JAKOB KORANYI
CELLOJAKOB KORANYI
CELLO
ABOUT
Swedish cellist Jakob Koranyi has firmly established himself on the classical music scene as one of Europe’s most interesting young soloists. Acclaimed for his commanding virtuosity, delicate sound and passion for diverse and innovative programmes, he has toured Europe extensively, performing in recital as well as a soloist in Vienna, Cologne, Hamburg, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Stockholm and Luxembourg to name a few. Koranyi is a staunch advocate for all matters concerning the negative effects of climate change, which has led him to make the decision to avoid all fossil fuelled journeys, and to instead travel to his engagements using solely trains, electric car and bicycle. His views on sustainability have been highly regarded by orchestras, who support and respect his efforts to reduce his carbon footprint.
Koranyi has an extensive repertoire and whist he keeps up the traditional cello works, he has also performed premieres of Julia Wolfe’s new concerto at the Amsterdam Cello Biennale, Schnelzer’s ‘Crazy Diamond’ Concerto and Andrea Tarrodi’s ‘Highland Concerto’, which she dedicated to Koranyi, and who he will be working with again on another newly composed cello concerto.
Recent highlights saw Koranyi perform the Dvorak concerto with The Halle in Manchester, return to Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra to showcase Andrea Tarrodi’s Cello Concerto and to Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra for a performance of Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Conertante conducted by Jonathon Heyward. He also toured Brussels with the Flanders Symphony performing Haydn’s Cello Concerto no.
A keen chamber musician has seen Koranyi perform Bach’s Cello Suites nos. 1 and 5 at the Helsingborgs Konserthus in association with Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, his return to a number of festivals including the Kammermusikkforening Festival Alta in Norway, the Festival Piano Biennale in The Netherlands, the Delft Chamber Music Festival and the Rovigo Cello City Festival.
Koranyi collaborates with distinguished musicians such as Elisabeth Leonskaja, Liza Ferschtman, Yura Lee, Simon Crawford-Phillips and Juho Pohjonen and has appeared in chamber music concerts alongside such international stars as Vilde Frang, Yuri Bashmet, Kirill Troussov, Kim Kashkashian, Leonidas Kavakos, Misha Maisky, Daniel Hope, Martin Fröst, Lawrence Power, Julian Rachlin and Denis Kozukhin. Each season Koranyi enjoys multiple festival appearances, which have included the Cleveland Chamber Festival, Kempten Festival at Dijon, Verbier Festival, Schloss Elmau, the Amsterdam Cello Biennale, Zutphen Cello Festival, Delft Chamber Music Festival, Peamarsh Chamber Music Festival, Danish String Quartet Festival, concerts at the International Chamber Music Festival in Stavanger, Martin Fröst’s Vinterfest and the Båstad and Gotland Chamber Music festivals. He is also a regular performer with the Chamber Music Society of the Lincoln Center in New York.
Orchestral highlights have included performances with the Stockholm Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony, Orchestre de Paris, Weimar Staatskapelle, Arctic Philharmonic, Northern Sinfonia Gateshead, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Uppsala Chamber Orchestra, Filharmonia Veneta, Gothenburg, Malmö, Helsingborg and Norrköping Symphony Orchestras, working with conductors such as Lionel Bringuier, Susanna Mälkki, Marc Soustrot, Joana Carneiro, Okku Kamu, Eiji Oue, Michael Francis, Krzysztof Urbański, Yordan Kamdzhalov, Stefan Solyom, Thomas Söndergaard, Jaime Martin, Yan Pascal Tortelier and Christian Lindberg.
Koranyi was a Rising Star of the European Concert Hall Organization was also awarded the Norwegian Soloist Prize. An earlier recipient of numerous awards from international festivals and foundations such as Le Prix d’Honneur and Ferminich Prize from the Verbier Festival, in 2009 Koranyi received the 2nd Grand Prix at the Rostropovich Competition in Paris.
While still a student, Koranyi won first prizes in national music competitions in Sweden, most notably the prestigious Soloist Prize awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Part of the award was the recording and release of his critically acclaimed recital CD “Jakob Koranyi, cello” featuring works by Britten, Ligeti and Brahms. On the strength of this recording he was labelled “a force to be reckoned with” by The Strad Magazine. Koranyi plays on a Joseph Gratiani cello built 1756 in Genoa.
RECENT PRAISE
Sydsvenskan
Matti Edén
In my twenty years as a critic I have never struggled more for words. I am overwhelmed. I cling on to facts to avoid falling over. Jakob Koranyi has a rare simplicity in his musicianship. His playing is light, and he avoids unnecessary vibrato. He does not allow tones to glide in to each other with emotions as the excuse. Rhythm and pulse are important. This approach may be called correct in this style, and forms a base for what I call purity. But at the same time, talking about style feels petty after this concert. Koranyis playing is personal, but also so much more than personal. He never exaggerates anything, my impression is that he – rather than loading Bach with emotion – opens himself up and becomes a link between the composer and the present. The feather light touch bears an immense force. How can a simply natural flow encompass so many vital details?
MLIVE
Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk
Koranyi played elegantly, with carefully considered note placement, drawing subtle emotions out of the score… it was a disappointment [the performance] ended so soon.
STRAD MAGAZINE
A force to be reckoned with.
DN SWEDEN
Nicholas Ringskog Ferrada-Noli
The highlight of the night was Jakob Koranyi’s performance of Shostakovich’s first cello concerto. Koranyi’s pitch-perfect playing can be described as soft and weightless. His interpretation brought new dimensions to the music. The great interplay between the soloist and the conductor led to a magnificent performance.
NEWS
Jakob Koranyi Talks About Sustainability in Music Festivals with the European Broadcast Union – 8 June 2022
Cellist Jakob Koranyi will feature in a European Broadcast Union podcast on the 8 June at 15:30 CEST, talking about being the co-founder of Järna Festival Academy and the importance of sustainability in music festivals. The online panel discussion, hosted by BBC Radio 3 presenter Fiona Talkington, focuses on how sustainable music
Watch Jakob Koranyi’s Music for Galway’s Cellissimo Festival Recital on 26 March
Jakob Koranyi kicks off Music for Galway’s Cellissimo Festival’s Bach Cello Suite series on 26 March. As part of this year’s virtual festival, artists will be performing one suite each night, followed by companion works they have chosen to complete the programme. In addition to Bach’s 1st Cello Suite, Jakob will perform Saariaho’s Sept
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