The paul taylor orCHestra was established in 2007 by Paul Wegman Taylor, Sirkka Varonen and Daniel Treyer. The ensemble is centred around a number of eminent professional string instrumentalists who, in collaboration with their conductor, set out to achieve a sound, that unostentatiously, pliably and sometimes even radically serves the original musical style and projects the character of each piece.
The paul taylor orCHestra aims to bridge the gap between different cultures and musical genres and focuses on exploring, in the broadest sense, the boundaries between classical and contemporary music, venturing as far as the poles of folk, jazz and pop. The concert program Die Liebenden (the lovers) in 2007-2008 comprised works for strings by Sibelius, Schoenberg and Adams as well as texts and poetry, culminated in a CD recorded live in concert. Rhythm & Romance with the cello soloist Thomas Grossenbacher was premiered in autumn 2014. Gold & Silk, modern and jazz music for horn and strings with the extraordinary Russian horn soloist, Arkady Shilkloper starts in the fall of 2015.

Ramón Ortega Queroreceived solid training from Miguel Quirós early on at the conservatory of his native city of Granada.Quero became a member of the Andalusian Youth Orchestra as a twelve-year-old.In 2003, the oboist cleared an important hurdle when conductor Daniel Barenboim accepted him as a member of the East-West Divan Orchestra. Since joining the orchestra, Ramón Ortega Quero has remained an enthusiastic member in rehearsal and at many concert appearances. Gregor Witt, Principal Oboe of Barenboim’s Berliner Staatskapelle, took the gifted young man under his wing and act as a mentor in his artistic development.

One of Ramón Ortega Quero’s finest hours was winning First Prize at the ARD Music Competition held in Munich in September 2007.Members of the jury were thoroughly impressed by the inspiration and flawless play of the prize-winning soloist in both compulsory and optional pieces, including the Mozart and Richard Strauss concertos.
Since Spring 2008, he has also been Principal Oboe of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under its Principal Conductor Mariss Jansons.
The ARD Competition has paved the way for Ramón Ortega Quero as a soloist – now he will cut his own path. During the past seasons he appeared, among others, with the orchestras in Madrid, Basel, Hamburg, Zurich, St. Petersburg and Leipzig as well as with changing chamber music partners (Elena Bashkirova, Kit Armstrong, Peter Kofler), in the concert series of Frankfurt, Berlin, Hanover, Valencia, Cologne, Vancouver and at the international festivals in Gstaad, Jerusalem, the Heidelberger Frühling, the Lucerne Festival, the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Rheingau Musikfestival.
The 2010/11 season was be highly effected by his nomination as a “Rising Star”by the “European Concert Hall Organisation”, which lead him to the most important concert halls in Europe (Brussels, Luxembourg, Vienna, Salzburg, Hamburg, Amsterdam). Other engagements for the young Spaniard will be in Berlin (Konzerthausorchester), Sao Paulo (OSP), Munich, London, Madrid, Barcelona and Athens.

In 2011 he received the ECHO Klassik Award in the category “New Artist” for the Solo Musica Album “Shadows”

Ramón Ortega Quero is a fellowship award-winner of the Borletti Buitoni Trust London.

Christiane Oelze´s wonderful soprano voice and sophisticated technique guarantees her success with both audience and critics in roles as different as the Countess in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Mélisande from Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. She has appeared at some of the most prestigious opera temples including Bavarian State Opera Munich, Royal Opera House Covent Garden London, Glyndebourne Festival, Hamburg State Opera, Salzburg Festival and Opéra National de Paris.
In concert Christiane Oelze performs in the important concert halls and festivals worldwide with today´s most imminent conductors including Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez, Herbert Blomstedt, Riccardo Chailly, Christoph von Dohnányi, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Michael Gielen, Carlo Maria Giulini, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Christopher Hogwood, Marek Janowski, Fabio Luisi, Sir Neville Marriner, Kurt Masur, Kent Nagano und Sir Simon Rattle.

2010 Christiane Oelze has performed Strauss´ „Vier letzte Lieder“ (Israel Philharmonic/Christoph von Dohnányi), Tippetts „Child of our Time“ (SWR Sinfonieorchester/Sir Roger Norrington), Strauss orchestral songs (tour with Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden/Neeme Järvi), Gustav Mahlers Fourth
Symphony at Festival St. Denis (Orchestre National de France/Daniele Gatti) and at Schleswig Holstein Musikfestival, Budapest and Grafenegg (NDR Sinfonieorchester/ Christoph Eschenbach), Gustav Mahlers Second Symphony in Cologne (Gürzenich-Orchester/Markus Stenz) and Brahms Requiem in Paris (Orchestre National de France/Hartmut Haenchen).

2011  concerts with Dresdner Philharmonie and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos („Brahms-Requiem“), Bamberger Symphoniker and Christoph Eschenbach (Beethoven „Missa Solemnis“), Residentie Orkest Den Haag and Jun Märkl („Mahler 4“), Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France and Pablo Heras-Casado (Berg „Altenberglieder“), Düsseldorfer Symphoniker and Andrey Boreyko (Mahler „Wunderhorn“), Gürzenich-Orchester Köln and Markus Stenz („Mahler 8”),
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and Riccardo Chailly („Beethoven 9“ in Wien, Paris and London), and a South-America orchestra tour accompanied by Münchner Kammerorchester.

Her discography reflects both her wide opera and concert repertoire, with particular emphasis on Mozart and 20th century music (including cantatas by Anton Webern under Pierre Boulez for Deutsche Grammophon). Her latest recital CD, featuring ‘Forbidden Songs’ by German composers in exile (Ullmann, Korngold, Eisler and Weill), has received great critical acclaim. Recent recordings include Gurlitt’s „Vier dramatische Gesänge“ with the Berlin Radio Symphony as well as Ernest
Bloch’s 2 psalms with the Deutsche Symphony Orchestra Berlin under Steven Sloane, released by Phoenix.

Born in Cologne, Christiane Oelze studied with Klesie Kelly-Moog at the Cologne College of Music, with Erna Westenberger in Frankfurt, and with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in private masterclasses.

From 2003 until 2008 Christiane Oelze taught at the Robert-Schumann-Hochschule in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Young, vibrant cellist YuJeong Lee is emerging as a dynamic presence on the international concert stage and is one of the most sought-out Korean cellists of her generation. Ms. Lee’s warm, lush tone, tremendous musical sensitivity and adventurous performances have earned plaudits from audiences, critics, competition juries alike.

Having started playing the cello at the age of nine, YuJeong Lee has pursued her musical studies internationally at Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris (entering at the age of 15), Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles, and has graduated from The Juilliard School by completing Professional Studies where she was a recipient of Genevieve Hustead scholarship.
Ms. Lee gave her debut recital at the age of 13 in Sejong Hall in Seoul, Korea and has been performing extensively in Korea, Europe and the U.S. performing recitals in Belgium, Holland, Italy, France, and in New York in many prestigious halls such as the Kumho Art Hall (Korea), Kauffmann Hall (Belgium), Royal Academy of London (UK), American-Irish Society of NY (USA), Harvard Club of New York (USA), as well as invitations from the Swiss Embassy, American Embassy of Korea, Korean Music Society in Washington D.C., and consistent appearances at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall, Recital Hall and IBK Chamber Hall.

She has performed chamber music concerts at Seiji Ozawa Hall of Tanglewood Music Festival (USA), Cite de la Musique (Paris, France), Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center (NY, USA), Juilliard Paul Hall (NY, USA), Franz Liszt Academy at Y.E.S. Music Festival (Budapest, Hungary), Siena Accademia Chigiana (Siena, Italy), Encore Summer School (USA), Sarasota Music Festival (USA), Lindenbaum Festival (Korea) and as an active chamber and ensemble musician, has collaborated with groups such as Ensemble Nouvelle Generation de Paris, Hwaum Chamber Ensemble, Korea Chamber Orchestra, Seoul Spring Chamber Music Festival Ensemble, and Lindenbaum Festival Ensemble. Her performances have been heard on TBS, KBS FM and WQXR.
Lynn Harrell, one of the most respected cellists in the world today, expresses his ardent support of Ms. Lee, who he affirms that she is “undoubtedly a cellist of extraordinary ability” and “without a doubt one of the very few cellists performing at the highest echelon in the field of music”. 
Her numerous competition awards include Tchaikovsky International Competition for Young Musicians (finalist, special prize winner at Sendai, Japan), Ewha, Dong-Ah, Joong-Ang, Korea Music Competition, Holland-America Music Society Competition, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Competition and has studied with cellists Mischa Maisky, Philippe Muller, Myung Wha Chung, Richard Aaron, Joel Krosnick and through masterclasses with Frans Helmerson and Boris Pergamenschikow. 

In addition to her concerts as soloist and chamber musician, in 2009, Ms. Lee has joined the faculty of Seoul Arts Center Academy for Young Musicians.
“Strad”, the internationally acclaimed music magazine described as ‘sensitive, flawless, dynamic’ on her performance of Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations with Kangnam Symphony Orchestra with conductor Hyun-Suk Suh at Seoul Arts Center. 

Ms. Lee’s engagements of past seasons have included solo appearances with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock, Kanezawa Orchestra Ensemble of Japan, Sendai Philharmonic, Wartburg Symphony, Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, many of Korea’s leading orchestras such as the Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra, Changwon Philharmonic, Daegu Philharmonic, Prime Philharmonic, Kangnam Symphony Orchestra, Wonju Philharmonic, Mokpo Philharmonic, Changwon Symphonietta, Gwangju Philharmonic, as well as numerous reinvitations, performing with maestros such as Mishiyoshi Inoue, Vahktang Jordania, Jose Ferreira Lobo, Shinik Hahm, Hyun-Suk Seo, Bong Kim, Yoon-Sung Chang, Florian Krumpoeck, Perry So.

“YuJeong Lee demonstrated tremendous musical integrity and technical command.  Ms. Lee showed great insight in her soulful performance of the Elgar Concerto, capturing the work’s essence with absolutely no excess affectation.”  
- Korea Daily News 

“YuJeong Lee’s performance of Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations was excellent, showcasing her extraordinary technique and remarquable intonation.” 
- Joong Ang Daily News 

“YuJeong Lee’s interpretation of Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations Op. 33 showed technical flawlessness, rich sound and rational ways of phrasings, all which generated the performance into a success.”
- The Strad

Miku Nishimoto-Neubert received a thorough musical education at the State Conservatoire of Tokyo. She completed her piano studies at the Conservatoire for Music and Theatre in Hanover, where her mentor was Professor Karl-Heinz Kaemmerling. She received further artistic impulses through working with of Conrad Hansen, Germaine Mounier and, finally, Klaus Schilde.

She won prizes at piano competitions, among others, at Porto, Vevey and at the renowned Bach competition in Leipzig. Since then Miku Nishimoto-Neubert has made frequent appearances in Europe, Japan and North America, both as soloist and as accompanist. Her solo repertoire embraces all genres of piano music; her priority lies in the music of Bach, the German
Romantic repertoire and in modern classics.

Besides her fine sense of rhythm is a clear, impulsive tone quality, which makes her playing so engaging and exciting. In addition to carefully chosen tempi she achieves a structural clarity, enabling the listener to experience the music as a dramatic vision. Thanks to an exceptional technical versatility her approach to the works she performs remains respectful in regard of textual detail. Miku Nishimoto-Neubert aims for an intensely spiritual approach to the music, elevating her interpretations to something out of the ordinary.

Miku Nishimoto-Neubert is rightly regarded as an “outstanding Bach soloist”. In order to identify with the complex and differentiated sound-world of Bach, she has, in the past years, made his works something of her own. In her many new Bach interpretations, his best-known works appear as new.

Her playing draws its strength and vitality from a consistent identification with the structural and spiritual demands of Bach’s music. These can be transmitted to the discerning listener only through an open approach and a consistent re-appraisal of one’s own mental and technical resources.

Miku Nishimoto-Neubert is on the faculty for Piano Accompaniment at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich.

The Russian pianist delights audiences in the concert halls of Russia, Spain, France and Germany with her emotional approach, colourful interpretations and passion. She is a welcome guest at many international music festivals.

Natalia Nikolai was born in a small village in the Volgograd region, some 1,300 km south of Moscow. Like her virtuoso accordionist father, she also had a passion for keyboard instruments. When her father noticed that the little Natalia kept on trying to play his accordion, he decided to enable her to receive pianistic training at a music school. The family moved to the nearby town of Kotelnikovo, where Natalia graduated with distinction from the music school at the early age of twelve.

After winning the southern Russian competition for young musicians, she continued her studies at the local music college, from which she also graduated with distinction. Natalia won prizes for the best artistic presentation and virtuoso playing during that period.

In 1987 Natalia Nikolai began comprehensive studies in piano and music education with the acclaimed Prof. Evgeny Liebermann at the famous Gnesin Conservatory in Moscow, from which she graduated most successfully as a solo and chamber pianist. Natalia Nikolai then studied further with the world-famous Prof. Oleg Maisenberg at the College of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart in Germany. He later wrote thus: “To my mind, Natalia Nikolai is an exceptional pianist with great expressive power. She belongs in the major concert venues.”

The CD she recorded in Germany with works by Skrjabin, Rachmaninov and Liszt was praised by the recognized critic Dr. Eckhardt van den Hoogen, Pro Classics: “… this artist is itinerant, like the objects of her musical passions, so it is no wonder that in her programme selection as well as in her interpretations she betrays a degree of inner feeling that is possessed only by great pianists.”

Wilhelm Riekert, long-time friend of the world-famous pianist Wilhelm Kempff and reviewer of important pianistic events in all of Europe as music critic for the Stuttgarter Zeitung for more than thirty years, wrote: “So involved was I by the expressiveness of her performance that fine electrical charges sparked over to me; a performance in which fundamental and highly differentiated musicality fused into a perfect whole.”