Marcel Johannes Kits, one of the most outstanding cellists of his generation in Estonia, will perform two solo concerts in Germany. The first concert will take place on January 6 at 7.30 pm at the Die Drostei Cultural Center in Pinneberg and the second on January 7 at 8 pm at the Christophori Piano Salon in Berlin. While pianist Naoko Sonoda will be Kits's ensemble partner in the first concert, pianist Sten Heinoja, who has won prizes in several competitions, will perform with Kits in the second concert. A program consists of music by German and French composers: André Jolivet's Nocturne, Francis Poulenc's Cello Sonata, Alfred Schnittke's Cello Sonata No. 1 and Johannes Brahms's Feldeinsamkeit, Op. 86, Wie Melodien zieht es die, Op. 105 and Scherzo from the four-movement F-A-E Sonata, the collaborative musical work by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms and Albert Dietrich.Marcel Johannes Kits has won numerous prizes at both domestic and foreign competitions, including 1st prize at the George Enescu International Competition in Romania (2018), 1st prize and two special prizes at the Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria (2016) and 1st prize at the Estonian String Players Competition in Tallinn (2015). He has performed at several prestigious concert halls, such as the Berlin Konzerthaus, the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, the Berlin Pierre Boulez Hall, the Hamburg Laeiszhalle, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Munich Prinzregententheater, the Bucharest Athenaeum, the Moscow Conservatory. He has appeared as a soloist with Estonian orchestras and many foreign orchestras. As a chamber musician, he collaborates more closely with Estonian pianists Sten Heinoja and Rasmus Andreas Raide, he is a member of the piano trio Trio 95’ and the string quartet M4GNET. Marcel Johannes Kits performs on a cello made by Francesco Ruggier in Cremona in 1674 and a bow made by Victor Fétique around 1900, both kindly on loan by the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben. He received his bachelor’s degree in 2018 from the Trossingen University of Music, Germany, under the supervision of Prof. Francis Gouton and continues his master’s program at the Berlin University of the Arts with Prof. Jens Peter Maintz.
Sten Heinoja has successfully participated in several competitions both in Estonia and abroad. He has won 1st prize at the 8th Estonian Pianist Competition (2014), earned the finalist diploma at the Competition for Young Pianists in Jūrmala, Latvia (2010) and the diploma and a special prize at the Klaviermusik competition in Lithuania (2007). In 2016, Sten Heinoja won the popular TV competition Klassikatähed (Classical Stars) for young musicians organised by Estonian State Concert Institute Eesti Kontsert, radio station Klassikaraadio and Estonian Public Broadcasting. As a soloist, Sten Heinoja has appeared with many Estonian symphony orchestras, Tel Aviv Opera Symphony Orchestra and Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra. Sten Heinoja gives solo recitals, concerts with various chamber ensembles and as an accompanist. In 2015, he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree cum laude from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre under the guidance of Professor Ivari Ilja. In 2017, he received his Master’s degree from the London Royal College of Music.
Look also: https://www.drostei.de/programm/1542/duoabend-violoncello-und-klavier
https://www.konzertfluegel.com/N_konzerte.html