Ivan Karizna is a storyteller with an exceptional gift of musical expression, known equally for his poetic interpretations and powerful stage presence. Described by Andras Schiff as ‘one of the best cellists of his generation’, he has won numerous awards, including at the Tchaikovsky and Queen Elisabeth Competitions. Last season Karizna replaced an indisposed Truls Mørk to perform the Dvořák Concerto with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra at the Concertgebouw and was subsequently invited to give a six-concert European tour with Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and Vladimir Jurowski, performing Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto no 2. Other recent engagements include with Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Belgian National Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Brussels Philharmonic and Montreal Symphony, working with conductors including Christoph Eschenbach, Stéphane Denève, Valery Gergiev and Juraj Valčuha. An avid performer of chamber music, Karizna has collaborated with Gidon Kremer, Andras Schiff, Renaud Capuçon and Christian Tetzlaff, for promoters including the Vienna Musikverein, Amsterdam Muziekgebouw and Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival. Born into a musical family in Minsk, Karizna’s early training was in the Russian tradition, and at 17 he moved to the Paris Conservatoire, before completing his training at the Kronberg Academy with Frans Helmerson. Ivan Karizna plays the 1760 Tassini cello previously owned by Paul Tortelier and on generous loan from a member of the Stretton Society. He is a French citizen, dividing his time between Paris and Amsterdam. This