Second Violins

Robert Brem

In the orchestra since 2016

Robert Bram is a laureate of numerous international contests: Valsesia Musica Juniores (Italy, 2000, 1st prize), San Nicola (Italy, 2010, Grand Prix as part of the Sebastian Trio), The Fall Marathon (Russia, 2012, 1st prize as part of Quartet 432), Muses of the World (formerly known as Modern Art and Education; Russia, 2012, 1st prize as part of Quartet 432).

Together with Quartet 432, he is a laureate of the TIM international tournament (Paris, France).

Robert Bram is a participant and laureate of various international festivals, both as a soloist and as an ensemble member: the Romantic Music festival (Moscow), the Winter Path festival (Saint Petersburg), the SEMB individual projects festival (Moscow), Primavera Classica (Moscow), Uluslararasi Eskişehir Festival (Eskişehir, Turkey), ENKA Kultur Sanat (Istanbul, Turkey), the VIIIth Mstislav Rostropovich International Festival (Baku, Azerbaijan), the International Diaghilev Festival (Perm, Russia), the Blossoming Ledum festival (Chita, Russia), the Russian-Chinese Cultural Forum (Jiangxi province, China).

He taught at the summer music school in Yevpatoria (Crimea, 2019). He is also the co-founder of the “Leonid Lundstrom’s Creative Workshop” autonomous NCO.

WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST MUSICAL INFLUENCE?

I think everyone I’ve met on my path has had some sort of influence on me. I’ve come across a great number of outstanding musicians who have helped me. I can clearly remember my very first teacher, the late Pyotr Danilovich Chavushian. He used to tell me to grab my towel and go practice. He meant that talent and inspiration weren’t enough: sometimes, one has to be patient and learn things over and over by heart — and the towel is needed to wipe the sweat from the forehead in the process!

WHAT DO YOU VALUE THE MOST IN WORKING WITH MUSICAETERNA?

The true life is the biggest value. Our work isn’t something static, it’s our life — as real as it can get. This is what I find the most appealing about it. I really like the idea about orchestra formation that I heard from my teacher (and someone I’m close to in spirit), Leonid Igorevich Lundstrom. He said a good conductor was a person who, through his orchestra, was able to transfer not his own thoughts but something “from above” to the audience. If this system works, then the real life happens. I believe musicAeterna is one of the few ensembles where it does work this way.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO CREATE?

My wife and my daughter. They support me and help me to stay cheerful.

DO YOU HAVE A DREAM?

Not a dream per se, but I do have goals. I believe, in fact, that one needs goals over dreams. At the moment, my goal is to record Georg Telemann’s 12 Fantasias for solo violin. I’ve already performed with this programme several times, and I hope to get down to recording pretty soon. What next? Time will tell.