Pauline Stephan, born in Unna, Germany, comes from a family of musicians and received her first piano lessons at the age of five. Two years later she discovered her love for the cello.
She won prizes at various competitions early on before Prof Matias de Oliveira Pinto became aware of her and taught her over the following years. After completing her bachelor’s degree in his class, she studied chamber music with Antonio Valentino (Trio Debussy) at the conservatory in Turin, Italy, and at the same time in Luca Magariello’s cello class, first at the Milano Music Master School and from 2022 at the Accademia di Musica di Pinerolo.
She completed her chamber music studies with a master’s degree summa cum laude. In October, she will begin an artistic master’s programme at the Anton Bruckner Private University Linz in Austria in the cello class of Prof. Vashti Hunter.
Pauline Stephan has not only performed on the European stage for several years. This includes chamber music and solo concerts in Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Croatia, Switzerland and Brazil. She received important artistic impulses in masterclasses with Kira Kraftzoff, Arthur Hornig, Prof. Marcio Caneiro, Prof. Jan Ickert, Prof. Gabriel Schwabe and Prof. Fabio Presgrave.
Pauline Stephan has been a scholarship holder of the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation „Live Music Now“ since 2018 and was awarded a scholarship by the Italian government in 2022 for her outstanding academic achievements. In 2023 she won the second prize in the chamber music category at the eighth „Nilo Peraldo Bert Guitar Competition“ in Italy.
Julian Richter, born in Dortmund, began playing the trumpet at the age of five and later learnt the guitar. He has delighted audiences at various festivals as a soloist and with chamber music ensembles. These include festivals in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Brazil.
He regularly attends master classes with Gary Ryan, Pavel Steidel, Tilmann Hopstock, Roberto Aussel, Pierre Pitzl and Marcyn Dylla, among others, and also specializes in early or new music in various chamber music formations at international courses.
Julian Richter received his first guitar lessons at the Musikschule Dortmund with Roland Bischof and received professorial lessons with Reinbert Evers while still a student.
In 2015 he started his studies at the Musikhochschule Münster in the guitar class of Prof. Reinbert Evers. Through him he got to know the guitar maker Giaochino Giussani, whose guitar, specially made for him, he has been playing since 2016.
After his bachelor’s degree, Julian Richter began his master’s studies at the University of Music Lübeck in the winter semester 20/21 in the class of Prof. Otto Tolonen.
In the summer of 2021, a performance by him was broadcast on the radio station Deutschlandfunk Kultur.
In addition to his concert activities, Julian Richter also works as a composer, and his works In addition to his concert activities, Julian Richter is also making a name for himself as a composer and arranger, not only in Germany. His compositions and arrangements have already been heard in several European countries and in Brazil.
In the school year 23/24 he began teaching at the Upper Austrian State Music School.
Since 2018 Julian Richter is a scholarship holder of the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation „Live Music Now“. In 2023 he won the second prize in the chamber music category at the eighth „Nilo Peraldo Bert Guitar Competition“ in Italy.