Renowned for his lyrical expressiveness and technical brilliance, Achilles Liarmakopoulos is one of today’s leading trombone soloists.
After 13 years with the Canadian Brass, he has performed worldwide as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. He is a member of the Athens State Orchestra, performs with Triple Cortado, and appears regularly with Pink Martini, touring extensively throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia.
Achilles holds degrees from the Yale School of Music, Curtis Institute of Music, San Francisco Conservatory, and the Philippos Nakas Conservatory in Athens. He won the position of principal trombone of the Greek Radio Symphony Orchestra and has performed with ensembles including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic, Bern Symphony Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, and European Union Youth Orchestra.
As a recitalist, he has appeared internationally and earned numerous competition prizes, including the Pasadena Showcase House Grand Prize at age 18. His discography includes six solo albums and many recordings with Canadian Brass. In 2013, salsa icon Rubén Blades invited him to perform at Lincoln Center and Madison Square Garden. More than 25 works for trombone have been written and dedicated to him.
©️Niels Ackermann
Johanna Schellenberger is a renowned German concert harpist with an international reputation. She performs in recitals and as a soloist around the world, earning widespread critical acclaim. From 2020 to 2024, she was principal harpist of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, and in 2024 took on the same position with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva.
In her solo and chamber music performances, Johanna is particularly committed to being creatively versatile, aiming to offer her audience a broader musical experience. Her artistic endeavors include musical cabaret and various programs combining acting and dance, showcasing the diversity of her work. She has a special interest in performing music by composers from minority groups, such as the works of female composers Henriette Renié and Germaine Tailleferre. She also enjoys playing pieces that highlight the harp's wide range of tonal colors. Last season, Johanna performed Alberto Ginastera’s eclectic Harp Concerto with the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden at the Semperoper. Passionate about expanding the harp repertoire, she actively collaborates with contemporary composers to create new works for her instrument. Johanna has performed in many of the world's most prestigious concert halls, including the Musikverein in Vienna, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Royal Albert Hall in London, and the Großes Festspielhaus in Salzburg.
©️ Daniel Haeker
Kris Garfitt is first prize winner of the International ARD Music Competition 2022, professor of trombone at the Trossingen University of Music, and principal trombonist of the WDR Symphony Orchestra. At the International ARD Music Competition, he also won the “Audience Prize” and several ‘special prizes’. In addition to his professorship in Trossingen, he is a guest professor of trombone at the Royal College of Music in London.
Kris is very active as a soloist, and over the last two years has performed as a soloist with many renowned orchestras, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the WDR Symphony Orchestra, the DSO Berlin, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Munich Chamber Orchestra…As an orchestral musician he has also performed with many world class ensembles including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic…
In February 2023, together with his duo partner Seri Dan, they released their debut album, Kaleidoscope.
©️Anne Hornemann
Hailing from the north of England, Emily Hoile is an international award winning harpist in demand as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician throughout Europe.
Principal Harp of the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, Emily is frequently invited to perform as guest principal harp with ensembles including the Berlin Philharmonic, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Paris Opera. As a concerto soloist, Emily has had the opportunity to perform with ensembles such as the WDR Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Aachen and Sinfonieorchester Biel-Solothurn. Equally at home on the clarsach (folk harp), Emily has collaborated with artists such as Sting, Kathryn Tickell and Ajimal.
Since 2023, Emily has been Professor of Harp at the Maastricht Conservatory. Her passion for teaching has led her to give masterclasses at institutions such as the Guildhall School, Trinity Laban and Hochschule für Musik Detmold, as well as mentoring harpists at the WDR Symphony Orchestra and Mahler Chamber Orchestra Academies.
A graduate of the Juilliard School and the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne as a student of Nancy Allen and Letizia Belmondo, Emily joined the Karajan Akademie of the Berlin Philharmonic in 2014, studying with Marie-Pierre Langlamet.
Her debut CD ‘Ballade’ was released in April 2021 to critical acclaim.
Pierre Campenon is the winner of the first prize of the IPV International trombone competition saarbrucken 2020 in the category bass trombone. He is currently Solo bass trombone with obligation to 2nd trombone at the Philharmonie Baden Baden where he entered in 2018. He studied at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg, finished his Bachelor in 2017 as well as his Master in 2020 with Fabrice Millischer. He is now assistant professor in bass trombone and orchestra excerpts at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg.
Pierre was born in Paris in 1993 and he studied the trombone from the age of 6 with Fabian Dornic, Eddy Souchoix, Stefan Legée then Philippe Girault as well as Jean Raffard. He then left for Germany to begin his higher study at the Musikhochschule Saarbrucken and then in Freiburg.
With 21 years he got a temporary contract at the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaisersautern, Pierre then worked with several professional orchestras such as the French Nationals Orchestras of Capitole de Toulouse, Lille, Strasbourg and Montpellier, as well as the Deutschen Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Würth Philharmoniker, Stadttheater Orchester Freiburg, Stadttheater Orchester Pforzheim, Insula Orchestra.
In parallel with his orchestral career, he is part of several chamber music projects such as the Millischer Trombone Quartet, Le Dodécabone, as well as his Septet. He also has a great interest in baroque music, he is Barocktrombone player in the Ensemble Réjouissance.
©️Filip Veisman