Sào Soulez Larivière
Mit Musik - Miteinader
Chamber Music Connects the World
Kronberg Festival, workshop
Kronberg Festival, concert
Kronberg Academy Master with Tabea Zimmermann, funded by the Leber patronage
Franco-Dutch violist Sào Soulez Larivière is quickly building himself a thriving career as a versatile musician. Captivating audiences with his playing and original programming, he endeavours to broaden the accessibility and perception of classical music in our modern world.
He was named as the 2023 'Young Artist of the Year’ by the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA), and was nominated as ‘Rising Star’ by the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO), which will see him perform in Europe’s most prominent concert halls during the 2024/25 season.
These achievements build on his growing international career, propelled by recent competition successes, including first prize at the 2023 Prague Spring International Competition, along with top prizes at the Tokyo, Oskar Nedbal, Max Rostal, Cecil Aronowitz, and Johannes Brahms competitions.
Chamber music has always been at the heart of Sào’s musical upbringing, sharing his love for music with his sister, violinist Cosima Soulez Larivière, with whom he still regularly performs. He is also a member of the Frielinghaus Ensemble, which has released several critically acclaimed albums.
An advocate for expanding the horizons of the viola repertoire, he enjoys arranging works for his instrument as well as promoting contemporary music. Collaborating with renowned composers such as Fazil Say, Thomas Adès, Olli Mustonen and Julia Wolfe has given him the unprecedented opportunity to delve deeper into the creative side of music.
Born in Paris in 1998, Sào began his musical journey playing the violin, and at a young age received a scholarship to study with Natasha Boyarsky at the Yehudi Menuhin School in England. It was there that he discovered the viola through chamber and orchestral music, deciding to fully commit to the instrument in his later school years.
His artistic development has been deeply enriched by working with many distinguised musicians such as Jean Sulem, Nobuko Imai, Antoine Tamestit, Boris Garlitsky, and Steven Isserlis.
Based in Berlin, Sào completed his Bachelor of Music under Tabea Zimmermann at the Hochschule für Musik 'Hanns Eisler'. He earned a Master’s Degree at the Kronberg Academy, where he is currently enrolled in the Professional Studies programme.
Teaching has become a great passion in Sào’s musical life, and he is thrilled to have been appointed professor of viola from autumn 2023 at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg.
He has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the 'Ritter Preis' on behalf of the Oscar and Vera Ritter Foundation and the Fanny Mendelssohn Förderpreis, which enabled him to release his debut album, Impression.
Sào is also a scholarship holder of the Yehudi Menuhin 'Live Music Now' e.V. Berlin, and served as a Classeek Ambassador for the 2023/24 season. He has received generous support from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes and the Villa Musica Rheinland-Pfalz Foundation. For 2024-26, he will participate in the Günther Caspar-Stiftung Career Advancement Programme.
Sào plays a viola made in Montpellier in 2013 by Fréderic Chaudière.
Since 2022, he has been studying at Kronberg Academy with Tabea Zimmermann, funded by the Leber patronage.
Premiere concert with Kirill Gerstein & KronbergYoug Soloists
Participants
- Kirill Gerstein piano
- Inmo Yang violin
- Cosima Soulez Larivière violin
- Dmytro Udovychenko violin
- Sào Soulez Larivière viola
- Samuel Rosenthal viola
- Nicholas Swensen viola
- Bryan Cheng cello
- Oliver Herbert cello
- LiLa cello
Programme
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor Op. 25
Intermission
Piano Quartet No. 2 in A major Op. 26
Intermission
Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor Op. 60
Subject to change.
STEVEN ISSERLIS, VERONIKA EBERLE & FRIENDS I „The young Mendelssohn“
Participants
- Veronika Eberle violin
- Irène Duval violin
- Steven Isserlis cello
- Samuel Rosenthal viola
- Sào Soulez Larivière viola
- Dénes Várjon piano
- Avery Gagliano piano
Programme
Fanny Hensel (1805–1847)
Adagio for violin and piano
Ignaz Moscheles (1794–1870)
Sonata in E major for violoncello and piano op. 121
Intermission
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847)
String Quintett no. 1 A major op. 18
CONCERT PACKAGE AT A SPECIAL PRICE
concert package “Weekend ii” 104 / 76 €
Subject to change.
STEVEN ISSERLIS, VERONIKA EBERLE & FRIENDS III „Mendelssohn and his pupils”
Participants
- Veronika Eberle violin
- Dénes Várjon piano
- Steven Isserlis cello
- Sào Soulez Larivière viola
- Anna Han piano
- Petrit Çeku Gitarre
Programme
Wiliam Sterndale Bennett (1816–1875)
Sonata in A major for piano and violoncello, Op. 32
Niccolò Paganini (1782–1840)
Terzetto in D major for guitar, violin und violoncello, Op. 66
Short intermission
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847)
Piano trio no. 1 in D minor, Op. 49
CONCERT PACKAGE AT A SPECIAL PRICE
concert package “Weekend ii” 104 / 76 €
Subject to change.
CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF & FRIENDS II
Participants
- Christian Tetzlaff violin
- Charlotte Spruit violin
- Julian Rhee violin
- Dmytro Udovychenko violin
- Sào Soulez Larivière viola
- Benjamin Kruithof cello
Programme
Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
Terzetto in C major for two violins and viola, Op. 74
Introduzione · Allegro ma non troppo
Josef Suk (1929–2011)
Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 17
Intermission
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
String Quintet in C major, Op. posth. 163 D 956
Subject to change.
Kronberg Academy on Tour - Carnegie Hall NYC
Participants
- Kirill Gerstein piano
- Cosima Soulez Larivière violin
- Dmytro Udovychenko violin
- Inmo Yang violin
- Sào Soulez Larivière viola
- Samuel Rosenthal viola
- Bryan Cheng cello
- Oliver Herbert cello
- LiLa cello
Programme