"The performance was masterly, a blazingly impressive exhibition of really big playing, one which obviously relished the interpretative and technical challenge of the music."

- The Daily Telegraph, London

"Florian Kitt is one of the best exponents of the contemporary cello repertoire."

- The Strad

Florian Kitt, cello

Austrian cellist Florian Kitt completed his studies with Gaspar Cassadó in Cologne and André Navarra in Detmold after graduating from the Vienna Musikakademie as a pupil of Frieda Litschauer. Following his debut at the Konzerthaus in Vienna in a recital together with Rudolf Buchbinder in 1964, he has appeared as soloist with many leading orchestras and conductors, given cello recitals at important festivals and made numerous recordings. These engagements took him all over the world - apart from his home country Austria most frequently to the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, the United States and Asia.

His passion into modern music had been approved by many recently successful performances - György Ligeti's cello-concerto at the Royal Festival Hall in London with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Diego Masson brought raving acclaim by press and the public, Luciano Berio's concerto "Ritorno degli Snovidenia" in Rome, Nigel Osborne's concertos, both dedicated to Florian Kitt were successful all over the world.

Florian Kitt is also a very devoted teacher; apart from various masterclasses he holds a professorship at the University for Music in Graz since 1970. In addition to his extensive repertoire of established classic and romantic works, his especial feeling for contemporary music has inspired many major composers to dedicate works to him.

Carlos Rivera, piano

Carlos Rivera was born in Arequipa- Perú. He studied piano with Armando Maristany, Aurelio Diaz and Ines Paula in Peru and Later from 1960 with Jesus Sanromá in Puerto Rico.

He then finished his studies in Austria at the Vienna Musikakademie with Hans Graf and Bruno Seidlhofer. He also attended masterclasses with Alicia de Larorrcha and Wilhelm Kempf.

Since then he has played concerts as soloist and in chamber-music all over Europe and the Americas. As a soloist he appeared with the ORF Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Tonkünstler-Orchestra, the Vienna Chamber-Orchestra, Budapester Symphoniker, Wiener Symphoniker and the Sinfonicas Nacionales in México and Perú.
Since 1968 he was solo-korrepetitor at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna as well as a regular Professor for piano a little later.

He had been accompanying masterclasses with Pablo Casals, André Navarra, Mstislav Rostropovich and Janos Starker. He played as a chamber-music partner with such renowned artists like Uto Ughi, André Navarra, Luigi Alva, Florian Kitt and many others.

He then finished his studies in Austria at the Vienna Musikakademie with Hans Graf and Bruno Seidlhofer. He also attended masterclasses with Alicia de Larorrcha and Wilhelm Kempf.

Since then he has played concerts as soloist and in chamber-music all over Europe and the Americas. As a soloist he appeared with the ORF Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Tonkünstler-Orchestra, the Vienna Chamber-Orchestra, Budapester Symphoniker, Wiener Symphoniker and the Sinfonicas Nacionales in México and Perú.

Since 1968 he was solo-korrepetitor at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna as well as a regular Professor for piano a little later.

He had been accompanying masterclasses with Pablo Casals, André Navarra, Mstislav Rostropovich and Janos Starker. He played as a chamber-music partner with such renowned artists like Uto Ughi, André Navarra, Luigi Alva, Florian Kitt and many others.