BiographIES

Gerard Flotats, Cello

https://www.gerardflotats.com/about

Prize-winning Catalan cellist Gerard Flotats is a versatile young musician performing a wide spectrum of music, from Baroque on historical instruments to contemporary compositions with electronics. Winner of the Royal Over-Seas League Strings Competition 2023, he has also been selected for the Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist, Tillett Debut, and Munster Trust Recital schemes, giving him ample performance experience from a young age. Solo engagements for the 2024/25 season included concerts at venues such as Manchester Bridgewater Hall, King’s Place, and Pierre Boulez Saal.

Flotats has been invited to perform at international music festivals including Yellow Barn, IMS Prussia Cove, Mendelssohn on Mull, SHMF, and Santander Encuentro. An avid chamber musician, Gerard has collaborated with renowned artists including Daniel Hope, Anthony Marwood, Gilbert Kalish, Dale Barltrop, Roger Vignoles, Jens Peter Maintz, Linus Roth, and the Doric Quartet.

Gerard is currently studying for an Artist Diploma with Frans Helmerson and he previously graduated with honours in both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, studying with Hannah Roberts at the Royal Academy of Music. There, he won various prizes in solo and chamber settings, including the Regency Award, Homi Kanga for the best strings final recital, Duo, and Craxton Prizes. At the Academy, he also studied Baroque cello with Andrew Skidmore and chamber music with John Myerscough. He is indebted to many esteemed cellists for their guidance, especially his previous mentors Richard May, Peter Thiemann, andXavier Roig. Gerard has participated in masterclasses with cellists such as Steven Isserlis, Mischa Maisky, Miklos Perenyi, Jens Peter Maintz, Steven Doane, Gary Hoffman, Natasha Brofsky, Colin Carr and Sung Won Yang. He is grateful for the support from the Munster Trust.

He is an active member of various orchestras, having been the principal cellist of the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) and has also led the RAM and JONDE orchestras. He is often invited to play with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE), Hope Orchestra, and the Spanish National Orchestra (ONE), and worked with conductors such as Iván Fischer, Masaaki Suzuki, and Christoph Eschenbach.

Recently, Gerard gave the premiere of his project in collaboration with composer Alexander Papp called Re-imagining Bach. Together as a cello and electronics duo, they performed with light and sound effects a new composition inspired by Bach’s 3rd cello suite. A short movie of the project will be released later this year. He also performed various of the major cello concertos including Dvorak and Haydn’s C major and gave duo and solo recitals around the UK in venues such as St. George’s Bristol.

Gerard aims to make classical music more relevant and resonant for today’s audiences through innovative performances. He is passionate about showcasing lesser known pieces and collaborates with composers to introduce contemporary music to new listeners.

Julian Chan, Piano

https://www.julianchanpiano.com/

https://www.julianchanpiano.com/gallery  (for photos)

https://www.julianchanpiano.com/biography

Rapidly developing a reputation as one of the most innovative pianists of his generation, Julian Chan has given performances at numerous prestigious venues across Europe and Asia, including Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre, Nanjing Poly Theatre, and Palau de la Música Catalana. Performing music by a particularly diverse range of composers, he has given alluring recitals featuring works by figures from Sweelinck to Messiaen, from Alkan to Rzewski, unifying these various styles in a captivating manner.

 Julian has had masterclasses with numerous pianists of international renown, including Stephen Hough, Imogen Cooper, Jeremy Menuhin, Melvyn Tan, Bobby Chen, and Joanna MacGregor; distinguished conductors with whom he has performed, both as a soloist and as part of the acclaimed Manson Ensemble, include Jessica Cottis, Dominic Grier, Ryan Wigglesworth, Ben Glassberg, Jonathan Berman, and John Gibbons.

 Recently, Julian has been awarded First Prize and Sonata Prize at the Nanyang International Music Competition, Singapore, Second Prize at the Jazeps Vitols International Piano Competition, Latvia, First Prize at the Norah Sande Award, and First Prize at the Coulsdon and Purley Festival with his performance of Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto.

 A passionate composer and performer of new music, Julian has collaborated with eminent composers such as Hans Abrahamsen, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Jörg Widmann, Deborah Pritchard, Elena Langer, and Peter Seabourne.

 Julian is currently recipient of the Aud Jebsen Fellowship at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied with Ian Fountain and Michael Dussek. He had his first book of compositions published at age 6, earning him the title of Malaysia’s Youngest Composer.

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