On Thursday November 24th, at 9pm, the AbanoRITZ Hotel will host the concert for cello and piano by Anton Niculescu and Bertrand Giraud. In this occasion, guests can benefit from the “Concert Week” promotion, which includes:

• weekend overnight stay (arriving on Friday and leaving on Sunday);
• breakfast;
• access to the RitzVital space (thermal pools, sauna, turkish bath, gym, emotional shower, hydrorelax);
• concert.

The program

Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata Nr. 2 in sol minore, op.5/2
Più tosto presto – Rondo. Allegro
Ludwig van Beethoven: 12 Variazioni sul Tema dell’Oratorio di Händel Judas Maccabäus
***
Claude Debussy: Sonata in re minore
Prologue. Lent – Sérénade et Finale. Modérément animé
Claude Debussy: 2 Petites Pièces
Menuet and rêverie
Camille Saint-Saëns:  Allegro appassionato op. 43

The musicians

Anton Niculescu

Anton Niculescu was born in Bucharest, the only son of a family of musicians. At first he had music lessons with his father, who was violoncello soloist of Bucharest Broadcasting Orchestra. Then he was taught by Radu Aldulescu, Antonio Janigro and Daniil Safran. At the age of 12, he performed his first concert at “Sala Mica R.S.R.” in Bucharest, at 14 he played soloist in the E. Lalo concert witrh the “Moldova” Philharmonic Orchestra in Jasi. He has been the prize-winner of various competitions and was leading Violoncello Soloist at Milan’s “Teatro alla Scala”, at “Teatro Comunale” of Florence and at “Teatro V. Bellini” of Catania.

He is an active figure in the concert life of France, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Roumania, Austria, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Madeira, Turky, Cyprus, Arab Emirates, Greece, Japan, Hong-Kong, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, U.S.A., Korea, Mexico, Brasil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, Kasakhstan and Usbekistan , giving recitals and taking part as soloist in the orchestral and chamber concerts, as well as recordings for radio and television.

His students, are winning in Germany for years, first prizes at the National Contest “Jugend Musiziert” and at other important international competitions. He is State soloist concertist at the Brasov Philharmonic Orchestra in Roumania since 1996. Since 1997 he is honorary member of the “Academia Filarmonica di Bologna” in Italy, which was founded in 1666. In Roumania he has founded the “Euterpe Foundation” for supporting young talented musicians.

He is member of “The Zurich String Trio”, “Trio di Vienna” and of the “Oistrach Ensemble” and plays together with pianists like Bruno Canino, Pavel Gililov, Nicolae Licaret. He is playing a “Pietro Guarnieri – Mantova 1709” instrument.

Bertrand Giraud

Born in 1971, Bertrand Giraud obtained his Piano Diploma and his Chamber Music Diploma in 1995 with “Mention Très Bien” at the Conservatory of Geneva in Dominique MERLET’s Class. He also obtained a Vocal Accompaniment Diploma from the Paris Conservatory. Since 1995, his main teachers have been maestro Bruno CANINO, Colette ZERAH, and Aquiles DELLE VIGNE, all of which were paramount in his artistic evolution. Under their supervision, Mr. Giraud studied chamber music, accompaniment, composition, musical analysis, and improvisation. Mr. Giraud has won numerous national and international musical contests, such as the Flame Competition and the Chopin Piano Competition (Texas, USA), in which he was awarded the second prize.

Mr Giraud has performed not only in Europe (France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, England, Germania, Cyprus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Norway, Poland Austria, Italy, Roumania, Russia, Spain, Serbie and Switerland), but also in the two Americas, Japan, Korea, Singapur, Taiwan, and Thailandia. An experienced soloist, he has worked with numerous conductors and orchestra (lodz philharmonic, North Czech Philharmonic Teplice , Lublin philharmonic Orchestre symphonique du Sodre, Orchestre provincial de Rosario, … ) and played in several duets with other well-known musicians and chamber groups, such as Pierre AMOYAL, Bruno Canino, Bruno Pasquier, Henri Demarquette, Ami Flamer, Philippe Pierlot, Benoit Fromanger and L’Octuor de France, among others.

Also, he played with some orchestra’s of Paris or Cleveland soloists in the season of the orchestra. Many players of the frenchs orchestras ask his collaboration for concerts in the official season. In 2000, he did his debut at New York, city where he is now invited on a regular basis. The acknowledgement of his craftsmanship lead him to work with France-Musiques, as well as the American TV, Italian TV and Thai TV. In this last instance, he had the pleasure to perform for the Queen of Thailand. He is jugde for many nationals and internationals competition (Audition of Sydney, Porto, Premio Zanfi of Parma/Liszt , Marsala, Safonov, AMA CALABRIA, Bitola…). In addition to possessing a wide solo and chamber repertory including the main works of the tonal repertoire, Mr. Giraud has championed new music written by composers like Francaix, Pessina, and Kutnowski. He has also commisioned and premiered a new work written for him by composer Jean Louis PETIT. Since 1998, he is the artistic Director of the Jean FRANCAIX ‘s competition. Mr. Giraud has recorded 17 cds for Erol, Maguelone and Anima-Records. All of these releases were received with acclaim in the especialized press. He gives many masterclass in Serbie, Germania, Kazakhstan ( Academy of music of Astana), Lebanon, (conservatoire supérieur du Liban), USA, Gnessin School of Moscow.