About
Already well-known to British audiences and many of today’s celebrated performers, Cristian Grajner de Sa is firmly establishing himself as an emerging young artist.
After his concerto debut aged 14 at St. James's Piccadilly, London, Cristian has been invited to perform in many of the great venues of Europe; notably the Wigmore Hall, St. Martin in the Fields, Kings Place, Colston Hall, the Mozarteum of Salzburg, the Atheneum of Bucharest, Ateneo de Madrid and further engagements in France, Switzerland and Italy. He has been broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, BBC Television and TVR Romanian National Television. After concerto engagements in previous concert seasons performing works of Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Lalo, Bruch and Mendelssohn to name only a few, this year Cristian returns to the Corn Exchange in Bedford to perform the Glazunov concerto and the Elgar concerto in July. He will give his European debut at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam in September 2019.
Cristian received the 1st Prize at the inaugural ‘Groba’ International Violin Competition was a finalist at the BBC Young Musician 2012. In 2018, he was chosen as one of 7 violinists to perform at the semi-final stage of the George Enescu International Competition and was a recipient of the Gold Medal with High Distinction at the 1st International Vienna Music Competition, 2019.
Born in December 1994 of Italian and Portuguese heritage, Cristian was awarded the Leverhulme Scholarship from the Royal Academy of Music at the young age of 13 and commenced his studies with Maurice Hasson. After 7 years under his supervision, he spent 2 futher years as the only student of the British violinist, Tasmin Little and Maxim Vengerov. In February 2017, he was invited to collaborate with Vengerov in his final concert as the Menuhin Professor at the Royal Academy, performing Brahms' Clarinet Quintet Op. 115.
Upon his graduation, Cristian was awarded the Regency Award for all-round excellence during his studentship and the highly distinguished 'J & A Beare Prize'; the most prestigious award of the strings department at the Royal Academy of Music, awarded to the most outstanding violin graduate. He completed his university education after 2 futher years of study at the Mozarteum University in the class of Pierre Amoyal.
Cristian has received tuition from many of today's great pedagogues and performers; notably Sylvia Rosenberg, Menahem Pressler, Vadim Repin, Ralph Kirshbaum, Olivier Charlier and he is most grateful for the invaluable advice and close guidance from James Ehnes and Mr. Rodney Friend.
He is frequently invited to many of the celebrated European music festivals and academies, performing most recently at the Sommerakademie Mozarteum, The International Holland Music Sessions and Académie de Musique de Lausanne.
Cristian plays a Camillo Camilli, 1740.