Olga Zado
Described as a “master of the magical art of rubato” (Hamburger Abendblatt) and often referred to as a “magician on the piano” (Mannheimer Morgen), Olga Zado touches audiences and critics around the world with her deep poetic musicianship and sparkling electrifying technique. As a highly gifted child Olga gave her first solo recitals and performances with orchestras from the early age of 7, making her international debut at the Kulturcasino Bern (age 12), performing Mozart Piano Concerto K.488. Born in Odessa, she received her musical education at the renown Stolyarsky Special Music School for young prodigies in the piano tradition of Heinrich Neuhaus. After continuing her musical studies with Mihaela Ursuleasa at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Bern, she received further important musical impulses from Leon Fleisher, Pavel Gililov, Jacques Rouvier, Bernd Glemser, Norma Fisher and especially from her current mentor Sergei Babayan.

Olga Zado has performed as a soloist at major European concert venues, such as the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Philharmonie at the Gasteig Munich, the Mozarteum Salzburg, the Kulturcasino Bern, the Meistersingerhalle Nuremberg, the Mannheim Rosengarten, the Konzerthaus Karlsruhe and the Kremlin in Moscow. She has worked with orchestras such as the German Radio Philharmonic, the Ukrainian National Philharmonic, the Mannheim Philharmonic, the Bari Symphony Orchestra, the Biel-Solothurn Symphony Orchestra, the Kosovo Philharmonic and the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra. From 2013 to 2015 she was appointed Young Artist in Residence of the Mannheim Philharmonic Orchestra. In November 2017 Olga Zado performed Schumann Piano Concerto in the Great Hall of the sold out Elbphilharmonie Hamburg where she received a standing ovation and an instant re-invitation for a solo recital in December 2018. Olga Zado is also passionately dedicated to chamber music and works with partners such as Antonio Meneses, Sergei Nakariakov, Alena Baeva, Alissa Margulis, Robert Kowalski, Jelena Ocic, Friedemann Eichhorn and others.

She is a laureate of the “Vladimir Horowitz” and “Sergei Prokofiev” international piano competitions, as well as a winner of the Therese-Dussault-Special-Prize at the “Vladimir Kraynew” competition. She held scholarships of the “Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation”, the “Apogey International Fund”, the “Music Association Legato Bern” and the Swiss “Lyra Foundation.”

Olga Zado is a Steinway Artist.

Szymon Makowski
began his musical studies in Poznan Academy of Music in 2006 in the classes of conducting and violin, where he acquired the Bachelor degree in 2009 in both fields. He continued his education in conducting and received the Master of Arts degree in 2011. During his studies Szymon Makowski participated in numerous masterclasses led by J. M. Rodilla Tortajada (Murcia, Spain), G. Chmura (Kraków, Poland), A. Polishchuck (Faro, Portugal).

From 2010 to 2014 he has been studying in Accademia Chigiana (Siena, Italy) with Maestro G. Gelmetti, where he was awarded three times with ‘Diploma di Merito’ and Accademia Chigiana scholarships, moreover he always conducted the final concert of the masterclass.

Iszymon-makowskin 2011 he worked as an assistant conductor of W. E. Gugerbauer in Wroclaw Opera House, preparing R. Wagner’s ‘Parsifal’. In the same year he was given a priviledge to lead Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra on his graduation concerto. Another special concert took place in September 2011 – Szymon Makowski conducted Orchestra Sinfonica di Sanremo on the 100th birth anniversary of Maestro Franco Ferrara. From 2011 to 2013 Szymon Makowski worked as a first guest conductor of Lublin Musical Theatre and in 2012 he had many performances in Poznan Musical Theatre as well.

During last years he worked with many prestigious orchestras across the Europe – National Symphonic Orchestra of Polish Radio, Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Orchestre National de Lorraine, Prague Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, Regensburg Theater, Orchestre Victor Hugo Franche-Comte, as well as Theatre Regensburg, Orquesta do Algarve, Sofia Festival Orchestra, Orchestra della Fondazione Bulgaria Classic, Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, Sudecka Philharmonic Orchestra in Wałbrzych and Opole Philharmonic Orchestra. He collaborated with many outstanding soloists including Aleksandra Kurzak, Stefan Kocan, Agata Szymczewska and many others.

Apart from his concert activity he took part in various conducting competitions. In 2010 in D. Mitropoulos competition in Athens, Greece, in 2011 in W. Lutoslawski competition in Bialystok, Poland and in 2013 in 52nd International Competition for Young Conductors in Besancon, France – where he reached semifinal stage (last 5). In 2015 he took part in prestigeous Georg Solti competition in Frankfurt am main, where he reached semifinal stage as well.

From september 2016 Szymon Makowski is working as a first guest conductor of the Lower Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra in Jelenia Gora, and after a succesful year in september 2017 became a conductor and orchestra chef in that institution.