»It seems as if Sharon Kam has transformed her instrument into a human voice«, writes Peter Buske in the ›Potsdamer Neuesten Nachrichten‹ about this much sought-after clarinettist who appears with the world’s major orchestras in the USA, Europe and Japan. From the very beginning of her career, Mozart’s two masterpieces for the clarinet have been an essential part of Sharon Kam’s artistic work: at the age of 16, she played Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in her orchestral debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta. On Mozart’s 250th birthday, she played the clarinet concerto at the Estates Theatre in Prague, which was broadcast on live television to 33 countries.

Her numerous recordings also confirm that Sharon Kam is equally at home in classical, modern and jazz music. Her commitment to contemporary music is evident in numerous world premieres, including Krzysztof Penderecki’s Clarinet Concerto and Quartet as well as clarinet concertos by Herbert Willi, Iván Erőd and Peter Ruzicka. Sharon Kam is also a regular guest at major festivals from Schleswig-Holstein to Verbier. This clarinettist is also in demand internationally as an enthusiastic chamber musician and works with artist friends such as Julian Steckel, Christian Tetzlaff and many others. Sharon Kam has won several awards, including the Echo Klassik twice as ›Instrumentalist of the Year‹ and the German Record Critics‘ Award.

In recent years, Duncan Ward has established himself as one of the most exciting and versatile conductors of his generation, whose lively interpretations of the classical repertoire are praised as much as his interpretations of 20th century masterpieces. He has been chief conductor of the Philzuid (South Netherlands Philharmonic) since 2021. He also regularly conducts orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the Finnish Radio Symphony and other renowned orchestras. His great passion for a very wide-ranging repertoire also leads to collaborations with ensembles for historical instruments such as Les Siècles or Balthasar Neumann as well as with specialists for contemporary music such as the Ensemble Modern or the Ensemble Intercontemporain.

The current season’s symphonic highlights include debuts with the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Osaka Philharmonic, Orchestre Symphonique du Quebec and the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra. In 2022, the conductor made his North American debut at the Metropolitan Opera with Mozart’s ›Die Zauberflöte‹. Duncan Ward opened the 2024/25 season with a critically acclaimed debut at the English National Opera and a new production of Britten’s ›Turn of the Screw‹. Since his youth, this versatile musician has been involved in many international social projects, including in India and South Africa. He has maintained a close relationship with the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen for many years.