Turkish pianist and composer Fazıl Say is one of a rare breed of exceptional musicians and crossover artists. He studied the piano in Ankara, Düsseldorf and Berlin. His talent as a composer was promoted early on by his first piano teacher Mithat Fenmen, who encouraged the young Fazıl Say to start his piano practice every day with improvisations on everyday themes.

His piano playing is characterized by virtuosity and temperament, wilfulness and assertiveness, as well as exceptional musicality and a broad musical horizon. His intensive interpretations can sometimes be rather unconventional. His composition style is influenced by a mix of classical and oriental music with elements of jazz.
Fazıl Say won first prize in the Young Concert Artists international auditions in New York. This led to engagements with all the major American and European orchestras and numerous renowned conductors, interpreting a broad repertoire of works ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach via the Classical and Romantic periods to contemporary music, including own compositions for the piano.

He has been ›Artist in Residence‹ at the Konzerthaus Dortmund, the Konzerthaus Berlin, at the Schleswig-Holstein Festival, the Hamburger Elbphilharmonie concerts and the Paris Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.

Kristjan Järvi was born in Tallinn, Estonia. He emigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in New York City. He graduated from Manhattan School of Music as a pianist followed by undertaking conducting studies at the University of Michigan. He began his career as Assistant Conductor to Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Järvi is renowned worldwide for inventive programming and cross-cultural/cross-genre repertoire. Kristjan Järvi holds four principle engagements, including Music Director of the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra; Chief Conductor Gstaad Festival Orchestra; Founder and Music Director Absolute Ensemble; and Founding Conductor Baltic Youth Philharmonic.

Kristjan Järvi has ongoing guest conducting engagements with the London Symphony Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, Bayerische Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, NHK Symphony Japan among many others.

As a recording artist Järvi has more than 30 albums to his credit. He has been honored with a Swedish Grammy for ›Best Opera Performance‹, German Record Critics Prize for ›Best Album‹, a Grammy nomination and a BBC Record Award nomination.