International Guitar Festival Fribourg
October 8 - 16, 2010

Eglise St-Jean

Graziela Valceva-Fierro

Bulgaria

Born in Bulgaria. Graziela Valceva-Fierro obtained a soloist diploma at the Sofia Music Academy, and perfected her skills at the Boris Christoff Academy in Rome with Nicola Ghiuselev, as well as at the Lausanne Conservatoire where she obtained a further soloist diploma in 2001. She later worked with Magda Olivero and Teresa Berganza within the framework of master classes. During her studies, she was awarded scholarships from the Georges Soros Foundation, Franca De Rensis Christoff, the Nicati-de-Luze Foundation and the Lausanne Conservatoire.

In 1988, she won the first prize at the National Television Contest “New Lyrical Voices„ in Sofia, the first prize of the Istituto Europeo International Contest in Florence en 1998, the 2nd prize of the Giuseppe di Stefano International Contest in Trapani in 1999, the Leenaards Foundation prize in1999, as well as the extraordinary prize of the Francisco Vinas International Contest in Barcelona in 2000.

Between 1994 and 1996, Graziela Valceva Fierro performed as a soloist at the Sofia Musical Theatre, taking on the roles of Orlofsky in “Die Fledermaus„ and Cipra in Strauss' “Zigeunerbaron„, Ottilie in Benatzki's “Im weissen Rössel„, the title role in Offenbach's “La Belle Hélène„, etc. At the opera, her repertory spans from Monteverdi (Arianna in “Lamento d'Arianna„ in Florence) to Menotti (the title role of “Le medium„ in Vevey, and Amica in “Amelia al Ballo„ at the Lausanne Opera, a role she will also play at the Opéra Comique in Paris in 2007). She has also played the role of Carmen at the Linz Stadttheater and at the International Summer Festival in Varna, Isabella in “L'italiana in Algeri„in Trapani, Mme Noe in Britten's “L'Arche de Noé„ in Alsace, Gada in Derung's “Tredeschin„ at the Chur Stadttheater. Her repertoire also includes such characters as Verdi's Ulrica in “Ballo in Maschera„, Azucena in “Il Trovatore„ in Varna, Maddalena in “Rigoletto„ in Sofia and at the Linz Stadttheater.

In chamber music, she sung Respighi's “Il Tramonto„ at the Tibor Varga Festival and in Einsiedeln, Brahm's “Die Schöne Magelone„ in Aalen and in Lausanne during the Montbenon concert, but also pieces by Moussorgski and Wagner's “The Wesendonck Lieder„ with the orchestra of the Lausanne Conservatoire.
She performs as a soloist at the Sofia and Prague philharmonics, at the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne for Schöneberg's “Gurrelieders„ and De Falla's “Les Chansons Populaires„.

She also appears in numberous oratorios in Canada, in Italy, in Spain and in Switzerland, notably in Bach's “Christmas Oratorio„ and “Magnificat„, Rossini's “Solemn Mass„, Dvorjak's “Stabat Mater„, Verdi's “Requiem„, Suter's “Le Laudi„, etc. She has worked together with such conductors as Jost Meier, Emil Tabakov, Juri Belochlavech, Peter Maag, Bruno Ferrandis, etc.

During the 2006-2007 season, Graziela Valceva Fierro is engaged at the ENVOL (soloist ensemble) of the Opéra de Lausanne.

André Fischer

Switzerland

Following musical schooling in his hometown, Neuchâtelois guitarist André Fischer pursued his studies at the Basel Conservatoire, where he obtained a soloist diploma in Oscar Ghiglia's class in 1998. During this time, he enjoyed the opportunity of working with great contemporary masters of the guitar such as E. Fisk, A. Pierri, L. Brouwer, or H. Smith. Winner of the Ruggiero Chiesa international competition in Camogli, he also won the Città di Alessandria competition in Gargnano, the Karl Scheit competition, as well as national events such as the Miéville-Hory or the E. Göhner Migros competitions. André Fischer has notably performed at the Centro romano della chitarra in Rome, the Mottolà international festival in Turin, and the Mozart-Saal in Vienna.

Fascinated by the development of the chamber music repertoire with guitar, he regularly performs in programmes featuring vocalists or a second guitar, playing pieces by F. Schubert, J. Brahms or even K. Weill, amongst others. At the same time, he teaches guitar and chamber music at the Neuchâtel Conservatoire. André Fischer plays guitars created by Catalan instrument-maker Francisco Simplicio (Barcelona, 1926), and Jacques Vincenti (Geneva, 1999).

Jost Meier

Switzerland

Jost Meier was born on March 15, 1939, in Solothurn. Following his school leaving certificate, he studied mathematics and physics. A gifted cellist and violinist, he began composing music as a teenager. Educated at the conservatoires of Biel and Berne, he left for Holland to study with Frank Martin. Engaged as a cellist at the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra and at the Camerata in Berne, he became the appointed director of the Société d'Orchestre de la Ville et du Théâtre de Bienne (Biel) from 1969 to 1979. From there, he moved on to become the director of the Basel Opera. Since 1983, he works as a freelance conductor and composer.

Jost Meier works in Switzerland and in most other European countries; further more, he teaches at the Zurich and Basel conservatoires. After having focussed essentially chamber music and symphonic pieces, he began devoting himself to lyrical art. His orchestral work is performed in Europe, in the USA and in Australia, while his operas are produced in Freiburg in Brisgau, Basel, Kassel, Zurich, Biel, Saarbrücken... (amongst others: le Dragon, 1984; der Zoobär, 1987; Augustin, 1987; and Dreyfus, created in 1994 at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, and which he conducted personally on a number of occasions).

In 1969, he was awarded the Prix de la Composition de l'ORTF in Paris, followed by the Prix du Festival de Lausanne in 1984, and the Prix des Arts du Canton de Soleure in 1985. In 1995, the city of Biel awarded him its cultural prize. Jost Meier lives in Basel and Arcegno (Ticino), and teaches at the Basel and Zurich conservatoires.