Prize-winning Catalan cellist Gerard Flotats is a versatile young musician performing a wide spectrum of music, from Baroque on historical instruments to contemporary compositions with electronics. Winner of the Royal Over-Seas League Strings Competition 2023, he has also been selected for the PDGYA, Tillett Debut, and Munster Trust Recital schemes, giving him ample performance experience from a young age. Solo engagements for the 2024/25 season include concerts at venues such as Manchester Bridgewater Hall and King’s Place.

Flotats has been invited to perform at international music festivals including Yellow Barn, IMS Prussia Cove, SHMF, and Hope Academy. He is currently studying for an Artist Diploma with Frans Helmerson after graduating with honours from the Royal Academy of Music and studying with Hannah Roberts. He is grateful for the support from the Munster Trust. Gerard aims to make classical music more relevant and resonant for today’s audiences through innovative performances. He is passionate about showcasing lesser-known pieces andcollaborates with composers to introduce contemporary music to new listeners.

Rapidly developing a reputation as one of the most innovative pianists of his generation, Julian Chan has performed at numerous prestigious venues across Europe and Asia, including Wigmore Hall, Nanjing Poly Theatre, and Palau de la Música Catalana. Performing music by a particularly diverse range of composers, he has given alluring recitals featuring works by figures from Sweelinck to Messiaen, from Alkan to Rzewski, unifying these various styles in a captivating manner.

Recently, Julian was awarded First Prize and Sonata Prize at the Nanyang International Music Competition, Singapore, Second Prize at the Jāzeps Vītols International Piano Competition, Latvia, and First Prize at the Coulsdon and Purley Festival performing Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto.

A passionate composer and performer of new music, Julian has collaborated with eminent composers such as Hans Abrahamsen, Deborah Pritchard, and Peter Seabourne. Julian is recipient of the Aud Jebsen Piano Fellowship at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied with Ian Fountain and Michael Dussek.