Alexander Dimitrov / Violoncello // Tamara Elizbarashvili / Klavier

In the organizer's words:

ISLAND
Alexander Dimitrov / violoncello // Tamara Elizbarashvili / piano
INSEL Musiksalon / Music and more
Sunday / June 28, 2026 / 6 pm (admission: 5:30 pm)
Admission: 12/6 (advance booking) and 14/8 (B.O.)

Free admission for visitors under the age of 21. Please send us a short message to post@insel.news if you are interested.

Alexander Dimitrov / Violoncello
Tamara Elizbarashvili, piano

The INSEL Musiksalon, curated by pianist Mark Kantorovic, revives an old idea. Musicians from classical to contemporary music play and sing on the INSEL and talk about their music. Always on Sundays. The bar is open. We listen.

PROGRAM:
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata for violoncello and piano No. 5 in D major op. 102 No. 2

Franz Schubert
Arpeggione Sonata in A minor D 821

Intermission

Dmitri Kabalevsky
Sonata for violoncello and piano

Lukas Foss
Capriccio

Alexander Dimitrov was born in Pleven in 1993. He received his first cello lessons at the age of seven and completed his training at the NUI "P. Pipkov" in Pleven with distinction.
Today Alexander is one of the most promising cellists of his generation and inspires as a soloist with extraordinary virtuosity, tonal refinement and deeply felt musicality. His repertoire encompasses a broad spectrum of important cello concertos, including works by Shostakovich, Dvořák, Prokofiev, Schumann, Haydn, Gulda and Vasks as well as Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations.
His artistic career has taken him to renowned festivals such as the Beethovenfest, the BBC Proms and the Cello Biennale in Amsterdam, where he has impressively demonstrated his skills on international stages.
In collaboration with outstanding soloists, conductors and composers, Alexander has performed in some of the world's most important concert halls, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall in New York and the Royal Albert Hall in London.
He completed his musical education with a Master of Music (cum laude) and a Bachelor of Music at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf. He also completed the Artist Diploma Program (concert exam) at the University of Münster, where he graduated summa cum laude.
Renowned professors such as Stefan Popov played a decisive role in his musical development. He also attended masterclasses with internationally acclaimed cellists such as Frans Helmerson, Daniel Müller-Schott, Antonio Meneses and David Geringas, who attested to his "exceptional musical and artistic abilities". Wolfgang Boettcher also praised him as a "brilliant cellist with excellent technique, a beautiful sound and great expressiveness".
Alexander has received numerous prizes and awards for his artistic achievements, including the Dörken Foundation Solo Award and the Konzertleben e.V. Berlin scholarship. As a prizewinner of the Sinfonima Foundation Competition and multiple winner of first prizes at national and international competitions, he impressively underlines his outstanding ability. He is also a jury member at the "Jugend musiziert" competition and is involved in promoting young talent.
His artistic work has been documented in radio recordings and broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, BNR, RBB Radio and SWR2, among others.
He plays a violoncello by P. A. Testore (around 1740), generously made available to him by an anonymous sponsor.

The Georgian-German pianist Tamara Elizbarashvili gave her first public concert with orchestra at the age of six. After completing her soloist master's degree at the State V. Sarajishvili Conservatory in Tbilisi and the Prince Claus Conservatoire in the Netherlands, she moved to Germany, where she studied chamber music at the Folkwang University of the Arts.
Elizbarashvili has won prizes at numerous national and international competitions and festivals. These include the Klaas Dijstra Prize at the Peter de Grote Festival in the Netherlands, a special prize from the Portuguese radio station Antena 2 at the SIPO International Festival in Portugal and second prize at the A. Khachaturian International Piano Competition. She also received a special prize from the Moscow P. Tchaikovsky Conservatory for the best interpretation of a piano sonata by Prokofiev.
In addition to her solo performances, she is active as a chamber musician with numerous concerts throughout Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, Portugal and in her native Georgia. She regularly takes part in international master classes and festivals worldwide as a répétiteur.
Her concerts have been broadcast by the Portuguese radio station Antena 2 and the German station WDR 3. Since 2019, Tamara Elizbarashvili has been working as a répétiteur at the Robert Schumann University in Düsseldorf.

An event of the INSEL. With the kind support of Knipex, the Kalkwerke Oetelshofen Foundation and the Werner Richard - Dr. Carl Dörken Foundation.

Price information:

Admission: 12/6 (VVK) and 14/8 (B.O.) Free admission for visitors under the age of 21. If you are interested, please send us a short message to post@insel.news.