LANA KUŠČER AND DIEGO CAETANO (Brazil, Slovenia / USA)
Lana Kuščer, flute
Diego Caetano, piano
Programme:
Francis Poulenc (1899—1963), Sonata for Flute and Piano
Francis Poulenc, Troisième Intermezzo in A-flat major
Cécile Chaminade (1857—1944), Arabesque, Op. 61
Gabriel Pierné (1863—1937), Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 36
François Borne (1840–1920), Carmen Fantasy for Flute and Piano
Lana Kuščer is an accomplished Slovenian flautist based in the USA. As a concerto soloist, she has performed at such renowned places as Carnegie Hall in New York City, Boston Symphony Hall and Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Moreover, she has given solo recitals throughout Europe, the United States and Asia, most notably at the British Houses of Parliament and Palácio Foz in Lisbon. She performed Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto at the Sarasota Music Festival, and was a featured artist at Festival ARTIS, London August Music Festival, Shanghai Conservatory Jazz Music Season, and as contemporary chamber musician at Opus XXI Festival in France and Germany. She is the co-founder of the Live!Again concert series in Dallas, Texas. Recently, Kuščer joined Sam Houston State University as the Flute Professor. She is also a member of Richardson Symphony Orchestra, having previously played in Orchester Jakobsplatz München, Classical Concert Chamber Orchestra, and having collaborated with London Symphony Orchestra and English National Opera. She has won prizes at Elise Meyer Competition (Germany), Euritmia (Italy), TEMSIG (Slovenia), UNT Concerto Competition and the 2019 National Presser Foundation Music Award (USA).
The Brazilian-American pianist Diego Caetano has performed widely as a soloist and chamber musician in the USA, Brazil, Chile, Europe, Asia and Africa, including performances at Carnegie Hall, Philia Hall in Yokohama, Palácio Foz in Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro’s Sala Cecília Meireles, and Royal Albert Hall in London. Caetano has won top prizes in more than fifty national and international piano competitions. He has frequently served as a masterclass clinician and competition adjudicator at various universities and conservatories around the globe and has presented at several national and international conferences on pedagogical works by Brazilian composers, effective practicing techniques and performance anxiety. He is also a Professor of Piano at Sam Houston State University and a Shigeru Kawai Artist. His students achieve outstanding results at competitions worldwide. He has recently released a CD called French Connection: Violin Sonatas of the 20th Century with violinist Evgeny Zvonnikov for the Italian-Japanese DaVinci Classics label. He is the co-founder and Artistic Director at Ávila International Music Festival in Ávila (Spain).