« Anna-Liisa Bezrodny is outstanding – technically brilliant and interpretatively virile. She is no mere performer: she is a real and true musician. Bezrodny’s performance was gripping and assured, over-arching and yet keenly responsive to the flickering shades and shadows of moods. Her playing is impassioned and has a surging pulse. Yet she has a clear head and is capable of coolly calculating her effects without losing spontaneity. When appropriate, she plays at white heat, thrillingly, combined with superb technique »
Jessica Duchen

Anna-Liisa Bezrodny (10.9.1981) is Finnish/Estonian violinist who was born into a distinguished family of musicians, and grew up in Finland. She is currently in great demand as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and pedagogue around the world, receiving brilliant and praising critiques of her performances.

Already at the age of two she began her violin studies with Prof. Ivi Tivik, and at the age of nine she began her studies at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, in the class of her parents, Prof. Igor Bezrodny and Prof. Mari Tampere-Bezrodny. Her later years (2001-) took her to London, resulting in winning the most prestigious award in Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Gold Medal in 2006, previously won by masters such as Bryn Terfel and Jaqueline du Pre.

Over the years Anna-Liisa has appeared as a soloist with orchestras in the most prestigious concert venues of the world, including Gewandhaus Leipzig, Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Hall, Wigmore Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, Kölner Philharmonie, Cadogan Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Finlandia Hall, Estonia Hall, St. Petersbugh Philharmonic Hall, Moscow Conservatoire Great Hall, and countless others. Anna-Liisa has worked with outstanding maestros such as Leif Segerstam, Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi , Kristjan Järvi, Leonid Grin, Nikolay Alekseyev, Eri Klas, Okko Kamu, Olari Elts, Eugene Tzigane, Johannes Gustavsson, Taavi Oramo, Sian Edwards, Sascha Goetzel, Juha Kangas, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Arvo Volmer, Mihkel Kütson and numerous others.

She has recorded a debut CD on ALBA RECORDS with pianist Ivari Ilja, gaining an extremely praising response from all over the world (works including Elgar Sonata, Sibelius Humoresques, Prokofiev Sonata in D, and Rimsky-Korsakov), Tamberg Violin Concerto with Mihkel Kütson and Vanemuine Orchestra, a DVD for ERP Records “Ad Patrem Meum” including Haydn and Mozart Concertos, and most recently the Mendelssohn Octet with Maxim Vengerov for DECCA Records, as well as the early opus of the Enescu Quintet for Bayerische Rundfunks, with the Sonoro Ensemble.

Anna-Liisa is a recipient of countless awards and prizes, for example winner of special prize of the Rotary Club, winner of the Ian Fleming Charitable Award of the Musicians Benevolent Fund (London), winner of the Martin Musical Scholarship Award, (London), Hattori Foundation and Myra Hess Trust prizes, Ricci Foundation Winner 2009, Young Artist of the Making Music Foundation 2009, Heifetz International Violin Competition, Brahms International Competition etc. In 2005 Anna-Liisa Bezrodny was awarded the PROMIS Award for talented young musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra, and in the same year received an honorary prize from the Pro Musica Foundation in Finland.

In season 16/17 Anna-Liisa was awarded an honorary Musician of the Year Award from the Estonian Cultural Foundation, for her internationally prosperous and productive concert-activity.

Anna-Liisa’s playing has been heard on several occasions on Finnish and Estonian National TV ́s and National Radio, NBC and BBC Radio 3 in the United Kingdom. The past seasons have taken Anna-Liisa

Bezrodny to perform with orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, London, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic, Gewandhaus Leipzig, MDR Symphonieorkester Leipzig, Estonian National Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Riga Symphony Orchestra, Georgian Chamber Orchestra, Vilnius Philarmonic, Pecs Philharmonic, and countless others.

Anna-Liisa is a very devoted chamber musician, partaking in countless festivals around the world, and she has collaborated with some of the most outstanding musicians, for. ex. Ivry Gitlis, Maxim Vengerov, Ida Händel, Liana Isakadze, Alexander Rudin, Mackenzie Melemed, Jan-Erik Gustafsson, Peeter Laul, Jean- Efflam Bavouzet, Lisa Batiashvili, Gilles Apap, Sayaka Shoji, Vikingur Olafsson, and many others. Her repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporary music, giving world-premieres to several pieces for ex.by Finnish and Estonian composers, such as Aulis Sallinen , Sebastian Fagerlund, Erki-Sven Tüür, Tõnu Kõrvits, Jaan Rääts, Harri Wessmann, Rein Rannap, Ülo Krigul and others.

Additionally to her busy solo career, Anna-Liisa has held a professorship positions at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama as well as Purcell School in London, and is very passionate about music education for our future generations. She has held masterclasses in Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Romania, Italy, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Russia and the U.K., and is extremely eager to promote the young generation to involve classical music into their everyday lives. In addition Anna-Liisa is fluent in six languages including English, Russian, Estonian, Swedish, Finnish and German.

Anna-Liisa Bezrodny is the new Artistic Director of the Tallinn Chamber Music Festival, and the director of the Tallinn Sinfonietta, Estonia. Her future plans include playing the Brahms Double with cellist Jan-Erik Gustafsson and the Niederreinische Philharmonie, as well as with the Kuopio Philharmonic, Corigliano “Red Violin Concerto” tour in Germany etc. She currently plays on a Hieronymus II Amati violin from 1678, kindly on loan from the Finnish Cultural Foundation. She is the Co-Concertmaster and Soloist of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, founded by maestro Marios Papadopoulos, already for the last 12 years.

“Carmine Lauri’s name and fame are enough to fill up the concert halls…At the end of Henryk Wieniawski’s 1^stConcerto in F# minor, the Manoel Theatre exploded in a well-deserved roar of applause and would not be mollified before Mr Lauri chose to concede an encore with a caprice also by Wieniawski...”
Albert G. Storace, Sunday Times.

“Whenever Lauri performs, whether as chamber performer or as soloist with orchestra, he fills the house…. The combination of affable charm which tempers his intense concentration, highly accomplished mix of expressive and robust musicianship plus solid rapport with orchestra and audience, make a heady combination which can only lead to success. It is a fully deserved reputation because Mr Lauri is not only a very accomplished musician and technical wizard but is also very matter-of-fact and establishes a full, warm rapport with both orchestra and audience.”.
“Carmine is the ideal concertmaster, leads with a positive attitude, has a great sound and is a world-class violinist. Any orchestra would benefit from Carmine’s leadership, as he will reach the hearts of music lovers around the world…” 
Yannick Nezet Seguin

Carmine Lauri is Concertmaster of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and has served as co-leader and leader of the London Symphony Orchestra for the past 25 years. Born in 1971, he started playing the violin at the age of four. In 1988, he was awarded the Associated Board scholarship to continue his studies at the Royal Academy of Music with Maurice Hasson and Zakhar Bron. 

Carmine has more than once been called at short notice to replace an indisposed soloist, and has recently made his debut performing Paganini’s 1^st violin concerto for 1^st time under such circumstances in the Berlin Philharmonie with the Berliner Symphoniker.

As a regular soloist with the Oxford Philharmonic he was the first to perform the 2 Wieniawski Concertos, the Korngold and Glazunov concertos with conductors including Sir Antonio Pappano and the Music Director and founder of the OPO Dr Marios Papadopoulos, whose charisma and musical vision has been an inspiration to this unique institution of uncompromising standards. Carmine has also performed other concertos ranging from Bach, Vivaldi, Bottesini and Piazzola with the orchestra and has appeared in numerous chamber music concerts with principal members of the OPO and was also invited to join Maxim Vengerov in duo performances as soloist accompanied by the orchestra both in Oxford and at the Barbican Hall in London. Carmine enjoys a very close and respectful collaboration as Leader of the Orchestra, earning him respect from visiting conductors including Valery Gergiev, Yuri Temirkanov and Vladimir Ashkenazy, over a span of 15 years as member.

As soloist with other world class orchestras, Carmine has performed numerous concertos, particularly from the romantic repertoire which are closest to his heart. He appeared as soloist with orchestras including the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic and Brno Czech State Philharmonic, the Orquesta Municipal de Caracas, the Malta Philharmonic, The Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, the Guanajuato Symphony in Mexico and others. His passion remains to perform repertoire that displays both technical virtuosity and romanticism, particularly the music of Paganini, Wieniawski, Sarasate and their contemporaries. He is particularly known for his rendition of salon pieces for violin and piano, always prioritising spontaneity of expression and flair, with the aim of bringing back the magic of the incomparable “old school of violin playing”, honouring the old violin masters, particularly Jascha Heifetz, Ivry Gitlis, Maurice Hasson and Nathan Milstein, to name a few. All of whom remain Carmine’s lifetime inspiration and aspiration. His 2 CDs “Bravura” and Violin Extravaganza stand witness to his talent and he performs such technically demanding repertoire with masterful virtuosity and natural musical panache.

Carmine is particularly very fond of transcriptions by the great Jascha Heifetz and has personally researched Heifetz’ collection in America for transcriptions and alterations that so far have never been published.

As a long-time member of the LSO Carmine led the orchestra for the past 25 years under distinguished conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir John Eliott Gardiner, Sir Antonio Pappano and Gianandrea Noseda, just to name a few, and had the privilege to have led the orchestra in concert for both Sir Colin Davis and Bernard Haitink for their last appearance with the orchestra before their sad demise. He also premiered 2 violin concertos accompanied by the LSO both at the Barbican and the Royal Albert Hall and has earned worldwide recognition also having led the orchestra in countless soundtracks for movies including Harry Potter, Star Wars and the latest movie Maestro, and through his characterful playing, charisma and experience he has brought to the orchestra clients from all over the world who requested him to be at the helm of the leader’s seat for their projects, including composers John Williams and Alexandre Desplat.

Lauri performs regularly on a number of prestigious Stradivari instruments, ranging from early to Golden Period to late examples, kindly loaned to him over the years by various institutions and private collectors. He has collaborated with many international soloists who had requested that he joins them to execute a surprise encore at the end of their concerto appearance, either in concerts as leader with the Oxford Philharmonic or the London Symphony Orchestra, including amongst others Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Victoria Mullova, Nikolai Znaider, pianists Cedric Tiberghien and Simon Trypceski and the gypsy violinist Roby Lakatos.

Carmine is one of the unique musical ambassadors of his native country Malta, which, as a result of making a name for his country as a world class violinist and soloist, bestowed upon him the Honour of Member of the Order of Merit (M.O.M). He was elected as both an Associate and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London, for his achievements in his career.

Hungarian violinist Tamás András is Concertmaster of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 1996, he was prize winner of the Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition in Denmark and received third prize at the Joseph Szigeti International Violin Competition in Hungary in 1997. Tamás has appeared as a soloist with the Budapest Philharmonia Orchestra, the Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra and the London Mozart Players among many others, and has given recitals and chamber concerts throughout Europe, the USA and Japan. He has also appeared as guest leader of several orchestras in the UK including the London Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Tamás is currently Co-Leader of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.