For decades, Elisabeth Leonskaya has been one of the most celebrated pianists of our time. While still a student, she won a number of international piano competitions including the Enescu, the Marguerite Long and the Queen Elizabeth. Her musical development was unmistakably shaped by her collaboration and friendship with Sviatoslav Richter.

Elisabeth Leonskaya left the Soviet Union in 1978 and made her home in Vienna. Since then, she has performed as soloist with almost all of the first-class orchestras in the world. She makes regular appearances at festivals in Vienna, Schleswig Holstein, Schwarzenberg and Hohenems. With her solo recitals she also features in the piano series at the great musical centres – from Paris and Vienna to Tokyo. Despite all her solo activities, chamber music still retains an important place in her work.

In her adopted home of Austria, this pianist is an honorary member of the Vienna Konzerthaus. In 2006, Elisabeth Leonskaya was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour, First Class, for Science and Arts. In 2016 in Georgia, she was appointed Priestess of Art, the country’s highest artistic award. In 2020 she was awarded the International Classical Music Award for her life’s achievement. Her numerous recordings are also testament to her outstanding artistic success. Her highly acclaimed album of Mozart sonatas was released in February 2022.

»…talent of the century«, so described the Tagesspiegel Tarmo Peltokoski. This Finnish conductor was appointed ›Principal Guest Conductor‹ by the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen in January 2022 – the first conductor to hold this position.

In recent seasons, Peltokoski has debuted at many major festivals, including the Rheingau Music Festival and the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, as well as in the great concert halls such as the Köln Philharmonie and the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. In addition, he has given debuts with the hr-Sinfonieorchester and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. At just 22, Peltokoski conducted his first complete Ring Cycle as well as another significant Wagner work – Tristan und Isolde – at the Eurajoki Bel Canto Festival. In the same year, he was also appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonisch Orkest, Musical and Artistic Director of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Designate of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.

Tarmo Peltokoski conducted the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the Hollywood Bowl. In 2023 Tarmo Peltokoski was awarded the OPUS Klassik for his recording with the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen. In addition to piano and conducting, Peltokoski also studied composition and arranging and has a particular penchant for musical comedy and improvisation.