Julia Kurig Yazaki

German-Japanese mezzo-soprano Julia Kurig Yazaki (b. 2003) grew up in a family of musicians, dividing her time between Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany) and Chigasaki (Japan). From an early age, she studied singing and breathing technique with Professor Sabine Seidel in Freiburg. She gained valuable musical experience singing for many years in the girls’ choir of Freiburg Cathedral.

Since October 2022, she has been studying voice at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, under Professor Lioba Braun. Julia Kurig has received important artistic input through masterclasses and lessons with Prof. Ulrich Eisenlohr, Prof. Elisabeth Glauser, Prof. Kai Wessel, Michael Gees, and Prof. Stefan Irmer.

She has been successful in several competitions, most recently receiving a prize from the Vrienden van het Lied association. She is also a scholarship recipient of both the Hans and Eugenia Jütting Foundation (Stendal) and the Richard Wagner Association.

In 2023, she made her operatic debut in the role of Domiziano in the German premiere of Antonio Cesti’s Baroque opera Il Tito. In spring 2024, she performed as Dorinda in Le Trame Deluse by Cimaorsa as part of the Rheinische Opernakademie.

She appears regularly as a soloist in oratorios across Germany and Switzerland, and performs recitals in Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan as a member of the Kölner Liedakademie. She is deeply committed to the performance and study of art song, under the mentorship of Lied pianist Prof. Ulrich Eisenlohr.

From the very beginning of her musical journey, Julia has shown a strong curiosity for lesser-known repertoire, leading her to develop a particular interest in 20th-century Japanese art songs, contemporary music, and works by women composers.

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Amarilis Dueñas Castán

Born in Valladolid, Spain, in 1998, Amarilis is one of the leading figures of her generation in the field of historically informed performance. She stands out for the balance she achieves between precision, intuition, and freedom in her playing; critics also praise her mastery of dynamics, agogics, phrasing, and ornamentation. She performs throughout Europe as a soloist and chamber musician on cello and viola da gamba, and has collaborated extensively with orchestras such as the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Concerto Köln, and B’Rock Orchestra. She has appeared in prestigious venues including the Musikverein Wien, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Kölner Philharmonie, and Konzerthaus Berlin.

Amarilis has been awarded prizes in competitions such as Juventudes Musicales, the Pau Casals International Prize, the TAMIS Chamber Music Competition in Saarbrücken, and the 2021 “Beethoven in his Time” Chamber Music Competition (Beethoven in seiner Zeit), where she won the individual prize for best performer, as well as the second prize and the special prize for best Beethoven interpretation from Beethoven Haus Bonn alongside Trio Alterna. In 2023, she also won the 2nd prize, the audience prize, and the Abel prize at the Köthen Bach-Abel International Viola da Gamba Competition.

Her playing reflects the lessons learned from musicians such as Jordi Savall, Paolo Pandolfo, Bruno Cocset, and Kristin von der Goltz. She studied at the HfMT Köln (Cologne, Germany) with Maria Kliegel and Rainer Zipperling, and is currently completing her studies with Robert Smith at the same institution. Amarilis Dueñas’ work focuses on historically informed performance, which goes beyond early music: her latest projects explore the 19th century, specifically the works of Schumann, Brahms, and Wagner.

She has shared the stage with musicians such as Gottfried von der Goltz, Tobias Koch, and Shunske Sato. Since November 2023, she plays a 1775 Niccolò Gagliano violin, generously loaned by the Jumpstart Jr. Foundation.

Amarilis has participated in numerous recording projects, including her critically acclaimed debut solo album Soliloquies, released in 2020.