Various Composers - Dialogue of Distant Echoes (Ionel Ungureanu; Sandro Nebieridze)

Information

• Ernest Bloch - Suite for Viola & Orchestra, B. 41 (Version for Viola & Piano)
• Jaromír Ludvík Hruška - Sonata for Viola & Piano
• Ionel Ungureanu - Tunisian Rhapsody "Tunisico"

Ionel Ungureanu, viola

Sandro Nebieridze, piano

Date: 2025

Label: Genuin

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A shared passion for experimentation and a creative engagement with musical tradition unites the composers and performers featured on this new GENUIN release. Violist Ionel Ungureanu (Principal Violist of the MDR Symphony Orchestra) and pianist-composer Sandro Nebieridze present exciting chamber works by Ernest Bloch and Jaromír Ludvík Hruška. The program includes two 20th-century viola sonatas that explore cultural legacy and global sonic landscapes. The album is further enriched by the performers' own composition, “Tunisian Rhapsody”, which forges a musical bridge between the works of Bloch and Hruška. The result is a multifaceted dialogue of distant echoes—interweaving, inspiring, and transporting the listener into new sonic worlds.

Ionel Ungureanu (b. 1995) is a Romanian-born violist and composer known for blending classical music with folk traditions and improvisation. Beginning violin at age four, he studied in Mannheim and Karlsruhe, where he also composed and co-founded the eclectic band Borsch4Breakfast. Captivated by the viola's sound, he pursued further studies in Munich with Roland Glassl and gained orchestral experience with the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie and WDR Symphony Orchestra. In 2023, he earned third prize and a special award at the ARD Music Competition. Currently principal violist of the MDR Symphony Orchestra and a lecturer in Munich, Ungureanu champions artistic innovation and unconventional concert formats.

Sandro Nebieridze (b. 2001) is a Georgian pianist and composer recognized for his dual artistry and international success. Trained in Tbilisi and currently studying in Munich and Imola with Antti Siirala and Boris Petrushansky, he has won top prizes at competitions such as Astana Piano Passion and the International Grand Piano Competition. His debut album, featuring Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev, earned the Tsinandali Prize and an Opus Klassik nomination. As a composer, his works—ranging from piano concertos to choral pieces—are performed internationally. He has appeared with major orchestras and conductors, and famously substituted for Lang Lang at a ZDF concert.

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