Ekaterina Mechetina, Oistrakh String Quartet Nikita Borisoglebsky,
Alexander Akimov, Sergey Antonov

Ekaterina Mechetina was born in Moscow into a family of musicians. She began to study music at the age of four then studied at the Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatory (class of Professor Tatyana Koloss) before enrolling at the Conservatory’s undergraduate programme (class of Professor Vladimir Ovchinnikov) and continuing her education at its postgraduate assistantship programme (class of Professor Sergei Dorensky). During her studies, she was a fellow of the Vladimir Spivakov and Mstislav Rostropovich foundations and undertook an internship in Paris in 2004 at the invitation of the latter. 

Ekaterina has been a prize-winner of 7 international piano competitions, including Ferruccio Busoni Competition in Bolzano (Italy) and the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati, U.S. (1st Prize and Gold Medal).

The pianist has appeared at world-renowned venues including Consertgebouw (Amsterdam), Yamaha Hall and Casals Hall (Tokyo), Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and Salle Gaveau (Paris), Great Hall of the Milan Conservatory, Milan Auditorium, Cecília Meireles Hall (Rio de Janeiro), Alice Tully Hall (New York), and others. Her performances can also be heard in Moscow and other Russian cities. 

Ekaterina Mechetina's broad repertoire includes over 50 piano concertos and numerous recital programs. She has appeared under the baton of Mstislav Rostropovich, Vladimir Spivakov, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Saulus Sondeckis, Yuri Simonov, Pavel Kogan, Vladimir Ponkin, Dmitry Liss, Maxim Vengerov, Konstantin Orbelian, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Alexander Sladkovsky, Gintaras Rinkevicius, Alexander Skulsky, Fedor Glushchenko, Lawrence Foster, Christian Badea, Barry Douglas, Fabio Mastrangelo, and Maria Eklund. 

In chamber programmes, she has appeared with Rodion Shchedrin, Vladimir Spivakov, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Alexei Utkin, Alexander Knyazev, Alexander Ghindin, Boris Andrianov, Daniil Kogan, Graf Murzha, and other famous performers. In 2007, Ekaterina Mechetina, Nikita Borisoglebsky, and Sergei Antonov formed a trio that frequently appears in public and explores an extensive repertoire. 

Ekaterina has taken part in major international festivals, including December Nights of Svyatoslav Richter, Moscow autumn, Crescendo, Rodion Shchedrin Music festival, Russian Winter; and Benois de la danse in Moscow, Stars on Baikal in Irkutsk, Dubrovnik Festival, Consonances, Lille Piano(s) Festival, and Europalia (Belgium). 

She actively collaborates with contemporary composers such as Rodion Shchedrin (who entrusted her with the world premiere of his 6th Piano Concerto), Alexei Rybnikov, Tolib Shakhidi, Kuzma Bodrov, and many others. 

Ekaterina Mechetina has been teaching at the Moscow Conservatory since 2009 (being Associate Professor since 2020), and at the Conservatory’s Central Music School since 2016. Every year she gives master classes at the UNESCO Summer Creative School New Names in Suzdal. She has been member of the jury of Russian and international competitions (including the Nutcracker Television Competition for Young Musicians, the International Delphic Games, Astana and Seoul competitions) and hosts Diary of a Pianist and Musical Alphabet with Ekaterina Mechetina programmes on Radio Orpheus. 

The pianist's recordings have been released by Fuga Libera (solo album with Rachmaninoff works, 2005), Empire of Music (compositions by Shchedrin and Tolib Shakhidi, 2008), and Melodiya (music by Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and Rachmaninoff, 2013). In 2019, the Moscow Conservatory label recorded and released her album Author's Suite with Tchaikovsky's pieces. 

Ekaterina Mechetina has received the Triumph youth award, Parabola independent award by Andrei Voznesensky foundation, 3rd degree Order of Catherine the Great from the National Committee of Public Awards, Prize of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Muses for the World Foundation, and Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals. In 2011, she became a member of the Culture and Art Council under the Russian President. 

Since 2013, Ekaterina Mechetina has been heading the Green Noise International Youth Art Festival (Surgut). In 2015, she was awarded the Honorary Badge of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) for Strengthening Peace and Friendship of Peoples. In November 2017, she became a laureate of Russian Rome International Cultural Festival in the category Worldwide Promotion of Musical Culture. She was awarded the honorary title of Merited Musician in 2016 and Honoured Artist of Russia in 2018.

Nikita Borisoglebsky's rise to prominence came in 2010 when he won the International Jean Sibelius Violin competition and the International Fritz Kreisler Violin competition. He has also been awarded top prizes in the nine other prestigious violin contests including the Tchaikovsky, the Queen Elisabeth and the Monte Carlo Violin Masters competitions.

The violinist has performed with many major orchestras, including the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Moscow Philharmonic, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, Brussels Philharmonic, Kansai Philharmonic, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Goethenburg Symphoniker, Antwerpen Royal Philharmonic, London Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra “Musica Viva”, Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia under such conductors as Valery Gergiev, Okko Kamu, Sakari Oramo, Hannu Lintu, Eri Klass, Vladimir Fedoseev, Dmitry Liss, Conrad van Alphen, Gilbert Varga, David Afkham, Lionel Bringueir. He appears regularly at many of the important festivals including the Menton Festival, Rheingau Festival, S.Richter’s “December Nights” in Moscow, Beethovenfest in Bonn, Ohrid summer festival, Dubrovnik summer festival, “Stars of the White Nights” and “Arts Square” in Saint Petersburg, “Crescendo” and “Stars on Baikal” festivals of Denis Matsuev, and others.

In addition to solo engagements, Nikita has enjoyed working in collaboration with renowned musicians including Seiji Ozawa, Rodion Shchedrin, Natalia Gutman, Gidon Kremer, Yuri Bashmet, Augustin Dumay, Andras Schiff, Boris Berezovsky, Jean-Philippe Collard, Alexander Kniazev, Rafael Wallfish, Michel Strauss, Jean-Claude Vanden Eyden, Lovro Pogorelich, David Geringas and others.

In collaboration with the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and the Belgian record label "Fuga Libera" the violinist has released the two CDs: the Third violin concerto of Henri Veiuxtepms with Liege Royal Philharmonic and Patrick Davin, and the monographic album of Edouard Lalo with Sinfonia Varsovia, Augustin Dumay and Jean-Philippe Collard. The Lalo’s CD was given a 5-star review in the French magazine “Diapason”.

Nikita Borisoglebsky was born in Volgodonsk, Southern Russia. His mentors in different years were Eduard Grach and Tatiana Berkul in Moscow, Augustin Dumay in Brussels, Ana Chumachenco in Kronberg.

In the last years he has become a recipient of the several international awards and titles - "Violinist of the Year" from the International Maya Plisetskaya and Rodion Shchedrin foundation (USA); “Person of the Year” from the major Russian magazine “Musical review”; “Virtuoso” award from the Italian string society and the Antonio Stradivari foundation; "Jean Sibelius birthplace medal" from J.Sibelius foundation in Hameenlinna, Finland.

The violinist plays on Matteo Goffriller’s violin from 1720-s.

One of the greatest artists of his generation, Sergey Antonov was born in 1983 into a family of cellists. His parents guided his first years, especially his mother, Maria Zhuravleva, a leading cello pedagogue at the prestigious Central Music School at the Moscow Conservatory. His father, Boris, was a gifted cellist and a member of the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra under Vladimir Fedoseyev.

Sergey graduated from the Moscow Conservatory where he studied with Natalia Schakhovskaya and chamber music with Alexander Bonduryansky. Since 2006, Antonov has been studying with Terry King and is currently enrolled at the Longy School of Music in Boston.

A great influence on the cellist was his work with the late Mstislav Rostropovich. Sergey was a frequent participant in his master classes at the Moscow Conservatory, which led to the maestro's invitation to join him on tours of Europe and Russia.

In June 2007, Sergey Antonov won the prestigious Gold Medal at the XIII International Tchaikovsky Competition, one of the youngest cellists to win the prize ever. In addition, the Toyota Corporation awarded Antonov promotional sponsorship and a Special Prize: Favorite Artist in the Cello Division. Another award to the cellist was an offer from the Moscow Philharmonic: a five-year soloist contract over Russia with Moscow State Philharmonic Society Artists management.

Sergey has triumphed in many competitions including first prizes at the Swedish Duo Competition, the International Chamber Music Competition of the Chamber Music Foundation of New England the National ASTA Competition in Detroit (2007). He also has won top prizes in the Dotzauer and David Popper Competitions.

Sergey was embark upon a 15-concert tour of Japan, China and Korea in January/February 2008, culminating with performances of the Brahms Double Concerto in Moscow's Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Other performances include appearances with the Petrozavodsk Symphony, Moscow Philharmonic, Russian National orchestra under Maestro Pletnev, Symphony Orchestra of Rome as well as chamber music collaborations with the Lyrica Chamber Music Series as their "Young Artist of the Year", and the Chamber Music Foundation of New England. Other engagements include solo recitals in Italy, Bordeaux Music Festival in France and Newport Music Festival in Rhode Island.

Antonov has appeared with the Moscow, St Petersburg, and Budapest Philharmonic Orchestras, the Philharmonia Di Nation (Italy and Spain) as well as numerous other orchestras in the Russian Federation. He has performed solo and chamber music recitals in Moscow, Boston, New York, Paris, Stockholm, Budapest, Gdansk and many other cities in Russia, Europe and the United States.