Japanese violinist Kei Shirai and Bulgarian pianist Sibila Konstantinova present a programme exploring the many facets of Romantic music, from poetic tenderness to dramatic intensity. Antonín Dvořák’s Romantic Pieces, Op. 75, are among his most lyrical chamber works. Originally composed for two violins and viola, they were later arranged for violin and piano. Leoš Janáček’s Violin Sonata reveals the composer’s distinctive dramatic language and remarkable emotional immediacy, inspired by his fascination with the rhythms and inflections of the human voice.

The second half of the programme features Johannes Brahms’s Violin Sonata No. 3, Op. 108, the last of his three violin sonatas and the only one in four movements. Composed towards the end of the 19th century, it combines virtuoso brilliance, lyrical depth and dramatic power. The meeting of Kei Shirai, laureate of the ARD International Music Competition in Munich and former concertmaster of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, and Sibila Konstantinova, an acclaimed soloist and chamber musician and faculty member at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, promises a captivating musical dialogue.

PART OF „cHAMBER CONCERTS“

the performers

Kei Shirai, violin
Sibila Konstantinova, piano

the programme

Antonín Dvořák (1841 – 1901)
Romantic Pieces, Op. 75

Leoš Janáček (1854 – 1928)
Violin Sonata

Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 108

Japanese violinist Kei Shirai was born in Trinidad and Tobago. After studying at Tokyo University of the Arts,
he attended the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. His awards in international competitions
include the second prize and audience prize at the ARD International Music Competition Munich. After
working at the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra as a short-contract member, Kei
Shirai has served as concertmaster of the Kobe City Chamber Orchestra and the NHK Symphony Orchestra.
Kei enjoys a multi-faceted career as a recitalist, concerto soloist, chamber music expert, guest
concertmaster and conductor. His concert engagements take him frequently to Japan’s biggest
venues and festivals. As a concertmaster, he was invited by the Czech Philharmonic, the Dresden
Philharmonic, the Stuttgart State Orchestra and many Japanese orchestras.
He is music director of Revolution Ensemble since 2010 and since 2023 he has been leading the
Kugenuma Music Academy.

https://kei-shirai.site/

Bulgarian pianist Sibila Konstantinova is distinguished by the elegance and warmth of her playing. Her insightful interpretations of the works of the Viennese Classical composers, as well as those of Schubert and Brahms, have earned her the admiration of audiences far beyond her adopted home city of Vienna.

Born in Varna, Bulgaria, Sibila Konstantinova began her musical education at the State Music School “Dobri Hristov.” Upon graduation, she was awarded a full scholarship by the Corporation of London to pursue her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she joined the class of Prof. Joan Havill. She obtained both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in piano performance and subsequently became an Artist Fellow at GSMD. Before moving to Vienna to specialize in chamber music under Avedis Kouyoumdjian at the University of Music and Performing Arts, she received numerous awards from institutions including the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund, and the Myra Hess Foundation.

As a soloist and chamber musician, Sibila has performed extensively throughout Europe in prestigious venues such as the Barbican Centre and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Wigmore Hall, the Glass Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna, and the Konzerthaus in Berlin. Her performances have been broadcast by the Bulgarian National Television and Radio, the Performance Channel (UK), Radio Ö1 (Austria), and Radio NDR4 (Netherlands).

Sibila Konstantinova is a founding member of the Stefan Zweig Trio, winners of the 2015 Joseph Haydn International Chamber Music Competition. The release of their debut CD, featuring trios by Korngold and Zemlinsky, received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for an OPUS Klassik Award.

A passionate teacher, Sibila has been a member of the faculty at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts (mdw) since 2013. She was appointed Senior Lecturer in Piano Chamber Music in 2021 and has since given masterclasses at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius, the Latvian Academy of Music in Riga, and at the Grafenegg, Großraming, and Ghent Festivals as part of the European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA).