Monika Leskovar, one of the internationally most successful Croatian artists was educated in Zagreb, and then went on to study in Berlin, where she became her professor David Geringas?s assistant in 2006. She has won numerous awards from international cello competitions. After hearing her play, Sofia Gubaidulina had this to say about her: ?Monika is the sort of talent that only appears by the Grace of God.? As a soloist, she performed with orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Prague Chamber Orchestra, working with numerous distinguished conductors and chamber performers. Her collaboration with Giovanni Sollima, which started in 2005, recently resulted in a CD release called We Were Trees under Sony/BMG.    

After the Conservatory in his native Palermo, Giovanni Sollima went on to study cello in Salzburg under Antonio Janigro, and composition in Stuttgart under Milko Kelemen. He was early recognized as an excellent soloist, collaborating with artists such as Claudio Abbado, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Jorg Dmus, and Martha Argerich, while his compositions combining a great diversity of genres ?from classical music to jazz, rock and ethnic idioms ? soon became much sought for in the world of music. These were performed by musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Viktoria Mullova, David Geringas, Patti Smith, Elisa, DJ Scanner, Kremerata Baltica, Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Moscow Soloists, and others. Apart from prestigious concert halls, Sollima also frequents unconventional concert venues. In Zagreb he will promote his latest album We Were Trees, in collaboration with Monika Leskovar and the Kaleidoskop Ensemble.

Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop is a young chamber ensemble from Berlin, founded by cellist Michael Rauter and conductor Julian Kurti in 2006. Their goal was to surpass the boundaries of traditional concert performance. The ensemble is composed of fourteen string players, joined occasionally by other musicians, depending on the program. Apart from excellent skills, the ensemble is characterized by its openness, commitment and readiness to take risks with various projects. The members? experience in classical music and contemporary repertoire allow them to combine and blend different genres and to explore new forms of presentation.