Ludovic Van Hellemont *1985 born in Belgium, studied at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel with Jan Michiels, at the Hochschule für Musik Basel with Claudio Martinez Mehner, and at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Edoardo Torbianelli. Since 2017, he has been an important protagonist of the contemporary Swiss music scene as solo pianist of the Basel Sinfonietta and the EPhB, among others. Adorned with a variety of keyboard instruments from the clavichord to the ondes martenot, he takes both a tradition-conscious and an experimental stance. His artistic activity is evidenced by recordings, video productions and extensive concert activity in Europe, Asia and Australia.
Manuel Bärtsch grew up in St.Gallen/CH. He completed his studies at the Musikhochschule Basel in the piano class of Jürg Wyttenbach and in chamber music with Walter Levin and Hatto Beyerle with the soloist diploma with distinction. This was followed by prizes as a chamber musician at international competitions in Stuttgart, Berlin and Graz. As a soloist, he has performed with the Basel Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre National de Lyon, among others. His wide-ranging solo and chamber music repertoire, his collaboration with contemporary composers and his fundamental research on romantic piano playing result in an artistic profile beyond the usual categorizations. Manuel Bärtsch is professor and research lecturer at the Bern University of the Arts.