Zoltán Despond & Vesselin Stanev

The pianist Vesselin Stanev is noted for being an excellent Romantic classical music performer, and one of the few pianists to have a recording of the complete cycle of Liszt's Transcendental Etudes.

"He is not just a pianist, he is a musician". The critic who wrote this was referring to the virtuosity that is a central element in Stanev's playing. This is no wonder for a pianist who received his significant influence from Dmitri Bashkirov at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow.

But Vesselin Stanev aims beyond the artistic; his most important concern is the emotion that he feels in the works and tries to pass on to the listeners through the means of his art. That is why the Romantic composers occupy a special place in his repertoire. And that's why his playing has a suppleness and a wealth of colors that go far beyond pure virtuosity. 

He devotes particular attention to chamber music, with the violinist Ekaterina Frolova, the flautist Eva Oertle or the cellist Zoltán Despond. He has made numerous CD recordings for RCA, Sony Classical and the Bulgarian label Gega New. 

Born in 1992, the cellist Zoltán Despond graduated with a master’s in solo performance in 2018 at the Zurich University of the Arts. He performs across Europe and enjoys working with such musicians as Ilya Gringolts, Silvia Simionescu, Marko Milenkovic, and Vesselin Stanev as well as playing regularly as an adjunct with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra.

Zoltán Despond has received the Zubaloff Prize and is a laureate of the Pierre et Renée Glasson Fund and the Friedl Wald Foundation.

Programme

Sergei Prokofiev Sonata for Piano and Cello, op. 119 
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 6 Pieces for Piano op. 19, Nr. 4: 'Nocturne'
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 6 Pieces for Piano op. 51, Nr. 6: 'Valse sentimentale'
Sergei Rachmaninov Sonata for Piano and Cello, Op. 19

Presented by Archambeau Productions