Cecilia Zilliacus
Sweden
Cecilia Zilliacus is a prominent Swedish violinist known for her close collaborations with composers, many of whom have written works specifically for her. She performs regularly with internationally renowned musicians, conductors, and ensembles, and her extensive discography includes several acclaimed recordings.
As a soloist, Zilliacus has appeared with most major Swedish orchestras, as well as numerous leading symphony orchestras across the Nordic countries and Europe.
She serves as artistic director of Katrina Chamber Music on Åland and previously held the same position at the Korsholm Music Festival in Vaasa, Finland (2018–2022). Alongside cellist Kati Raitinen, she also curates the popular chamber music series Äntligen måndag (“Monday, at last”) at Stockholm’s Konserthuset.
She is professor of violin at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and plays a violin by Nicola Gagliano, courtesy of the Järnåker Foundation.
Isabelle van Keulen
The Netherlands
Isabelle van Keulen is internationally recognized as both a violinist and violist and has been a prominent presence on the world’s leading concert stages for decades. As a soloist, she has performed with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and collaborated with conductors such as Andris Nelsons, Sir Roger Norrington and Philippe Herreweghe.
Chamber music is a central part of her artistic work, including her long-standing collaboration with pianist Ronald Brautigam. She is also strongly committed to contemporary music and has premiered and recorded works by Dutilleux, Adams, Auerbach, Knussen, Brett Dean and Erkki-Sven Tüür, whose violin concerto written for her has received great international recognition.
Isabelle van Keulen is the founder of the Delft Chamber Music Festival and was director of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra 2009-2012. Since 2019 she has been Artistic Director of the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss am Rhein and also leads the Norrbotten Chamber Orchestra in Sweden.
Her discography ranges from Beethoven, Prokofiev and Berg to Piazzolla and chamber music by Brahms, Shostakovich and others and has been released on BIS, EMI, Warner Classics and Berlin Classics. Since 2012 she has been professor of violin, viola and chamber music at the Hochschule Luzern – Musik and is a sought-after jury member at international competitions.
Tatyana Masurenko
Germany
Tatjana Masurenko is one of the leading violists of our time and has played a central role in the development of the viola as a solo instrument. Her art is characterized by a radically free musical vitality, poetic depth and an uncompromising intensity that stems from a deep knowledge of the repertoire and a strong personal voice. Her broad repertoire ranges from viola masterpieces to contemporary and rarely performed music, interpreted with a distinctive, breathing sound, firmly rooted in tradition.
As a soloist, she has performed with leading orchestras such as the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, Berliner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester and NDR Radiophilharmonie and is a frequent guest at major international festivals. She is deeply committed to contemporary music and has premiered numerous works written especially for her in close collaboration with composers such as Wolfgang Rihm, Dimitri Terzakis and Luca Lombardi.
Tatjana Masurenko is strongly committed to teaching and talent development. She is Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles and previously held professorships in Leipzig and Lausanne. She teaches internationally and is artistic director of several masterclass and talent programs.
Claus Myrup
Denmark
Claus Myrup, Denmark Claus Myrup graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Music in 1987, but three years earlier he was appointed concertmaster of the viola section of the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, a position he held for 38 years before retiring from the orchestra in 2022. Claus Myrup has often performed as a soloist and chamber musician around the world. Teaching the viola and chamber music has always been an important part of his work, and for many years he was an associate professor at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark. He now teaches at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen.
His many recordings include among others the sonatas of Brahms and trio together with Lotte Toftemark and Thorleif Thedéen. Claus Myrup has been awarded a great number of prizes, among others the music critics’ Artist prize and the Becket Fonden prize of honour
Henrik Brendstrup
Denmark
Born in Denmark, Henrik studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen with Erling Bløndal Bengtson, and later in London with William Pleeth and Ralph Kirshbaum. He has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, and is a regular guest at international chamber music festivals such as Risør, Stavanger, Oslo and Lockenhaus. His numerous recordings include the complete works for cello and piano by Beethoven, solo works for cello by Sofia Gubaidulina, and cello works by Chopin and Liszt which won the French award ”Diapason d’Or”.
Henrik is a very active chamber musician and has been the cellist of several leading ensembles in Denmark, such as The Danish String Quartet, the sextet ”Copenhagen Classic” and the Gefion Trio. He is professor of cello at the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus and artistic director of Hvide Sande Masterclass.
Maria Pukhlianko
Ukraine
Maria Pukhlianko is an honorary artist of Ukraine, winner of international piano competitions, Piano Professor at the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music, and Professor at Horowitz’s International Summer Musical Academy. She is also artistic director of the international festival “Dynasty” and the international competition “UKE-PIANO”, founder and diretor of the projects, Pianist’s Orchestra, The Art of Playing with Orchestra, Multi-hands piano, and Beautiful Classics. Furthermore, Maria Pukhlianko is a jury member and a chief of the jury-team in lots of piano competitions in different countries, as well as director of Ensemble of Soloists “SOLO PLUS” whcih was founded by Maria Pukhlianko and Anton Kushnir in 2004.
She constantly plays with leading Ukrainian orchestras and performs with piano recitals and chamber music at the well- known stages. She is a talented musician with a fine sense of style, poetry, creative imagination and strong artistic will. In 2011 she was Young Pianist of the Year at Hvide Sande Masterclass, and in 2024 she joined the Hvide Sande Masterclass faculty for the first time as Piano Professor.
Sakari Tepponen
Finland (Anniversary Visiting Professor)
In 2005, Sakari Tepponen was the idea generator behind the creation of the Hvide Sande Masterclass. During a visit to Hvide Sande, he experienced a special calm and culture that inspired him to create an international Masterclass together with founder Anne-Marie Hjelm. The vision was clear. Young musicians from all over the world will have a unique opportunity to focus on their musical passion and improve their skills through daily masterclasses and concerts.
Sakari Tepponen is a violinist and has been a musician in the Esbjerg Ensemble for 15 years and taught at the Academy of Music, Southern Denmark. For 14 years he was a violin professor at Hvide Sande Masterclass. Now he teaches private students in Finland.
Sakari has extensive experience as a chamber musician, soloist, teacher and concertmaster. He can be heard on many solo and chamber music CDs and his overall repertoire as a violinist is extensive.
Sakari has performed and taught widely in Europe, the USA and Asia. He was awarded the Sibelius Medal for performing and recording Finnish violin music.
Thomas Darelius
Denmark (Accompanist)
Thomas Darelius, born 1962, studied at The royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark, with professor Knud E. Sorensen from 1979 to 1987. From 1988 to 1989, he studied at the Moscow State Conservatory with the famous pianist Tatyana Nikolayeva.
Thomas Darelius has distinguished himself as a finalist and prize winner at various piano competitions. He has received several major scholarships, including the Børge Schrøder and Wife Herta Finnerup Music Scholarship and the Victor Schiøler Memorial Scholarship.
On a daily basis, he is employed as a studio lecturer at the Royal Danish Academy of Music as a repetiteur and accompanist for the young singing students. He is also frequently used as a Russian language coach for singers.
Thomas Darelius is on the board of Hvide Sande Masterclass and has been a regular accompanist for all the years we have had an accompanist on the course.
Manuel Esperilla
Spain / Denmark
Manuel Esperilla, trained in both Madrid and Copenhagen, is one of Denmark’s most sought-after pianists in classical and contemporary music. As pianist in the contemporary music ensemble Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen, he has played the Danish premiere of Pierre Boulez’ Dérive 2, been soloist in Hans Abrahamsen’s piano concerto when the composer received the Léonie Sonning Music Prize in 2019, and recorded Niels Rosing-Schow’s right-hand piano concerto All Right!? dedicated to him and the ensemble. Other recordings with the ensemble include works by Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Ole Buck and Mogens Christensen.
Manuel Esperilla is a member of the quartet Rudersdal Kammersolister, an instrumentally flexible quartet specializing in classical and contemporary music, collaborating with internationally significant composers such as Giya Kancheli, Elena Firsova, Dmitri Smirnov, Lera Auerbach, Jesper Holmen and Poul Ruders. The ensemble has premiered and recorded several albums of chamber music by Poul Ruders, Elena Firsova and Dimitri Smirnov.
Manuel has been employed as an accompanist at the Royal Danish Academy of Music since 2009.
