PRESSLER MLEJNIK-ŽELEZNIK VOLKOV (Slovenia, Germany, Russia)

Nicole Pressler, flute
Ana Julija Mlejnik Železnik, violin
Aleksander Volkov, organ

Programme:

Arvo Pärt (1935), Fratres 

Alojz Ajdič (1939), Zvočni pejsaž (Sound Landscape)

Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992), L’Ascension
II Alléluias sereins
III Transports de joie

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714—1788), Trio Sonata in B-flat major, H. 578 

François Borne (1840—1920), Fantaisie brillante sur “Carmen” 

Franz Schmidt (1874—1939), Toccata in C major 

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835—1921), Fantaisie No. 2 in D-flat major, Op. 101
I. Andantino
II. Andante
III. Allegro

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), St Matthew Passion, BWV 244
“Erbarme dich” aria adapted for flute, violin, organ

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756—1791), Church Sonata in D major, K. 245

German-born flautist Nicole Pressler graduated from the prestigious Mozarteum in Salzburg. She won first and second places at several international competitions. Between 1999 and 2000, she was the principal flautist at the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra under the baton of the noted conductor Daniel Barenboim. Her collaborations with multiple world-renowned orchestras and conductors (James Levine, Charles Dutoit, Dmitrij Kitajenko) bewitched audiences in Paris, London, Rome, Milan, Vienna, Washington, St Petersburg, Peking, and Shanghai. She participated in various chamber music festivals alongside exceptional musicians, such as Natalia Gutmann and Yo-Yo Ma. In 2008 she accepted the position of principal flautist at the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and remained with them until 2020. Today she lives and teaches in Slovenia while playing in various chamber ensembles.

Internationally acclaimed musician Ana Julija Mlejnik Železnik played solo violin in London, Paris, Tokyo, Brussels, Ancona, Toronto, and Ljubljana. With the Police Orchestra she performed for Their Majesties Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, during their 2008 visit to Slovenia. Having performed in the Great Hall of the Slovenian Philharmonic, she has shared the spotlight with many great musicians since. In December 2018, she became an assistant professor at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. She is also the artistic director of the chamber music festival Loka da Camera in Škofja Loka.

Born in the city of Glazov in 2003, organist Aleksander Volkov graduated with honors from the M.I. Glinka Choir School in St. Petersburg in organ, piano, vocals, and conducting. He then set his sights on the Berlin University of the Arts, where he began studying organ in 2022 under the tutelage of Professor Paolo Krivellaro. In spite of his young age, Alexander has already won several awards at various organ competitions and festivals, including the “Second All-Russian Youth Organist Competition” in Saratov in 2021, and the “2021 VIVAT MUSICA” competition in Moscow. Alexander’s masterful technique and emotive interpretation have captivated audiences in cathedrals and concert halls across Russia, Slovenia, Finland, and Germany.

In collaboration with KD Lumen