ANASTASIA KOBEKINA

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The Russian cellist Anastasia Kobekina is a multiple prize winner at international competitions. In 2018, she was awarded the Prix Thierry Scherz and the Prix André Hoffmann at the Swiss winter music festi­val “Sommets musicaux de Gstaad”, which includes a recording with orchestra for the Swiss recording label Claves. In the same year, Anastasia was selected by BBC 3 to join the BBC New Generation scheme from 2018 to 2020.

In 2016, she won the soloist prize of the renowned German festival „Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern“ and the 2nd prize at the George Enescu Competition in Bukarest. In 2015, Anastasia Kobekina won the 1st prize at Germany’s most important International Youth Competition “Tonali15 Music Competition” (Hamburg). As a result of this competition success, Anastasia earned €10.000 prize money and a violoncello made by G. B. Guadagnini loaned for three years. Additionally, in her home country, Anastasia also was the first-prize winner of several international competitions, such as the television contest “Nutcracker” in 2007 and the competition “New names” (2008).

As a soloist, Anastasia recently has played with orchestras such as Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Gidon Kremer’s Kremerata Baltica (including participating in a CD production), German Chamber Philharmonic Bre­men, Chamber Orchestra of the “Viennese Music Association”, Moscow Virtuosi, Vienna Symphonics, Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater under the baton of V. Gergiev, the Moscow Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Virtuosi, Israel Camerata, and the Sinfonia Varsovia under the baton of Krzysztof Penderecki. Furthermore, the cellist has performed at prestigious venues like Lincoln Center, Avery Fisher Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus, Zurich Tonhalle and Mariinsky Theater. Additionally, she participated in many International festivals. Among them are the Chamber Music Week of the Verbier Festival, Les Flâneries Musicales de Reims, Kronberg Cello Festival, Festival „Spannungen“ Heimbach, Easter Festival of Aix-en-Provence, and Festspiele Mecklenburg Vorpommern. She regularly performes with excellent musicians like Gidon Kremer, András Schiff, Yuri Bashmet, Isabelle Faust, Lars Vogt, Artur Pizarro and Nicolas Altstaedt.

In 2012, Anastasia has participated in the Verbier Festival Camp.

In November 2016, Anastasia Kobekina also was invited by Rolando Villazón to his German/French TV Show on arte TV „Stars of tomorrow“.

From 2012 to 2016, Anastasia has studied at the prestigious German Kronberg Academy with Frans Helmerson. From 2016 to 2018, the cellist continued her study at the class of Jens Peter Maintz at University of Arts in Berlin. She curently studies in Paris.

In 2018 came out the debut CD of Anastasia on the French label „Disque Auvers“ together with pianist Paloma Kouider with works of Stravinsky, Franck and Myaskovsky“.

Anastasia Kobekina is playing a cello made by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini.

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THIERRY SCHERZ PRIZE

Sponsored by the Pro Scientia et Arte Foundation and the Friends of the Sommets musicaux de Gstaad

One of the main goals of the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad has always been to give young talents a chance, to help and guide them, reason for which, from the very start, the festival included into its programme a series of concerts given in the Gstaad chapel by promising young musicians of different nationalities playing the same instrument.

Every year, this Prize aims to reward one of these young musicians with the opportunity of recording a CD with an orchestra, produced by Claves Records, ensuring a wide distribution.

This Prize gives the laureate experience with microphones, collaboration with a conductor, with orchestra musicians, an artistic director, sound engineers… and finally the joy of an extensive distribution.

Our laureates’ success reminds us of the importance of supporting a promising career in its early days. We offer our sincere thanks to our sponsors who enable us to continue in this direction.

The Thierry Scherz Prize is an homage to the co-founder and artistic director of the Festival.

2018 Prize: Anastasia Kobekina, cello

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THE BERNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The Berne Symphony Orchestra can look back on a 140-year tradition as orchestra in the capitol city of Switzerland. With its nearly 100 musicians from over 20 different nations, the symphony orchestra is unified under the umbrella “Konzert Theater Bern” along with the opera, drama, and dance divisions of the theater.

At the beginning of the 2010/2011 season, the position of head conductor of the BSO was taken over by Swiss Mario Venzago. Among his predecessors are counted Andrey Boreyko, Dmitrij Kitajenko, and Peter Maag. Notable guest conductors, such as Bruno Walter, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Karl Böhm, Herbert von Karajan, as well as more recently, Eliahu Inbal, Sir Neville Marriner, Eiji Oue, Jun Märkl, and Michael Sanderling have also left and continue to leave their marks on the orchestra. World-class soloists like Joshua Bell, Sol Gabetta, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Fazil Say, Mischa Maisky, or Jean-Yves Thibaudet, as well as young classical stars like Kit Armstrong, Lise de la Salle, or Christoph Croisé see to it that the good reputation of the Berne Symphony Orchestra transmits well beyond the country’s borders. This leads to regular invitations inside and outside of Switzerland, such as the May 2017 tour of China.

The young, highly motivated BSO, now one of Switzerland’s largest orchestras, performs about 50 concerts per season. Besides the symphony concerts, the Gala and New Year’s Concerts in particular are among the cultural highlights of the year. The BSO also attracts a large and enthusiastic audience at its annual open-air concert on the Bundesplatz Bern (the capital’s main square), and offers the citizens of Berne a musical home. The Berne Symphony Orchestra’s further activities include guest performances in Switzerland and abroad as well as radio and CD recordings.

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Other Thierry Scherz prices from the Sommets musicaux de Gstaad

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REVIEWS

KulturTipp

"[..] Mit dem Berner Symphonie­orchester spielt die 24-jährige Russin Schostakowitschs 1. Cellokonzert von 1959 charaktervoll. Eine Fantasie von Mieczysław Weinberg (1919–1996) und ein «Bacha­nale» von Vladimir Kobekin (1947) vervollständigen die grossartige Aufnahme stimmungsvoll." - Christian Berzins, Juli 2019

24 Heures

"[..] En 2018, la violoncelliste Anastasia Kobekina avait séduit le jury et rebondi avec un magnifique album «Chostakovitch, Weinberg, Kobekin» l’année suivante. Doué d’une sonorité à la fois raffinée et impétueuse, le violoncelle d’Anastasia Kobekina est polyglotte comme elle, à l’aise dans toutes les langues et cultures. Son étonnant dernier disque, «Ellipses», le prouve à nouveau en sautant à pieds joints à travers toutes les époques et les pays, avec un constant bonheur d’expression. [..]" - Matthieu Chenal, janvier 2023

Pizzicato.lu

"In perfect harmony, Anastasia Kobekina and Kevin John Edusei deliver passionate and very well differentiated performances of works by Shostakovich, Weinberg and Kobekin. The Bern Symphony Orchestra is a reliable partner for the conductor and the soloist." - Remy Franck, April 2019

Classica

"Ouverte à plusieurs cultures, cette jeune violoncelliste à la sonorité profonde et ductile prend place parmi les instrumentistes les plus captivants de la nouvelle génération. [..] En avril 2019, son enregistrement sur son Giovanni Guadagnini de 1745 du Concerto n° 1 de Chostakovitch, de celui de Weinberg et de son père Vladimir Kobekin avec l’Orchestre symphonique de Berne (Clavès) reçoit l’approbation de la presse spécialisée. [..]" - Michel Le Naour, mai 2021

Classical Voice

"[..] Il capolavoro di quest’ultimo, che apre il cd, è una vera manifestazione di sapienza orchestrale dove la nitidezza delle frasi e delle idee narrative si amalgama mirabilmente con i timbri delle varie sezioni strumentali e dell’enfasi comico-drammatica del violoncello solista, cui, peraltro, il compositore lascia un cammeo solistico in tutto il terzo movimento (denominato “Cadenza”) dove la giovane cellista Anastasia Kobekina, intorno a cui è confezionato il cd, esplicita con smagliante precisione e linearità espressiva tutta la sua competenza musicale. Decisamente rilevante appare l’esecuzione della Berner Symphonieorchester perfettamente in sintonia con la autorevole bacchetta di Jevin John Edusei." - Antonio Brena, ottobre 2025

Crescendo Magazine

"Ce CD dévolu à un répertoire russe est le premier disque avec orchestre d’Anastasia Kobekina. Cette jeune artiste, qui fait partie de la nouvelle génération montante au tempérament généreux, n’a pas choisi la facilité pour cette première production. Ecrit à l’intention du jeune Rostropovitch qui en a laissé une dizaine de versions, le Concerto n° 1 de Chostakovitch est devenu l’un des chevaux de bataille du répertoire du violoncelle. Il demande une technique d’archet très sûre et diversifiée, une qualité d’intonation et un engagement permanent. Des qualités que possède à coup sûr cette artiste au jeu subtil et ample. [..]" - Jean Lacroix , novembre 2020

DCS

"The Russian cellist Anastasia Kobekina isn’t yet a well-known name in the UK, but that’s set to change fast. Firstly because last autumn she joined the BBC New Generation Artist scheme, meaning that increasingly she’ll be popping up on BBC Radio 3 airwaves and upon stages around the country. [..] Kobekina has made each and every one of these works her own; in fact never have I heard a more lyrical and ravishing-toned reading of the Shostakovich. However it’s Weinberg’s more pastoral 1956 work on this playlist, and I defy anyone not to be instantly seduced." - Charlotte Gardner, May 2019

Das Orchester

"[..] Beide Werke befinden sich hier bei der jungen russischen Cellistin Anastasia Kobekina in den bestmöglichen Händen. Ob leuchtende Kantilene, vertrackte Doppelgriffe (etwa in der Schostakowitsch-Kadenz), rasende Läufe oder rhythmische Attacke: Dieser Meisterin gelingt alles aufs Tonschönste. Bravo! Mit dem Berner Symphonieorchester und dem vielseitigen Dirigenten Kevin John Edusei stehen ihr subtil musizierende Partner zur Seite. Selten hat man den Kopfsatz des Schostakowitsch-Konzerts so entspannt als wirkliches Allegretto gehört. [..]" - Gerhard Anders, Oktober 2019

ResMusica

"Associer l’un des grands concertos russes pour violoncelle du XXe siècle avec une pièce attachante de Weinberg puis une récente partition de Kobekin est une excellente idée. Qui plus est, bien défendue par les interprètes, en particulier la jeune Anastasia Kobekina. [..] Le disque se conclut avec l’humour de Bacchants (2018) – il s’agit du premier enregistrement de l’œuvre de Vladimir Kobekin, père de la soliste – dont les ornements de la percussion et des bois font swinguer ce divertissement. Il serait une ouverture de concert idéale. Un disque bien pensé." - Stéphane Friédérich, août 2019

Le Courrier

"Accompagnée par le Berner Symphonieorchester, sous la direction de Kevin John Edusei, Anastasia Kobekina s'attaque avec bonheur au Concerto n °1 pour violoncelle de Chostakovitch et à la version pour violoncelle et orchestre de la Fantaisie de Mieczyslaw Weinberg - cette même oeuvre rencontrait son public pour la première fois sous forme de duo violoncelle et piano, à Moscou, en 1953. Anastasia Kobekina crée dans la foulée les Bacchantes pour violoncelle et orchestre de son père, le compositeur russe Vladimir Kobekin. [..]" - Maria Pineiro, avril 2019

ludwig-van.com

"This recording almost slipped by unnoticed. It opens with a neither here nor there performance of the first Shostakovich concerto, neither rippled with black comedy the way Slava Rostropovich played it nor invested with loving compassion like the mellifluous Heinrich Schiff. The Berlin-based soloist, Anastasia Kobekina, gives a good account of the piece and the Berne Symphony play well enough under the direction of Kevin John Edusei. [..] Rest assured that this is an indispensable addition to the cello repertoire and the main theme is one that you’ll think you have known all life long. I don’t care what happens in the next eight months. This is my record of the year for 2019." - Norman Lebrecht, April 2019

Austa - Stringendo

"[..] Thierry Scherz Prize from the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad. It is a praiseworthy recording of three colourful Russian works. The young Russian cellist born in 1994 is a multiple prize winner at international competitions. [..]  Her excellent tonal clarity and rhythmic vitality ensures fine projection even in the largest orchestral sections and the climactic and frantic 4th movement. Her lyrical playing in the second movement creates a well-balanced dialogue between the cello and orchestra. As an admirer of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s cello concerto, I was excited to hear his Fantasy for Cello and Orchestra from 1953. This is another hidden treasure by the Polish-Russian composer. Kobekina gives an enthralling account of this melodic and soulful work, which mixes traditional and contemporary with Weinberg’s uniquely ethnic Jewish roots. [..]" - Catherine Milligan, October 2019