Teresa Emilia Raff
Harpist Teresa Emilia Raff pushes the perceived boundaries of her instrument. For her, the harp is a seismograph of human emotions: “The harp has such a wealth of resonances that I can express a wide spectrum of emotions on it.” With support from the Concerto21 Foundation, she is developing her own repertoire in which she combines the harp with her voice. The result is a personal musical language that bridges classical and independent music. Her debut album, Alone with the Universe, set for release in 2027, presents the harp in dialogue with her voice, cello, and string quartet as a multifaceted instrument of expression—a kaleidoscopic portrait dedicated to the experience of solitude. “Today, I often think about just how extraordinary this gift really was. Over the years, the support has evolved from intensive guidance to a behind-the-scenes connection that continues to sustain me to this day. I can still turn to them for advice on important matters—and I continue to feel the momentum this unique scholarship has given me.” — Teresa Emilia Raff
Elshan Ghasimi
(born in 1981 in Isfahan, Iran) is a virtuoso of the Persian long-necked lutes—the tar, setar, and robab—as well as the dayere, and an expert in Persian art music. She is a versatile artist, composer, innovative performer, and dedicated educator whose work explores the intersections between tradition and modernity, East and West, and music and other artistic disciplines. Deeply rooted in the radif—the repertoire of classical Persian music—Ghasimi has devoted many years to mastering it and is now driving its reinterpretation in a contemporary artistic context. At the age of 17, she became the youngest member of the Iranian National Orchestra, marking the beginning of her career. She has lived in Germany since 2016, where she continues to perform as a soloist, compose, and collaborate with renowned ensembles such as Concerto Köln. Her work combines the Persian musical heritage with a variety of musical genres—including contemporary classical music, jazz, experimental music, and early music. „In her playing […] every phrase is invested with deep thought and grave authority.“ - Michael Church, Musics Lost and Found (2021)
Kateryna Kravchenko
is a Ukrainian composer and singer currently living in Cologne. She began playing the piano at the age of four and discovered her passion for jazz singing at age eleven. Pursuing her dream of becoming a jazz musician, she moved to Germany in 2018 to study jazz, rock, and pop singing at the Carl Maria von Weber University of Music in Dresden. She spent an exchange year in Stockholm and is currently pursuing a dual master’s degree in jazz composition and jazz vocals at the Cologne University of Music and Dance. In 2025, she will release her debut album, which was created in collaboration with Wanja Slavin. “The voice is the instrument that touches us most directly and speaks to us in the truest sense of the word. Kateryna Kravchenko has found her own musical language and uses it to tell stories about her homeland, Ukraine, as well as about life, emotions, poetry, and lyrics. When you experience Kateryna on stage, the urgency of her artistic mission becomes strikingly apparent. That is why we felt compelled to support her on her journey.” - Andreas Brandis
Michaela Špačková
For our scholarship recipient Michaela Špačková, her instrument represents far more than just a musical craft—her deep connection to the bassoon is palpable in every note. In doing so, she continually challenges entrenched listening habits that rarely grant the bassoon the role of a solo instrument. For Michaela, however, one thing is certain: her instrument’s potential is far from exhausted. As a soloist, she moves effortlessly between classical and contemporary music and is equally at home in cross-genre projects—such as her collaboration with the artist Alli Neumann. As part of her scholarship, she is also devoting more time to electronic music, thereby expanding the sonic possibilities of her instrument. Michaela Špačková knows exactly where her path is leading—and pursues her goals with great determination. For her debut album, “Dreamscapes,” she has already raised over 5,000 euros through crowdfunding. We are delighted to accompany and support Michaela as she works, step by step, to reshape the image of the bassoon and highlight its versatility. “With Michaela Špačková, the bassoon takes on a whole new dimension. Until now, I was hardly familiar with it as a solo instrument, but through her, I’m experiencing it as a wonderfully warm, energetic voice. Michaela is a magnificent musician with a clear mission: to bring the bassoon out of the shadows.” - Sonia Simmenauer
Ángela Aguareles
– a musician who has captivated us from the very beginning with her enthusiasm and her musical language. One theme runs through all the fellowships: How do I forge my own path—how do I find my own musical identity? We want to support her in this process and stand behind her. We’re curious to see which doors we’ll open or close together along the way. “As a scholarship recipient, I feel encouraged by the mentors to delve deeper into my own artistic path. They guide me with respect and understanding for my vision, while also offering eye-opening perspectives. I am very grateful for their support.” - Ángela Aguareles “Ángela is a cellist with infectious energy and a clear vision of how she wants to shape her life as an artist; who she wants to reach and move with her music, and what programmatic and artistic means she intends to use to achieve this. We are moved by Ángela’s musical language on the instrument and inspired by her clarity and enthusiasm. We hope many more people will feel the same way, and that is why we are supporting her in achieving her goals.” - Andreas Brandis
Moritz Stahl
This year, Moritz Stahl launched his passion project, Transient Bodies. A newly formed band, a tour, an album—a journey that presents challenges for emerging musicians, challenges our mentors know all too well. As part of the Concerto21 Foundation’s grant program, we’re supporting Moritz and are very much looking forward to working with him. “Moritz is an incredibly sensitive and refined artist. He has developed his own musical language, which is influenced by jazz tradition, classical music, popular music, and the avant-garde. In addition to music, contemporary art and graphic design also play a role in his work, which literally broadens the overall picture. Moritz is, in the best sense of the word, a musical and artistic catalyst.” - Andreas Brandis
Derya Mavi Atakan
(born amid the Bavarian haze of the ’90s) studied opera singing in Berlin and Paris. She performs as an opera artist, bringing together the three forces of opera, punk, and the sounds of the Levant. Her original compositions and operatic references serve as an invitation to collective metamorphosis. The absurdity and humor of everyday human life, as well as the forces of nature, are brought into focus by her soprano voice. The irreconcilable and the contradictory embrace one another. Pathos meets irritation, slapstick meets seriousness, dream meets reality. “Embarking on a path with great determination—even in the face of significant opposition—is in itself a testament to strength and great courage. Derya Atakan became a classical singer in a music world that did not always welcome her because of her appearance, and then began to reinvent herself time and again. She discovered her own artistic identity and freed herself from conventions. This process and this determination demonstrate her exceptional artistic potential.” - Andreas Brandis
Nina Gurol
As a pianist, Nina Gurol creates artistic spaces that both challenge and move her audience: with uncompromising dedication, she ventures down paths beyond the familiar and, in her concert programs, brings together elements that at first glance appear separate. To this end, she explores the repertoire—spanning classical and contemporary music, complex intellect, and pianistic sensitivity—in diverse ways, combining comforting simplicity with relentless rigor, and life with transience. Whether on international stages, at innovative festivals, or in her academic work, Nina Gurol, as an artist, does not seek the familiar but rather the as yet unexplored, and finds her home where music stirs the soul, lingers, and raises unanswered questions—in the works of Galina Ustvolskaya and York Höller just as much as in those of Franz Schubert. “It is a great joy to watch a refined, highly accomplished musician discover her spontaneity and unique creativity. The Concerto21 Foundation has helped her embrace improvisation and, in doing so, find her very own voice.” — Sonia Simmenauer
Shuteen Erdenebaatar
Born in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar, the composer and pianist creates a unique sound with her wistful melodies, enriched with profound and expressive harmonies and rhythms. Raised as a classical musician, she began her bachelor’s degree in classical composition at the age of 16. Immediately after successfully completing her degree, she moved to Munich in 2018 to broaden her horizons with a dual master’s degree in jazz piano and jazz composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts. By the age of 23, she had successfully completed two master’s programs and a continuing education certificate program in a master class. The Concerto21 Foundation supported Shuteen Erdenebaatar as she rebuilt a bridge to her homeland after five years in Munich. In the fall of 2024, she performed at the State Opera in Ulaanbaatar. This journey was documented in a documentary film.
Josefine Göhmann
As a soprano, she has performed at many renowned opera houses and festivals. She is active in opera, concert, and art song, but has established herself in more than just singing. Following her highly acclaimed debut album réBelles! (Portraits lyriques), she addressed the issue of female role models and female self-determination in 2022 as the producer of her festival réBelles. At the invitation of the Neuköllner Oper, she developed the program “The Blaubart Project” for the 2023/24 season based on her own idea and concept.
Valerie Fritz
A cello on one’s back weighs seven kilos. Its tradition, however, weighs much heavier and can sometimes even become a burden when breaking new ground. My Cello, My Choice is an act of self-empowerment, a self-determined and personal program that offers a glimpse into the intimacy between a musician and her instrument. Valerie Fritz is accompanied and supported by the Concerto21 Foundation as she develops her stage program, which includes works by Sarah Nemtsov, Hildegard von Bingen, and Peter Eötvös, as well as commissioned compositions by Alexander Bauer and Georg Friedrich Haas.
Goran Stevanovich
Praised by the press as a “true ambassador for the versatility of his instrument,” Goran Stevanovich is regarded as one of today’s leading accordionists. Like few others, this young musician has succeeded in establishing the accordion on concert stages beyond the conventional repertoire. Over the years, his exceptionally broad range of pieces has allowed Goran Stevanovich to develop a sound aesthetic and style all his own. Since early 2023, the Concerto21 Foundation has been supporting him in adapting Bosnian folk music for his instrument—particularly the love poetry of Sevdah and its overlap with German poetry.