String quartet Quatuor Aviv presents an intimate programme featuring Anna Göckel and Brandon Garbot on violins, Noémie Bialobroda on viola and Daniel Mitnitsky on cello. The programme juxtaposes Haydn’s lively Quartet in C major, Op. 54 No. 2 with Alban Berg’s intense, expressionist String Quartet Op. 3 and Mendelssohn’s radiant Quartet in D major, Op. 44 No. 1. Refined ensemble playing, precise articulation and warm sonorities invite close listening and emotional contrast.

To mark the Concours de Genève’s 80th edition, this opening concert brings together pianist Kevin Chen and cellist Michiaki Ueno, both former first-prize winners of the competition. Their programme moves between Baroque clarity, Romantic intensity and modern colour, with Bach, Mori, Scriabin, Liszt and Bridge creating a vivid musical arc. Solo and duo moments alternate, highlighting virtuosity, contrast and the expressive range of two exceptional artists.

Led by Barnabas Kelemen and featuring Jonian Ilias Kadesha (violins), Katalin Kokas (viola) and Vashti Hunter (cello), the Kelemen Quartet presents a programme that moves from Baroque clarity to modern intensity. The programme juxtaposes Henry Purcell’s intimate fantasias with Beethoven’s expansive Razumovsky quartet and the bold idiom of Béla Bartók (String Quartets No. 3 and No. 5), creating a journey of counterpoint, colour and searing ensemble dialogue.

Peace Philharmonic offers a concentrated program of orchestral masterpieces by Richard Strauss and Ludwig van Beethoven. The evening opens with the dramatic Egmont Overture, continues with the lyrical Oboe Concerto in D major showcasing the instrument’s expressive range, and culminates in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, with its iconic motifs and dramatic arc. The orchestra’s nuanced dynamics and rich sonorities create an intense, immersive concert experience that balances lyricism and heroic drive.

Three pianists—Denis Kozhukhin and the duo OXY MORE (Philippe Boaron and Dinu Mihailescu)—share the stage in a continuous musical dialogue that blurs performer and spectator. Works are staged as a chiaroscuro journey, with the musicians remaining visible throughout, alternating between concentrated virtuosity and intimate gestures. The program moves between older and contemporary repertoire, inviting quiet reverie and dramatic contrast. The performance highlights Kozhukhin’s prize-winning virtuosity and OXY MORE’s continuity-driven approach.