Draiflessen is delighted to be collaborating once again with the Summerwinds Festival, where a true “supergroup” of chamber music meets at meetMUSIC. Seven outstanding, award-winning musicians will perform two works that captivate with their refined instrumentation and clear form: the famous Septet in E flat major, Op. 20, by Ludwig van Beethoven and the far less well-known but equally charming Septet in E flat major, Op. 62, by his contemporary Conradin Kreutzer.
Kreutzer, today almost forgotten and yet one of the most highly regarded composers of the 19th century, was primarily successful as an opera author. According to the Conversations-Lexikon of 1876, his greatest strength was “the appealing, amiable and above all very singable melody”. This is exactly what his septet unfolds – in the fresh, original new version by the seven soloists with a real catchy tune quality.
Beethoven’s Septet, on the other hand, combines the fullness of a small symphony orchestra with the lightness and elegance of a serenade. The ensemble’s interpretation is surprisingly vital, bouncy and – as far as the tempi are concerned – pleasantly “risk-taking”. An evening that allows chamber music to shine in all its diversity and brilliance.
The cast:
Sebastian Manz is a solo clarinettist, internationally sought-after soloist, passionate chamber musician and also active as a composer. Born in Hanover in 1986 as the son of two pianists, he grew up in a German-Russian musical household; his grandfather was the violinist Boris Goldstein from Odessa. Manz has been principal clarinettist with the RSO Stuttgart since 2010 and with the SWR Symphony Orchestra since 2016. His breakthrough came in 2008 when he won first prize at the ARD Music Competition for the first time in 40 years; he also won the German Music Competition together with Martin Klett. As a soloist and chamber musician, he performs worldwide in Europe, Japan, the USA and South America. Manz has received numerous awards for his CD recordings, including the ECHO KLASSIK three times, the Emerging Artist Award in New York and the OPUS KLASSIK in 2020 for his album A Bernstein Story.
Born in Heidelberg in 1982, violinist Franziska Hölscher is one of the most versatile musicians on the international scene. She attracted attention early on: at the age of 17, she won first prize at the International Radio Competition in Prague, and just two years later she made her debut as a chamber musician alongside Martha Argerich. Hölscher is in demand worldwide both as a soloist and in chamber music and has performed at venues including the Berlin Philharmonie, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Palais des Beaux-Arts Brussels, the Vienna Konzerthaus and the Rudolfinum Prague. In addition to her concert activities, she directs the chamber music series “Klangbrücken” at the Konzerthaus Berlin and, since 2018, the Mettlach Chamber Music Days, where she develops new formats specifically for young audiences with discussion concerts and open rehearsals.
Violist Haesue Lee, born in Seoul in 1999, is one of the outstanding violists of her generation. She won the ARD Competition in 2023, received first prize at the Primrose International Viola Competition and numerous other awards. She made her debut at Carnegie Hall at the age of twelve and has since performed worldwide as a soloist – including with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. A passionate chamber musician, she is in demand at festivals such as Marlboro, Ravinia and Bridgehampton and has played at the Korean President’s House. She studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music with Tabea Zimmermann and has been continuing her studies at Kronberg Academy since 2023. Her viola by Gasparo de Salò (1590) is made available to her by the Samsung Foundation.
Romanian cellist AndreiIoniță, born in Bucharest in 1994, is one of the world’s leading cellists of his generation. His international breakthrough came in 2015 when he won first prize at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He received further awards at the ARD, Emanuel Feuermann and Aram Khachaturian competitions. He was a BBC “New Generation Artist” from 2016 to 2018. Ioniță performs worldwide as a soloist with orchestras such as the Munich and Dresden Philharmonic Orchestras, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich and the London Philharmonic Orchestra and works with conductors such as Paavo Järvi and Kent Nagano. He is also in demand as a chamber musician. His season highlights in 2024/25 include engagements with the Orquesta Sinfonia RTVE, the Saarland State Orchestra and the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra Olomouc. He is a scholarship holder of the German Foundation for Musical Life, which provides him with a cello by Giovanni Battista Rogeri (1671) on loan. From the winter semester 2025/26, he will take up a professorship for cello at the Cologne University of Music and Dance in Wuppertal.
Felix Klieser, born in 1991, is an exceptional horn player. He began his horn lessons at the age of 5 and became a junior student at the Hanover University of Music at 13. He has since become one of the most sought-after horn players in the world – without arms. In 2014, he received the ECHO Klassik as a young artist, followed by the Leonard Bernstein Award in 2016. Highlights include performances at the Ravenna Festival under Riccardo Muti (2022) and his debut at the BBC Proms 2023, broadcast live. Klieser performs with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, National Arts Centre Orchestra Ottawa and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and is a regular guest at the Berlin Philharmonie, Cologne Philharmonie and Vienna Konzerthaus. As a chamber musician, he presents his septet program with Sebastian Manz and Franziska Hölscher, among others. He has released numerous CDs, including the Mozart Horn Concertos (Berlin Classics) and Beyond Words. He has been leading his horn class at the Münster University of Music since 2018 and gives masterclasses. On social media, he provides humorous insights into his everyday life – always accompanied by his horn “Alex”.
Dominik Wagner brings the double bass into the limelight. With a gripping stage presence, virtuoso technique and a melodic, almost vocal tone, he opens up new sound spaces for his instrument. He tirelessly expands the repertoire – through commissions, rediscoveries and his own arrangements. The ECHO and Opus Klassik prizewinner is a scholarship holder of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation and winner of numerous international competitions. He performs with renowned orchestras in venues such as the Musikverein Vienna, Berlin Philharmonie, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and Carnegie Hall. Wagner regularly publishes with Berlin Classics and is a passionate chamber musician, performing with the Emerson String Quartet, Julia Fischer and Janine Jansen, among others. As a professor in Würzburg and Vienna, he passes on his expertise to the next generation.
N.N., bassoon
Program
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Septet in E flat major, Op. 20
Conradin Kreutzer (1780-1849): Septet in E flat major, Op. 62
Audio samples
Conradin Kreutzer – Septet in E flat Op 62: I. Adagio-Allegro
