Julius Berger's WebsiteOne of the eminent European cellists, Julius Berger is the Artistic Director of the international Leopold Mozart competition in Augsburg, and is also the Artistic Director of “Eckelshausen Music Days” and the “Asiago-Festival” in Italy. Since 1989 Julius Berger has been a member of the musical faculty of the Guardini-foundation in Berlin. Born in Augsburg (birthplace of Leopold Mozart), Julius Berger studied at the Musikhochschule of Munich and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, under Antonio Janigro (whose assistant he became from 1979 to 1982), at the University of Cincinnati under Zara Nelsova and in a mastercourse with Mstislav Rostropovich. At 28, Julius Berger was appointed to the Musikhochschule Wuerzburg, one of the youngest professors in Germany. Teaching later in Saarbruecken and Mainz, and since 2000 in Augsburg, he has been dedicated to promoting the top new talents. Since 1992 he has led a class at the international summer academy at the Mozarteum Salzburg. Julius Berger served as a juror at international competitions in Salzburg (Mozart), Kronberg (Casals), Markneukirchen, Munich, Warsaw and many more. He devotes a large part of his international concertizing and recording to the rediscovery of Luigi Boccherini’s complete works. Known for his commitment to contemporary compositions, he released a remarkable CD featuring John Cage, Toshio Hosokawa and Sofia Gubaidulina. Tours and concerts have brought him together — in music and in friendship — with people like Leonard Bernstein, Gidon Kremer, and Olivier Messiaen. Since 1997 Mr. Berger has been an elected member of the central committee of German Catholics. Mr. Berger plays one of the oldest celli in the world, the Violoncello Andrea Amati of the year 1566 – “King Charles IX.”

Hailed as “a virtuoso of fantastic brilliance” and “poetic artist” (Suddeutsche Zeitung) by the international press, Luiza held a scholarship of the Chopin Society Hannover to complete her studies at the Hannover Music Academy, graduating both in Hannover and Bucharest with highest degrees. Luiza Borac performs extensively in Europe and USA where her concerts are broadcast by major radio/TV stations. Luiza caused a critical stir as she was called on short notice to replace the indisposed Sviatoslav Richter during the 1991 Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. That same year she was a prizewinner of the Enescu International Piano Festival and was awarded the Romanian Critics Prize “Young Artist of the Year.” Since, she has won over 30 top prizes and distinctions, including Silver Medal at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, Prix d’Oslo and Audience Prize of Grieg International Piano Competition Oslo, as well as the East & West International Prize for a New York Debut Recital at Carnegie Hall. In 2007, Luiza received the BBC Music Magazine Award for the best solo CD recording of the year, with jury comments like, “Luiza Borac illuminates some extraordinary, richly inventive piano music with subtle but absolute mastery.” As a soloist she has appeared with such orchestras as Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Bucharest and Cologne Radio Orchestras, Utah Symphony Orchestra, and has worked with artists like Vladimir Jurowski, Murray Perahia and Radu Lupu among others. Luiza has released 13 CDs (on Avie records since 2003) to phenomenal reviews and featured covers on Gramophone and Fanfare Magazines. “Borac’s overall mastery is impressive…a pianist of enviable professionalism” — Bryce Morrison, Gramophone. “The pianist makes a cogent argument for the work [Liszt’s Petrarch Sonnet 123] and surpasses many of her colleagues in sustaining interest for all of its 17 minutes.” — American Record Guide.

Her recently released Album of 24 Etudes and Polish Songs by Chopin received a 4 star review in the Times for the “subtlety of touch and phrasing…recording of caressing depth.” Committed to charity, Luiza often performs in concerts for homeless and orphaned children in Romania. She participated in the 1991 UK Tour for Romanian Relief featuring concerts in the Barbican Centre and Coventry Cathedral as well as the 2001 charity event of the German-Lutheran Church Melanchton, both of which directly aided those in her homeland, Romania. This May, Luiza’s new Album FRÜHLINGSGLAUBE (Spring Faith) was released, featuring Piano Transcriptions by Franz Liszt and Sergei Rachmaninoff, works by Mozart, Schubert, Kreisler and Tárrega. Continuing her commitment to charity, the new album is dedicated to the Charity Romanian Project, which supports orphans and street children of Romania. Luiza has strong ties to iPalpiti. Selected as an iPalpiti Soloist in 1999 (when iPalpiti was named Young Artists International), she has continued her relationship with iPalpiti over the years: from iPalpiti performances in France and Switzerland to collaboration with Maestro Schmieder at the Mozarteum, Salzburg.