Ensemble São Paulo will play with the candidates of the BNDES International Piano Competition in the chamber music round

May 12, 2012

Formed by musicians  who won winners of the APCA and Carlos Gomes Awards, Ensemble São Paulo faces a busy schedule of presentations  both in Brazil and abroad, with a repertoire ranging from pre-classical to contemporary composers. The trio participates as guest musicians of the 2012 edition of BNDES International Piano Competition of Rio de Janeiro, and will be on stage with the candidates at the BNDES’ Auditorium for the semifinal rounds , on December 3rd and 4th, in order to present quartets by Mozart, Schumann and Brahms.

See below the Ensemble São Paulo members biographies.

BETINA STEGMANN – violin

Buenos Aires-born Betina Stegmann started her violin studies in São Paulo with Lola Benda and then Erich Lehninger. She graduated from the Cologne College of Music in Germany, where she studied violin with Igor Ozim and chamber music with the Amadeus Quartet. Soon afterwards she moved to Tel Aviv, Israel, where she pursued further studies with Chaim Taub, later taking courses with Pinchas Zukerman and Max Rostal. She has performed concertos and recitals in several cities of Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Germany, the USA and Belgium. She has recorded for WDR radio (Germany) and RAI – Trieste (Italy), premiering new music by contemporary composers. Ms. Stegmann has taken part in several festivals in Brazil and abroad and is a member of the D’Elas Quintet, which won the Carlos Gomes Prize for chamber music in 1998. She is the leader of the Villa-Lobos Chamber Orchestra and teaches the violin at Cantareira University. She is also a member of the São Paulo City String Quartet.

MARCELO JAFFÉ – viola

Marcelo Jaffé started playing the violin at the age of six under the guidance of his father, Alberto Jaffé. In 1977, aged 14, he switched to the viola and in this same year he won 1st Prize at the National Competition of the University of Brasilia. After furthering his studies at the University of Illinois and Tanglewood Music Center, both in the USA, he went on to perform in several countries as a member of leading chamber ensembles and orchestras. He has conducted Kamerata Philarmonia and was Artistic Director of the São Paulo State Jazz Symphony Orchestra. He currently lives in São Paulo, where he teaches the viola at the São Paulo University School of Communication and Arts. He is a presenter for Radio Cultura and a member of the São Paulo City String Quartet.

ROBERT SUETHOLZ – cello

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, Roberto Suetholz studied under George Sopkin, founding member of the Fine Arts Quartet, Wolfgang Laufer, currently the cellist with the same quartet, and Uzi Wiesel, cellist with the Tel Aviv String Quartet, Israel. He took master classes with Janos Starker, Isaac Stern and Chaim Taub. In 1997 he gained his Masters in cello under the supervision of Hans Jørgen Jensen, at Northwestern University, Chicago (USA). He has worked with several international orchestras, including the Israel Sinfonietta (three years as lead cellist) and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (USA). He has lived in Brazil since 1985, leading the cello sections of the University of São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia Cultura, the orchestra of Rádio Cultura and TV Cultura. He is professor of cello at the University of São Paulo and a member of the São Paulo City String Quartet.