Opening concert

Hailed by The Times as a “remarkable cellist” and described by Gramophone as “sheer perfection”, Kian Soltani’s playing is characterised by a depth of expression, sense of individuality and technical mastery, alongside a charismatic stage presence and ability to create an immediate emotional connection with his audience. He is now invited by the world’s leading orchestras, conductors and recital promoters, propelling him from rising star to one of the most talked about cellists performing today.

In 23/24 season he is the Focus Artist of Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and will share stages with Wiener Symphoniker, WDR Sinfonieorchester, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and NHK Symphony Orchestra. Aside from orchestral and recital concerts, he will maintain busy schedule comprising of tours with Camerata Salzburg and Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

He recently won Innovative Listening Experience Award at the coveted Opus Klassic Awards 2022, Germany’s most prestigious classical music prize which honours outstanding artists and recordings, for his ‘Cello Unlimited’ album released back in October 2021. 

Born in Bregenz, Austria, in 1992 to a family of Persian musicians, Soltani began playing the cello at age four and was only twelve when he joined Ivan Monighetti’s class at the Basel Music Academy. He was chosen as an Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation scholarship holder in 2014 and completed his further studies as a member of the Young Soloist Programme at Germany’s Kronberg Academy. He received additional important musical training at the International Music Academy in Liechtenstein. As of October 2023, he holds position as a professor of cello at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria.Kian Soltani plays “The London, ex Boccherini" Antonio Stradivari cello, kindly loaned to him by a generous sponsor through the Beares International Violin Society.

Beatrice Rana performs at the world’s most esteemed concert halls and festivals including the Berlin Philharmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall, Barbican Centre, Royal Albert Hall, Philharmonie de Paris, Vienna’s Konzerthaus and Musikverein, KKL Lucerne, Cologne Philharmonie, Munich’s Isarphilharmonie, Frankfurt’s Alte Oper, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Tonhalle Zurich, Philharmonie de Luxembourg, Teatro alla Scala, BBC Proms.

She collaborates with conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Antonio Pappano, Klaus Mäkelä, Lahav Shani, Manfred Honeck, Riccardo Chailly, Gianandrea Noseda, Jaap van Zweden, Jakub Hrusa, Paavo Järvi, Elim Chan, Gustavo Gimeno, Fabio Luisi, Vladimir Jurowski, Dima Slobodeniouk, James Gaffigan, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Susanna Mälkki and Zubin Mehta.

Beatrice is the guest of such orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Bayerische Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester, New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Orchestre de Paris, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Orchestra dell' Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Orchestra Sinfonica della RAI, Filarmonica della Scala, Seoul Philharmonic among many other top orchestras.

In the 2024/25 season, Beatrice is artist in residence at Paris’ Radio-France. The residency will involve a recital at the Auditorium de Radio France and several concerts and tours with both in-house orchestras, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Orchestre National de France and their music directors Mikko Frank and Cristian Macelaru. She will also return to the New York Philharmonic with Marek Janowski, Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Gianandrea Noseda, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck and debut with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.

Beatrice Rana records exclusively for Warner Classics. She released 6 albums receiving critical acclaim and several prizes including “Young Artist of the Year” at the Gramophone Awards and “Discovery of the year” at the Edison Awards in 2017. In June 2018, she was chosen as Female Artist of the Year at the Classic BRIT Awards at the Royal Albert Hall.

Beatrice Rana won Silver (2nd Prize) and the Audience Award at the prestigious Van Cliburn competition in 2013. She had attracted international attention at 18, winning 1st Prize and all special prizes at the Montreal International Competition in 2011. Born into a family of musicians Beatrice began her musical studies at four and achieved her Piano Degree under the guidance of Benedetto Lupo at the Nino Rota Conservatory of Music in Monopoli, where she also studied composition with Marco della Sciucca. She then studied with Arie Vardi in Hannover and again with Benedetto Lupo at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia.

In 2017, Beatrice started her own chamber music festival « Classiche Forme » in her native town of Lecce, Puglia. The festival has become one of Italy’s major summer events.