Artists First

Schnittke wrote this sonata in 1994, after surviving three clinical deaths from a stroke a decade earlier, and composing through years of deteriorating health. What draws me to this piece is a paradox I can't quite resolve: it is simultaneously cold and deeply soulful. Music that cuts through artifice and pulls you into the present moment. The five movements trace a sort of palindrome, moving from stillness into agitation, arriving at a central lamentation, then retracing those steps back into stillness. Schnittke: Cello Sonata no.2 An excerpt from movement IV. Allegro Full live recording on YouTube from Artists First x Teldex Festival in Berlin. @arashrokni @teldexstudio @jakob_boettcher @lukaskoehn_official @jacobhelbigtakesphotos @artists__first

☄️🎶 Kodaly: Duo for Violin and Cello Memories from our live recording at the wonderful Teldex Festival in August 2025 Thank you @artistsfirst and @teldexstudio for making it possible! https://youtu.be/nL6wpWpis0M?is=Jew8scUO1BM3ixWp

A fiery flashback to our live set at the inaugural #TeldexFestival last summer, which is now up in full on YouTube! Check it out in our bio and in the meantime, enjoy this excerpt from our arrangement of #Piazzolla’s Nightclub 1960 🪩✌️ #ittakestwo #tango #cello

from last summer in beautiful Teldex Festival 🧚🏽 with Neo Gundermann all thanks to @artists__first for making all of it possible and so special! in @teldexstudio playing Albertini Sonata X, the link to the full video is in my bio 🤓

Happy World Piano Day! This is a Prélude non mesuré (without measure) by Jean-Henri d’Anglebert - written like an improvisation, full of unexpected harmonic turns and beautiful ornamentation. Recorded at the intimate and unique Teldex Festival in August 2025 Full YouTube video including our duo session with cellist Oliver Herbert: https://youtu.be/KOMrvubA6X8?si=do5GZyoIrV83SCxg

OUT NOW Sibelius: Piano Quintet & Miniatures Annika Treutler & Aris Quartett Link in Bio Do you really know Sibelius? Together with the @arisquartett , @annikatreutler presents a compelling rediscovery of Jean Sibelius’s works, recorded at the @teldexstudio Berlin. Alongside fifteen poetic miniatures for solo piano, the early Piano Quintet in G minor emerges as a powerful and expressive masterpiece. This recording reveals a bold, unexpected side of the Finnish composer, whose usual Nordic clarity is here met with a rare, fiery intensity. Album available now for purchase, Piano Quintet available for streaming on all major streaming platforms! Executive Producer: Timo Hagemeister Recording Producer: @benedikt.schroder Recording Engineer: René Möller Assistant Engineer: @lukaskoehn_official , Hannah Schmeiser Design: Münchrath / Ideen+Medien, Photography: © David Thibaut #pianosolo #chambermusic #classicalpiano #newrelease #classicalmusic

#mosolov #music #war Mosolov composed most of his works before being sent to the Gulag. He composed during wartime, and his music still matters today! Thank you @artists__first and @teldexstudio for this great opportunity! The incredible piano is by @yamahapianosofficial Mosolov: Dance Op.23 No.1

Three sessions looking at recorded music, distribution, and the role of artistic practice as research from practical industry questions to bigger structural and conceptual shifts, connecting how music is made, shared, valued, and understood across industry practice and artistic research. 🎧 Fair Deal for Music Why isn’t your music on Spotify—and who actually benefits from the way recorded music works today? This session takes a closer look at fairness in the value chain, comparing physical media, streaming, and download models, and asking what sustainable alternatives might look like. Sebastian Solte @bastillemusique Chris O’Reilly @prestomusiccom 💿 Hands-On: How Do I Get My Recordings Out These Days? A practical, open-format session focused on real questions from artists and labels: pitching projects, working with distributors, starting a label, and making recording financially viable. Built around case studies and direct exchange, this session prioritises concrete answers over general discussion. @artists__first 🎼 Closing Keynote: Reimagining Music as Embodied & Immersive Research What if music isn’t just presentation—but investigation? This keynote explores how musical practice can function as embodied research, engaging with themes like identity, polarisation, and democratic resilience through immersive formats. @dagmarslagmolen @via_berlin #ClassicalNEXT2026 #ClassicalMusic #ArtMusic #Conference #Innovation

Wonderful memories from Teldex, Berlin! A little snippet from our live-recording session at the pure and spontaneous secret festival set in the famous studio. Huge thanks to Artists First from the invitation and for creating the moment - it was a great pleasure to play with my dear colleagues Snorre Kirk , Anders Fjeldsted & Filip Ekestubbe. ��Snippet is from my arrangement of danish Kai Normann Andersen “The Last Dance”, featured on our upcoming album. Do click the link in the description to enjoy our full session at the AF x Teldex Festival. @snorrekirk @filipekestubbe @andersfjeldsted @teldexstudio @artists__first Bespoke Black Tie by @maximilian.mogg #live #jazz #recording #festival #berlin

A look inside the creative process: pianist Kirill Gerstein reflects on the making of a new piano concerto composed for him by Francisco Coll. 🎹✨ Hear the result in this week’s concerts. 📆 Concerts: 26/27 March | Herkulessaal 🎫 Link in bio (c) Artists First #brso #sirsimonrattle #kirillgerstein #franciscocoll

Extremely grateful I got to spend the week in the city of Athens! @kgerstein and the @chamber_orchestra_europe played the complete cycle of Beethoven‘s piano concertos at @megaron_athens and we got to tag along! If you get the chance, come see these masterpieces being put on stage again in June at the @casals_forum in Kronberg. Special thanks to the wonderful team of the CoE!

Experience the explosive world premiere of Francisco Coll’s new Piano Concerto! On 26 & 27 March, Kirill Gerstein joins the BRSO and Sir Simon Rattle for this major new work. Coll’s music pushes sound to its limits – surreal contrasts, feverish energy, echoes of flamenco and jazz. His new concerto, written especially for this occasion, is a 20-minute journey in three movements: a wild ‘Humoresque,’ a poetic ‘Paisaje,’ and a manic, jazz-inspired ‘Rag’ that ends like a player piano spinning out of control. Tickets are still available – don’t miss it. (c) Artists First #brso #symphonieorchesterdesbayerischenrundfunks #kirillgerstein #franciscocoll #worldpremiere