Emerging: Classical musicians on our radar

The Graces Piano Trio

Recently formed The Graces Piano Trio brings together the vibrant personalities of violinist Nata Roinishvili, cellist Silvia Gira, and pianist Salome Jordania. With a shared commitment to excellence, the Graces blends the rich soloist traditions of its members with their passion for chamber music.

The talented trio deepened their knowledge and skills at NSKA academy and recently debuted at the Forbidden Music Regained Festival in Amsterdam where they played Pál Hermann’s Piano Trio, reviving and highlighting the voices of the often-overlooked composer.

The Graces Piano Trio have been guests in NPO Klassiek’s program “De Muziek Fabriek” where they performed their original arrangement of a famous aria by Verdi, moreover, they recently joined Le Dimore Del Quartetto network.

Nata Roinishvili’s musical journey began at the age of four, surrounded by a family of musicians and steeped in the atmosphere of opera houses. By 13, she was already performing major violin concertos with symphony orchestras, including Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D major at the Grand Hall of Tbilisi Conservatory. Her artistic growth continued at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees under esteemed mentors like Ilya Grubert, Kees Koelmans, and Peter Brunt. Nata’s accolades include numerous top prizes at international competitions in Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and beyond.

Silvia Gira is an Italian cellist whose career has spanned a broad repertoire and a global stage. Graduated at the Conservatorio A. Scarlatti in Palermo, she continued her development with cello icons such as Antonio Meneses and Giovanni Sollima at Accademia Chigiana, W. Stauffer and Santa Cecilia. Her work and continuous research in chamber music brought her to perform at major Italian festivals and Theatres, while her performances at the Concertgebouw and Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam cemented her place in the international chamber music scene. Silvia is currently pursuing an advanced degree at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, working with Pieter Wispelwey and Maarten Mostert . Her master’s degree in chamber music, guided by the Trio di Parma, reflects her deep connection to collaborative performance.

Salome Jordania is a Georgian pianist who has graced the stages of some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Berlin Philharmonie, Lincoln Center, and renowned festivals such as Piano aux Jacobins and the Georges Cziffra Festival. As a soloist, she has performed with orchestras like the Georgian Philharmonic, Moscow Virtuosi, and the Orquesta de Valencia. Her career is decorated with top prizes from international competitions, including the IKIF and Jose Iturbi piano competitions. A graduate of The Juilliard School and Yale School of Music, Salome also earned an Artist Diploma from Guildhall School of Music in London, where she received the prestigious Steinway & Sons scholarship. Her critically acclaimed performances balance technical brilliance with emotional depth.

Salome Etter

Salome Etter is a clarinettist and bass clarinettist with a deep passion for chamber music and contemporary classical performance. Her live performances demonstrate an innate ability to have sheer fun whilst keeping an audience gripped with preternatural depth.

Etter holds a Master’s degree in Clarinet from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where she studied under Bart de Kater and Davide Lattuada. Prior to this, she completed her Bachelor’s degree at the Hochschule der Künste Bern, studying with Ernesto Molinari. You could suggest this is where she has finely tuned her melodic intelligence yet Salome is also an active member of several prestigious ensembles and regularly performs with groups that specialize in contemporary classical music.

Salome is a member of Ut Kwintet, a woodwind quintet based in Amsterdam, with which she won First Prize at the Sonus – International Music Competition in Croatia in 2024. She also performs with the intercultural Atlas Ensemble and has appeared with the Trapeze Ensemble at the opening of the Transparent Sound New Music Festival in Budapest. In addition, Salome collaborates with the esteemed Asko| Schönberg Ensemble and with the Swiss chamber orchestra Neue Kurkapelle Baden. Furthermore she is a member of the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra and part of the JongNBE, the Academy of the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble.

Her versatility extends beyond classical music, as she specializes in the traditional way of playing the clarinet in the music of the Balkans. Through her chamber music ensemble, Watergang Kartet, she highlights the relationship between folk and classical music, emphasising the influence these two worlds have had on each other.

Fiona Qiu

From the moment Fiona first picked up a violin at the Shanghai Conservatory’s open day as a child she knew it was the one.

“Music has always been my way of communicating, expressing, and exploring the world. Now, as a violinist, I feel incredibly fortunate to have carved a path that has taken me across continents, performing on some of the most exciting stages and collaborating with inspiring musicians along the way.”

Fiona Qiu love for classical music started at home. Her mum, a piano teacher, played a huge role in shaping Qiu’s musical world with one of her earliest memories is watching Tom and Jerry as a child—completely captivated by the way the music told the comedy without a single word. The humor, the drama, and the energy of the classical scores made it all come to life, and that is when she first realised just how powerful music could be. That early fascination with storytelling through sound has stayed with Fiona ever since.

Qiu is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Violin Performance at the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, under the guidance of Professor Lily Francis. Prior to this, she trained at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) with Professor Sophie Rowell and Dr. Robin Wilson, and before that, at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (QCGU) with Professor Michele Walsh, where she completed my Bachelor of Music with Distinction.

The orchestral journey has been an extraordinary adventure for Qiu allowing her to step into various roles across the globe. In 2025 she will join the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Emerging Artists Program and play with the Morphing Chamber Orchestra based in Vienna.

2025 also marks her involvement in the Hans Zimmer Australian Concerts—an exciting intersection of classical and film music. Previously, she was privileged to be an academist with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra based in Germany, an experience that deepened her love for chamber music within an orchestral setting. Other highlights include performing as a casual musician with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, as well as serving as Concertmaster of the Australian Youth Orchestra – an impressive career so far in the industry.

Beyond orchestral music Fiona Qiu tells us that she has been lucky to explore the chamber music world. From touring Australia with the Alpenrose Trio to performances at the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival and the Peninsula Chamber Music Festival, these experiences have reaffirmed her love for collaborative performances. A special highlight was performing in the 2023 ANAM Quartetthaus program and working closely with the Australian String Quartet as a mentee for their Beethoven Regional Tour.

Fiona Qiu humbly admits to have been incredibly fortunate to receive several awards, including First Prize and the Audience Choice Award at the 23rd Kendall National Violin Competition in Australia, as well as the Ian Potter Cultural Trust Award. These opportunities have provided invaluable support in furthering her studies and artistic development.

Outside of classical music she has had some unexpected but thrilling experiences, such as performing alongside Grammy-winner Michael Bublé on his Australian tour. These moments have broadened a perspective on music and reminded her of the universal power of performance.

Looking ahead, she is keen to keep exploring new opportunities, especially in Europe, working with inspiring musicians and bringing music to different audiences. After graduation in October, Fiona Qiu expects to be auditioning quite frequently for a permanent orchestral position while freelancing and she hopes to continue staying motivated after graduation while being able to play the music she loves, and making real connections—both with fellow musicians and the audience.

Fontana

A lively, energetic and passionate string quartet that has been working together since September 2021. The ensemble consists of violinists Mara Mostert, who has been in the quartet since September 2024, and Caspar Bellamy, violist Elin Haver and cellist Isaac Lottman. They’ve found common ground on both personal and musical level. And, importantly, they have shared ambitions. All four attended the Sweelinck Academy. Now they study at the Amsterdam Conservatory, where they meet for rehearsals and lessons with Dmitri Ferschtman, Judith van Driel and Peter Brunt.  They have since given many performances on TV at Podium Klassiek, recently in the main hall of Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ in Amsterdam and on other beautiful stages throughout the Netherlands. In March 2024, the ensemble partnered with Portuguese soprano Madalena Massano, with whom they toured through Portugal and gave five successful concerts.

Since October 2024, the Fontana Quartet has been affiliated with the NSKA, an academy that guides young ensembles in their learning process and offers many opportunities. Projects in 2025 In their fourth year together as a quartet, Fontana has prepared beautiful music to take to their concerts in 2025; string quartet repertoire by the likes of Schumann, Shostakovich and (from May onwards) Britten. The first performances of this season took place in February, where the quartet performed in Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ in Amsterdam, and the following two weeks in Heemskerk and Alkmaar. Their next public performance is a very exciting one as they will be teaming up with Dudok Quartet Amsterdam, a renowned Dutch string quartet, to play some of the best chamber music ever written; Mendelssohn’s string octet.  They will perform this on the 5th of april in the Noorderkerk in Amsterdam. After this, Fontana will focus again on their own repertoire for their concerts on the 4th, 5th, 11th and 18th of May. See fontanaquartet.com for further information.

All four of the talented group are privileged to have been exposed to classical music for most of their lives. Over the years, musical identities have been forged (and this is of course an ongoing process) by the wonderful artists the group have met and heard, some of which from their own families. Since they first started out as a quartet, Dmitri Ferschtman, who happens to be Mara’s grandfather, has taught and guided them through every piece they have ever took on. It is really special to learn from a musician with so many stories to tell; recently they received lessons from him on the 8th quartet by Shostakovich, a composer that Ferschtman knew personally. Of course all of the group individually have their own specific musicians, ensembles or orchestras that are appealing and inform opinions on how to approach music-making. They have heard live concerts by the very best ensembles, the likes of Cuarteto Casals, Danish String Quartet and Quatuor Ébène and have received very insightful masterclasses from members of Quatuor Ysayë, Quator Danel and Alban Berg Quartet.

They admit that the incredibly rewarding challenge of playing together is finding common ground and reaches a point where the final result is a coherent product of individual opinion, experiences and taste. It is this that gives birth to the talent audiences around the world can come and appreciate live.

Fontana all consider music to be the most beautiful thing on earth, and want to dedicate most of their lives to it. However, this is not without reason. The group were all fortunate to be born into families where musical education is highly valued. Additionally, members of Fontana come from an environment where it was quite normal for children to start playing an instrument. The group say that unfortunately, this is much less the case today in society. Music lessons have become significantly more expensive and it is therefore understandable that children no longer take music lessons. The power of making music together in a group like Fontana is such a valuable experience in life and they would like every child to have this opportunity.

“This is why it is now time for politics to take action, or else orchestras will empty out, and soon, no one will be making music anymore. What a nightmare that would be…”

Furthermore, the group say that at the same time, performing musicians now have the task of showcasing their talents in various ways. Not only through more traditional forms like orchestras or chamber music, but also through crossovers, where we can join forces with visual artists, dancers, actors, singers, and people from other parts of the world who bring their music. Together, they will make it, and Fontana will never stop making music.