ClassicalPlanet

García Asensio, José Luis

Madrid, 1944. José Luis García Asensio was born in Madrid in 1944. When he was sixteen he won the Sarasate Prize and at twenty-two became a teacher of violin virtuosity at the Royal College of Music in London-the youngest teacher ever in the history of that famous school. He studied with the great conductor Sergiu Celibidache. For more than twenty years he was first violin-conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra, with which he led a very active artistic life and made important recordings, such as the Mozart concertos for violin and orchestra and Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. In 1992 he joined the staff of the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía and one year later acceded to the Chair of Violin.

Kless, Yair

Israel. Born in Israel, Yair Kless studied with Israel Amida and André Gertler at the Tel-Aviv Academy of Music, continuing his education in Brussels at the 'Queen Elisabeth Musical Chapel' Conservatory. Yair Kless started performing at a very early age and his activities as soloist and chamber musician soon became well known the world over. His extensive repertory includes works from the baroque to pieces composed especially for him. He was a member of the Israeli Baroque Musicians and first violin of the Sol-La-Re Strings Quartet, the Tel-Aviv Piano Quartet and the American New Art Trio. At present, Yair Kless is member of the Israel Modus Trio, a strings quartet performing jointly with several pianists. He is also member of the Stradivari Sextet that appears throughout Europe and with his son Ëyal, also a violinist. Yair Kless is known the world over as one of the most prestigious violin professors. Many of his students have been winners of prizes at international competitions and at present hold important positions in the Israeli world of music and in the rest of the world. During many years he has been in charge of the Strings Department of the Rubin Academy of Music and between 1989 and 1993 he was head of said institution. At present is a jury member in several international competitions. Yair Kless regularly participates in summer courses and in prestigious music festivals, such as the Salzburg Festival. He is also invited to give master classes in the U.S.A., the ex-Soviet Union, Germany, Ireland, Finland, France, Australia, England, Italy, Poland and Holland. Since 1995 Professor Kless teaches in Europe as Professor of the University of Graz in Austria and in Israel.

Marcovici, Silvia

Zafer, David

London, 1934. With his exceptional skill and dedication both as a performer and a teacher, David Zafer has earned international acclaim as one of Canada's leading assets in the field of classical music. In addition to the refinement of his own talents as a performer he has, for more than 30 years now, focused with remarkable commitment and innovation on developing young Canadian musicians. From 1966 to 1999 he has been a Professor of Violin in the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, where he is 'professor emeritus' at the present time. He has been founder and director of the Chamber Orchestra at the Toronto University until his retirement. David Zafer is required to give master classes in prestigious schools, such as the Menuhin School in Surrey (England); the Meadowmount Summer School; the British University of Columbia; the University of Rice in Houston (Texas), and he is invited regularly by the Superior School of Music Reina Sofía. Also he has directed the European Seminary of Strings in Budapest and he has given master lessons in Prague. In 1998, Mr. Zafer conducted the Real Chamber Orchestra of Seoul (Korea) and this concert was televised to all the country. For 25 years he has been titular conductor and violin professor of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and he has made tours with this orchestra to the Young Orchestras Festivals in Aberdeen (Scotland), Boston and Banff. In 1997, he recorded a very successfully CD with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra during a live performance in the Ford Center for the Performing Arts of Toronto. At the present time, he gives private classes and he goes on performing with different orchestras and chamber groups. Also he counts on innumerable commitments in different festivals. His new project is the Toronto Chamber Youth Orchestra, of very recent creation.