (Proms). In addition, Christian Poltéra presented the cycle with Bach's Cello Suites in Brussels, Vevey and most recently as artist in residence at the Swabian Spring.
Christian Poltéra's much acclaimed recordings reflect his versatile and extensive repertoire. Among the award-winning CD recordings (awarded the BBC Music Award, Gramophone Choice, and Diapson D'Or de l'année) are the cello concertos of Dvořák, Walton, Ligeti, Barber, Dutilleux, Lutosławski, Honegger, Hindemith, Shostakovich, Martinů and Martin, as well as sonatas of Mendelssohn, Fauré and Saint-Saëns. Recently, Poltéra recorded the Haydn cello concerti with the Munich Chamber Orchestra as well as Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht, a recording with Isabelle Faust and friends.
Since 2013, Christian Poltéra is Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Days in the mountain church of Büsingen. He is also a lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, and regularly gives masterclasses.
He plays an Antonio Casini cello built in 1675 and the legendary Mara cello of Antonio Stradivari from 1711.
(February 2023)
Events
STRING QUARTET 2023 | FINAL ROUND
Sunday 29 October, 2:00 PM, Victoria Hall, Geneva
The three finalist quartets perform a string quartet of their choice. The order of performance was determined by a draw at the beginning of the competition. There will be a 15 minute intermission between the first and second quartets. At the end of the final, the jury will retire to deliberate and the winners will be announced on stage approximately one hour after the end of the concert, i.e. around 6pm.
PROGRAMME
QUARTETT HANA
Fuga Miwatashi, Violin 1 & 2
Gyurim Kwak, Violin 1 & 2
Emiko Yuasa, Viola
Johannes Välja, Cello
F. MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847)
String Quartet N° 3 in D Major Op. 44/1
- Molto allegro vivace
- Menuetto : un poco allegretto
- Andante espressivo ma con moto
- Presto con brio
--- pause ---
QUATUOR ELMIRE
David Petrlik, Violin 1
Yoan Brakha, Violin 2
Hortense Fourrier, Viola
Rémi Carlon, Cello
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770 - 1827)
String Quartet n°8 in E minor Op. 59/2 «Razumovski»
- Allegro
- Molto Adagio. Si tratta questo pezzo con molto di sentimento
- Allegretto - Maggiore, Thème russe.
- Finale. Presto
--- pause ---
NOVO QUARTET
Kaya Kato Møller, Violin 1
Nikolai Vasili Nedergaard, Violin 2
Daniel Śledziński, Viola
Signe Ebstrup Bitsch, Cello
F. MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847)
String Quartet N° 2 in A minor Op. 13
- Adagio – Allegro vivace
- Adagio non lento
- Intermezzo
- Presto – Adagio non lento
Followed by the prize-giving ceremony
77th CONCOURS DE GENÈVE
STRING QUARTET SEMI-FINAL - RECITAL 2
26-27 October 2023, Salle Franz Liszt, Conservatoire de Genève
Sessions at 15:30, 17:00 & 19:00
THURSDAY 26 OCTOBER
Session 1 - 15:30
- P. Dusapin: Quatuor V
- L. v. Beethoven: String Quartet n°15 in A minor, Op. 132
Session 2 - 17:00 - Cancelled
Session 3 - 19:00
- L. v. Beethoven: String Quartet n°11 in F minor, Op. 95
- S. Sciarrino: Sei quartetti brevi
- D. Shostakovich: String Quartet n°8 in C minor, Op. 110
FRIDAY 27 OCTOBER
Session 4 - 15:30
Ast Quartet
- C. Debussy: String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10
- L. v. Beethoven: String Quartet n°4 in C minor, Op. 18/4
- R. Saunders: Fletch
Session 5 - 17:00
Quatuor Elmire
- L. v. Beethoven: String Quartet n°1 in F Major, Op. 18/1
- A. Webern: Langsamer Satz
- P. Dusapin: Quatuor V
Session 6 - 19:00
Novo Quartet
- C. Nielsen: String Quartet n°1 in G minor, Op. 13
- F. Donatoni: La Souris sans sourire
- L. v. Beethoven: String Quartet n°8 in E minor, Op. 59/2
STRING QUARTET SEMI-FINAL ROUND - ARTISTIC PROJECT
26-27 October, 10:00-12:00, Salle Bartholoni, Conservatoire de Genève
Innovative and daring artists, strong personalities, musicians who inspire us: these are the men and women who will shape the musical world of tomorrow. The Competition's mission is to discover them and to support them as they take the first steps in their careers.
To achieve this, we have created an ambitious programme and assembled prestigious juries, but that is not all. The Concours de Genève has distinguished itself by introducing a third stage to the semi-final round: the "personal artistic project". We ask the semi-finalists, with the help of two experienced coaches who will work with them beforehand, to design an artistic project that they would like to carry out if they are selected for the Final.
Then, on 26 and 27 October the quartets will have to defend their project in front of the jury in a public interview with the journalist Charlotte Gardner.
A unique opportunity to discover the depth and complexity of these young artists.
Free entrance, limited spaces
77th CONCOURS DE GENÈVE
STRING QUARTET SEMI-FINAL - RECITAL 1
24-25 October 2023, Salle Franz Liszt, Conservatoire de Genève
TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER
Session 1 - 15:00
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 77, n°1 in G Major, Hob.III.81
- K. Szymanowski: String Quartet n°2, Op. 56
- B. Bartók: String Quartet n°3 in C-sharp minor, Sz. 85
Session 2 - 17:00
-- Cancelled --
Session 3 - 19:00
- B. Bartók: String Quartet n°6 in D Major, Sz. 114
- A. Webern: Langsamersatz
- F. Mendelssohn: String Quartet n°6 in F minor, Op. 80
WEDNESDAY 25 OCTOBER
Session 4 - 15:00
- B. Bartók: String Quartet n°3 in C-sharp minor, Sz. 85
- L. v. Beethoven: String Quartet n°9 in C Major, Op. 59/3
- F. Mendelssohn: String Quartet n°6 in F minor, Op. 80
Session 5 - 17:00
- B. Bartók: String Quartet n°2 in A minor, Op. 17, Sz. 67
- A. Webern: Sechs Bagatellen, Op. 9
- F. Mendelssohn: String Quartet n°4 in E minor, Op. 44 n°2
Session 6 - 19:00
Novo Quartet
- B. Bartók: String Quartet n°4 in C Major, Sz. 91
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 20, n°2 in C Major, Hob.III.32, “Sun”
- J. Brahms: String Quartet n°2 in A minor, Op. 51
77th CONCOURS DE GENÈVE
STRING QUARTET - ONLINE RECITAL
SESSION 1 - MONDAY 18 SEPTEMBER, 10:00 AM GMT+2
Moser String Quartet, Switzerland
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76, n°2 in D minor, Hob.III.76
- D. Shostakovich: Quartet n°8 in C minor, Op. 110
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 33, n°1 in B minor, Hob.III.37
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°1 “Kreutzer Sonata”
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 20, n°2 in C Major, Hob.III.32
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°1 “Kreutzer Sonata”
SESSION 2 - MONDAY 18 SEPTEMBER, 14:00 PM GMT+2
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76, n°3 in C Major, Hob.III.77
- M. Ravel: Quartet in F Major
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 20, n°4 in D Major, Hob.III.34
- G. Ligeti: Quartet n°1, “Métamorphoses Nocturnes”
- W.A Mozart: String Quartet n°17 in B-flat Major, K.458 “The Hunt”
- D. Shostakovich: Quartet n°8 in C minor, Op. 110
SESSION 3 - TUESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER, 10:00 AM GMT+2
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 77, n°1 in G Major, Hob.III.81
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°1 “Kreutzer Sonata”
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 50, n°1 in B-flat Major, Hob.III.44
- G. Ligeti: Quartet n°1, “Métamorphoses Nocturnes”
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76, n°5 in D Major, Hob.III.79
- H. Dutilleux: Quartet “Ainsi la nuit”
SESSION 4 - TUESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER, 2:00 PM GMT+2
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op 77, n°1 in G Major, Hob.III.81
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°2 “Intimate letters”
- W.A. Mozart: String Quartet n°14 in G Major, K. 387 “The Spring”
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°1 “Kreutzer Sonata”
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 20, n°2 in C Major, Hob.III.32
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°2 “Intimate letters”
SESSION 5 - WEDNESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER, 10:00 AM GMT+2
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 33, n°1 in B minor, Hob.III.37
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°2 “Intimate letters”
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76, n°1 in G Major, Hob.III.75
- D. Shostakovich: Quartet n°8 in C minor, Op. 110