Paganini Ensemble
Chamber Music with Passion
After last year’s great success, the Paganini Ensemble returns to the Wiener Musikverein. Under the direction of internationally acclaimed Paganini interpreter Mario Hossen, the ensemble is devoted to those rarely performed chamber music masterpieces of Niccolò Paganini which combine supreme virtuosity with Italian bel canto and refined poetic sound.
The program is enriched by two world premieres by Alessandro Solbiati and Rainer Bischof, which open a contemporary dialogue with Paganini’s legacy, as well as a homage to Fritz Kreisler on his 150th birthday.
An evening of historical depth and modern inspiration – passionate, virtuosic, moving.
Performers:
Mario Hossen – Violin, Conductor
Marta Potulska – Viola
Liliana Kehayova – Cello
Alexander Swete – Guitar
Program :
Niccolò Paganini – Quartet No. 2 in C Major, op. 4, M.S. 29
Niccolò Paganini – Terzetto concertante for Viola, Cello, and Guitar, M.S. 114
Alessandro Solbiati – Ghirribizzi (World Premiere, Commission)
Intermission
Niccolò Paganini – Introduzione e Variazioni on “Nel cor più non mi sento”, M.S. 44 (Violin solo)
Fritz Kreisler – Liebesleid & Liebesfreud (150th Anniversary)
Rainer Bischof – Quartetto in Modo di Paganini (World Premiere, Commission)
Niccolò Paganini – Quartet No. 9 in B-flat Major, M.S. 35
About the Paganini Ensemble
The Paganini Ensemble Vienna was founded in 2019 by Mario Hossen with the aim of bringing Niccolò Paganini’s chamber music to the forefront. Its original instrumentation – violin, guitar, viola, and cello – corresponds to the ensemble Paganini himself preferred. With a historically informed approach, the ensemble combines virtuosic brilliance, Italian bel canto, and emotional depth.
Between 2021 and 2024, the ensemble appeared in major concert halls and renowned festivals in Europe, Canada, and China – including the Musikverein Vienna, Konzerthaus Vienna, Ghent Festival, Auditorio Nacional de Música Madrid, Paganini Festival Genoa, Liszt Festival Raiding, and Collingwood Music Festival (Canada).
As the official ambassador of the European Paganini Route (EPR), the ensemble is committed to preserving and sharing Paganini’s musical heritage, collaborating closely with institutions such as the “Amici di Paganini” Society Genoa and the Biblioteca Casanatense Rome. Their work is supported by musicologists Dr. Mariateresa Dellabora and Dr. Danilo Prefumo.
The ensemble also dedicates itself to contemporary music: numerous composers – including Rainer Bischof, Gheorghi Arnaoudov, Richard Dünser, and Gabriele Proy – have created works especially for the group, premiered in their interpretations.
Currently, a complete recording of Paganini’s chamber works is being produced by the Italian label Dynamic.
“We must feel deeply in order to make others feel.” — Niccolò Paganini
