Jonathan Aner | Pianist

Ensembles

The Brillaner Duo

Praised as a “marvellously harmonious duo” (Berliner Morgenpost), the Brillaner Duo exemplifies the scientifically proven fact that the clarinet’s warm and humanly sound blends into the piano better than any other instrument.

Winners of the Opus Klassik Award 2024, the Brillaner Duo performed at such celebrated halls as the Berliner Philharmonie and the Carnegie Hall. Their debut CD was described as a “fascinating mixture of two dazzling artists” (Das Ensemble Magazine). Their album “Petite Piéce” followed in 2010.

Their programs encompass the breadth of the clarinet-piano repertoire (featuring masterpieces of Brahms, Schumann, Weber, Poulenc) as well as the duo’s own arrangements for this medium (such as Mozart and Janacek’s violin sonatas). The duo is also passionate about contemporary music, and has premiered numerous pieces of young composers. The duo has taken part in the Schleswig-Holstein (Germany), Radio France (Montpellier) Ljubljana (Slovenia) and the Bangalow (Australia) Music Festivals, and collaborated with leading ensembles such as the Borromeo and the Jerusalem String Quartets.

Committed to the engagement of new audiences, the duo often presents moderated concerts in a variety of community settings. Recently they have served on the faculty at the Yellow Barn Festival’s Young Artists Program and coached master classes in various conservatories and universities in Australia (including at the Melbourne University and the Australian National Academy of Music), USA (Boston Conservatory), Switzerland, Canada and Israel (Jerusalem Music Centre). The Brillaner Duo can be heard on numerous radio stations, including WQXR in New York, WGBH and many prominent radio stations in Europe (Bayerischer Rundfunk, Radio Suisse Romande, DeutschlandRadio Kultur) and in Israel.

www.shirleybrill.com

The Oberon Trio

The Oberon Trio was founded in 2006 and has performed in many of Europe’s most prestigious concert halls, such as the Berlin Philharmonie, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Dortmund Konzerthaus, and the Essen Philharmonie. The group is a frequent guest at festivals such as the Mozartfest in Augsburg, the Ludwigsburg Festival, and the Herbstgold Festival. “The Oberon Trio moves listeners with a combination of technical mastery and thrilling emotional intensity,” according to FonoForum, and the Gramophone says, “It’s a scintillating performance from start to finish.” These three musicians are committed to offering performances of lesser-known compositions alongside established masterpieces. Their repertoire extends from piano trios by CPE Bach and Joseph Haydn – the pioneers of the medium – to those by Jörg Widmann, Toshio Hosokawa and Charlotte Bray, whose trios were recorded for the first time by the ensemble. The trio also works together regularly with chamber music partners such as Tabea Zimmermann, Ian Bostridge, Christoph Prégardien, and Shirley Brill. A special passion for the Oberon Trio is to establish greater intimacy between public and performers. Through moderated concerts, by publishing their own program-notes of the performed works, among other approaches, they provide listeners with insights into the processes and background of their interpretations. The first album released by the Oberon Trio, entitled “Passacaglia,” was recommended by hr2, mdr figaro, and NDR Kultur. Their second CD appeared in 2016 under the title “Oberon Celebrates Shakespeare.” The magazine Das Orchester commented: “Featured here is an ensemble that merits serious attention: [the three musicians] display captivating technical virtuosity, musical verve, and consummate chamber music coordination.” The trio’s third CD, “Duality”, appeared in 2020. It contains works by Haydn, Schumann, and Copland, as well as the first recording of a trio by Toshio Hosokawa. The album was one of Journal Frankfurt’s top recommendations, and ORF (Austrian Radio) noted, “With a comprehensive engagement with the works, this recording persuasively demonstrates interpretational mastery and maturity.” RBB Kultur awarded the CD five stars and wrote, “With an imaginative concept and, most importantly, brilliant musicality, the ensemble successfully reveals the dualities inherent in the four works recorded here.” www.oberontrio.com