Aliaksandra Harbachonak was born in 1999 in Minsk, Belarus where she grew up. At 6, she started attending a music school with piano as a main subject. She switched to cello at the age of 8 at the State Gymnasium for Music (Minsk) under the supervision of Tamara Zharova. Aliaksandra gave her first concert at the age of 9 on stage of Minsk Philharmonia. She won her first prize at the age of 11 at the Cello competition in Usti nad Orliza (Czech Republic).

In 2015, at the age of 15, Aliaksandra started studying classical cello with Professor Vladimir Perlin at the State College for Music (Minsk). At that time, she participated in competitions of chamber ensembles (Belarus, Lithuania, Russia). And attended music festivals in Belarus, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.

In 2018, she graduated from the college. Between 2018 and 2022, Aliaksandra was studying at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Meanwhile, several times, she attended  the Cello Academy in Zutphen conducted by Jeroen den Herder. Aliaksandra played at the Big Hall of Conservatorium van Amsterdam: solo, as a leader of cello group, in an orchestra, and as a chamber music ensemble member. At the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Aliaksandra was studying under the supervision of two amazing professors – Jeroen den Herder and Mick Stirling.

In September 2022, she started her masters at the Utrechts Conservatorium with Professor Jeroen den Herder. Aliaksandra is a member of Ensemble CelloWercken and enjoying her participation there a lot. Because she likes playing in a cello ensemble, same as teaching for young kids and orchestra projects. She accepts all the possibilities to play in an orchestra all around the world — Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, China, Austria etc.. Aliaksandra is consistently enthusiastic about engaging in various ensemble projects, and with her positive energy, she uplifts all the musicians around her, fostering
a productive and harmonious working spirit.

Hesce started at the Sweelinck Academy, the young talent division of the conservatory of Amsterdam.

Mourits has followed masterclasses by Harriet Krijgh, Timora Rosler, Jeroen den Herder, Leonid Gorokov and others. She has played in different ensembles such as VU orchestra, Netherlands youth string orchestra and the Ricciotti ensemble.

As a solist Mourits has a preference for playing modern and new music, especially female composers and composers that ask special qualities of the player (Sofia Gubaidulina, Peter Vasks).

Born and raised in Campobasso, a small village in Italy, Ilario began to play the cello in his local Middle school, moving then to the conservatory where he completed his Bachelor degree with the highest marks and distinction under the guidance of Michele Chiapperino. 

Fascinated by the teaching of Antonio Janigro, he continued his studies with his most important pupils: Giovanni Sollima in Rome ( Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia), Enrico Dindo in Pavia ( Pavia Cello Academy) and Umberto Clerici. He got his Master degree at Mozarteum University, in Salzburg, with Giovanni Gnocchi.

From 2019 to 2022, his studies were supported by Associazione De Sono through a Scholarship in Memory of the famous Italian cellist, Renzo Brancaleon. As a chamber music lover, Ilario has always joined Duo and Trio projects in Scuola di Musica di Fiesole and Mozarteum University. From 2018 to 2020 he joined the “Accademia dei Cameristi di Bari”, where he met young and experienced musicians for weekly chamber music concerts.

Since his first orchestra experience in the Conservatory, Ilario has always loved working on sharing ideas of prashings and sound in large ensembles. From 2019 to 2023 he was chosen by Riccardo Muti as Principal Cello of the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini, and he also joined, as a substitute player, the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Torino and Orchestra del Teatro Verdi di Trieste.

He strongly supports the research of artistry and a natural use of the “Self” by joining Alexander Technique and collaborating in experimental projects involving writers, dancers and actors.

Hailing from a family of musicians in Ukraine, she has been playing the cello for over a decade, starting at the age of six. Her first cello teacher, and a constant source of inspiration, was her own mother. She owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to her for instilling in her the love for music and nurturing her talent from the very beginning.

She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance in Amsterdam and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the Utrecht Conservatory. Throughout her career, she has actively participated in various musical projects, showcasing her skills both as an orchestra player and a member of ensembles. She is a dedicated member of Duo Era (cello and harp) and Ensemble CelloWercken.

In her journey as a musician, she has been incredibly fortunate to receive support from the NMF. She is immensely grateful to the foundation for believing in her and providing her with an extraordinary cello made by Daniel Royé, which has been instrumental in her development as a musician. Additionally, their generosity extended to providing her with an exceptional bow that has further enhanced her performances.

Her true passion lies in venturing beyond classical music, engaging in diverse collaborations and projects spanning classical, electronic, and jazz genres. She thrives on pushing boundaries and constantly seeks new avenues to expand her musical horizons.

Lluïsa Paredes (1999), born in Catalonia, started playing cello with Maria Geli and Josep Bassal. Later, she completed her bachelor’s degree in cello at the Academia Nacional Superior de Orquestra (Lisbon), under the guidance of Paulo Gaio Lima and Marco Pereira. Currently residing in Rotterdam, she is pursuing her master’s degree at Codarts with Jeroen den Herder.

Throughout her artistic development, she has devoted herself extensively to chamber music practice, actively participating in various groups with diverse formations and music styles.

She is very interested in projects and creations that embody a dialogue between the different arts, and she often collaborates with the visual artist Quim Paredes and the multidisciplinary artist Pep Aymerich.