Anita LeuzingerAnita Leuzinger was born in 1982 near Zurich and began to play the cello at the age of five.She studied with Thomas Grossenbacher in Zurich and later with Thomas Demenga in Basel,where she completed her masters with distinction in 2007. During her studies she receivedimportant input from György Kurtág, Miklós Perényi and Steven Isserlis, among others. Shewas influenced most by the Hungarian pianist Ferenc Rados, who showed her a completelynew approach to music.In 2008, she won first prize at the Naumburg Competition in New York. This lead to her debutrecital at Carnegie Hall in October 2009, followed by a number of other engagements.At age 23, when she was still a student, Anita Leuzinger won the position of principal cellistwith the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra. Her part-time position there enables her to get to knowthe symphonic repertoire with one of Switzerland’s top orchestras, while devoting herselfintensely to her solo activities and her passion for chamber music.For several years now she has been performing regularly with pianist Anton Kernjak, givingconcerts in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, USA and Switzerland. She alsoworks often with Heinz Holliger, with whom she has played the Lutoslawski concerto at theSalzburg Festival and given a series of chamber music concerts in Japan.Her concert activities have taken Anita Leuzinger to the Lucerne Music Festival, the SalzburgFestival, the Davos Music Festival, the Ittingen Festival, the Sommets Musicaux at Gstaad andthe IMS Open Chamber Music Festival, England, to name but a few.Early on she gained experience as a soloist, playing with orchestras such as the ZurichTonhalle Orchestra, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana the Basel Symphony Orchestra, theRSO Symphony Orchestra Vienna, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and the ZagrebSoloists.In 2008, Anita Leuzinger became assistant cello professor to Thomas Demenga at theMusikhochschule Basel. She plays a cello made by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini in 1752.Anton KernjakAnton Kernjak comes from an Austrian family with Slovenian background. He studied at theMozarteum University in Salzburg and later attended concert classes with Rudolf Buchbinderat the Basel „Musikhochschule“, where he graduated with distinction. He was greatlyinfluenced by his studies with the Hungarian musician Ferenc Rados and by master classeswith György Kurtág at the IMS International Musicians Seminars in Prussia Cove, UK.Anton Kernjak has received several awards and was a prize-winner at the internationalJohannes Brahms piano competition in Austria.An accomplished chamber musician, he has performed with different duo and trio partnersthroughout Europe, in Canada, in the USA and in Japan. Past appearances were at theTonhalle Zurich, the WDR Cologne, Wigmore Hall, London and Carnegie Hall, New York. Hewas also appeared at the Lucerne Festival, the World Music Days in Luxembourg, theKunstfest „pelerinages“ in Weimar, the European Music Month in Basel, the Davos MusicFestival, the Ittinger Pfingstkonzerte, the Bodensee-Festival, the WDR Chamber Music Seriesin Cologne and the Festival international de Musique de Chambre Domaine Forget in Canadaand the Sermoneta Festival near Rome.Anton Kernjak has formed a duo with cellist Anita Leuzinger a number of years ago andregularly collaborates with Heinz Holliger. Other chamber music partners include UrsulaHolliger, Thomas Demenga, Hanna Weinmeister, Muriel Cantoreggi, Geneviève Strosser andSilvia Simionescu. In addition to the classical-romantic repertoire, his artistic interests focus oncontemporary music.Anton Kernjak teaches chamber music at the Basel „Musikhochschule“.