New book: The Archetypal Violins of Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, now available. Pre-order today.

The Florian Leonhard Fellowship

The rich tapestry of talented clients who make up our fellowship are what FLFV is all about: our service to musicians, and therefore music, is the reason we’re here, and we take pride in working in a friendly and supportive atmosphere.

Fellowship: ‘A friendly association with people who share one’s interests’

This perfectly captures the ethos of our extended family. The intention came first, and 25 years later as we look back, we see what has emerged from our dedicated support for musicians around the world.

At FLFV we’ve prioritised supporting talented players, musical charities and festivals for over 25 years. Read about some of the members of our musical family below.

Simon Zhu

Soloist and 2023 Paganini Competition Winner

I have first met Florian in 2017 at the Kloster Schöntal competition when I was just 16. He served as a member of the Jury there.

He was one if the first people who took me seriously and introduced me to the world of fine violins. Since then I had the pleasure of playing some of the most amazing instruments over the years through the Florian Leonhard fellowship.

I am incredibly grateful to Florian and his amazing Team for their generosity, kindness and all their help. I can say for sure that I wouldn’t be the musician I am today without them.

Menuhin Competition

FLFV have been sponsors of the Junior Menuhin Competition since 2008. Among the recipients of our prize (the loan of a fine violin in addition to a monetary prize) are the staggeringly talented winners of the Junior Division of the competition:

Keila Wakao, Chloe Chua, Christian Li, Yesong Sophie Lee, Rennosuke Fukuda, Kevin Zhu, Kerson Leong, Chad Hoopes, and the list goes on.

The two-year loan has often turned into a long-term sponsorship as we have had the privilege to see these fine artists achieve their astonishing potential on the world stage.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason MBE

We first met Sheku through Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, and our support for Chineke! when he was just 14 years old. Sheku showed such infectious, intuitive musicianship, and it was immediately clear that he needed a cello which would allow him to continue to achieve his potential. It quickly became our mission to support his journey.

We were able to arrange the long-term loan of a rare Hieronymus Amati cello (Cremona, 1610) and a superb Maire bow, purchased for Sheku’s use by generous benefactors respectively, themselves long-term friends of FLFV. Sheku’s meteoric rise to global stardom ensued, which none of us could have foreseen, beginning with winning BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2016, playing on the Amati cello in the final two rounds. In May 2021 we were able to secure for Sheku the long-term loan of a superb cello by Matteo Goffriller, Venice c1700, through the Fellowship thanks to the generosity of a syndicate of private benefactors.

We remain extremely proud of Sheku’s achievements as a cellist, ambassador, and role model for young musicians everywhere. Sheku is taking the Classical Music world by storm and changing its face forever.

Highgate International Chamber Music Festival

Ashok, Natalie and the team have long been clients and friends of the FLFV family. Since the festival began as a small gathering at a local church, we have seen it grow to a sold-out annual event, attracting the highest calibre of musicians as can be heard anywhere.

The unique combination of local community and global talent make this a highlight of our year each Winter, and we have been proud supporters since 2014.

Nancy Zhou

‘One of today’s probing musical voices infused with searing virtuosity’, to witness Nancy’s playing is quite simply a transcendent experience. Florian met Nancy after being introduced by Anne-Sophie Mutter in 2011 and was bowled over by her playing. With loans of fine violins by makers including Gagliano and Stradivari, Nancy went on to win first place in the 2018 Isaac Stern Violin Competition and the 2018 International Music Competition Harbin, amongst numerous other prizes.

Now a well-established soloist based on the West Coast of America, Nancy gives concerts throughout the US, Europe and Asia, and shares her musical and technical insights in regular masterclasses. Since 2008, Nancy has been sponsored by the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, frequently collaborating with Ms. Mutter on tours in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Nancy plays a fine Guarneri del Gesù from c1730, ‘Le Sphynx’.

Chineke!

The motto of Chineke!, Europe’s first majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra, is ‘Championing change and celebrating diversity in classical music’. Ever since day one we have been proud supporters of the Chineke! Foundation and Orchestra, and their important mission which we all share. With Chineke! we have experienced countless exhilarating concerts and met so many talented musicians from all over Europe and beyond.

Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE has a clear vision, and has put it into motion on a scale beyond our wildest dreams. Chi-chi says, “music, of whatever kind, is for all people”, and who could disagree?

Lawrence Power

After having attended his concerts for over a decade, when we recently met violist Lawrence Power at the Aspen Music Festival he asked for advice in finding a suitable instrument for his increasingly regular violin performances. He plays a gorgeous Brescian viola, and the violin would need to be something really top notch. We were able to introduce Lawrence to a friend and long-term client of FLFV with a collection of extremely fine old Italian instruments (as well as a FLFV True Copy of a Guarneri del Gesù!). They immediately hit it off, and Lawrence has been able to play on a fine Stradivari violin for many of his UK performances.

Lawrence’s playing and musicianship are second to none, and it is a true honour to have helped in this very small way.

O’Modernt

Hugo Ticciati, violinist, conductor and artistic director, is quite simply one of a kind. Since Florian first met Hugo in 1999, our whole team have been superfans of his ground-breaking work, and especially of O/Modernt, which ‘imaginatively explores artistic connections old and new’ to awaken an innovative listening. It has been an honour to support Hugo and O/Modernt and enjoy their truly inspiring and unique music making.

Yume Fujise

Through our work as Official Stringed Instrument Experts for the Royal College of Music in London we were introduced to Yume in 2015. It was instantly clear that Yume had a rare musical sensitivity, and could draw out endless soundscapes from any instrument. We made it our mission to find her a violin that she could play long-term, and after many heart-breaking short-term loans, it was our delight to be able to help secure a fine J. B. Vuillaume violin on indefinite loan. Yume has been a BBC Introducing Classical Artist and member of the Kleio Quartet, and her career continues to go from strength to strength.

LGT Young Soloists

Since its inception, we have been proud supporters of the award winning LGT Young Soloists, including arranging regular loans of fine old Italian instruments for their unique and highly engaging concerts. LGT Young Soloists’ audiences can always be sure to expect ecstatic music making of a world-class level, and it is an honour to have enjoyed their tremendous journey so far.

Hayoung Choi

Born in Bielefeld in Germany, Hayoung Choi studied at the Korean National University of Arts Myung-Wha Chung and Hyongwon Chang, the Purcell School for Young Musicians in England with Alexander Boyarsky, and then at the Kronberg Academy, where she was taught by Frans Helmerson and Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt.

She has won first prize in several international competitions, including the 2022 Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, playing on a fine Bergonzi cello loaned through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship, as well as the Krzysztof Penderecki Competition in Poland, the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria, the Antonio Janigro Competition in Croatia, and the Justus Dotzauer Competition in Germany. She has performed as a soloist with Kremerata Baltica, the Camerata Salzburg, the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra and the Olsztyn Philharmonic Orchestra among others.

Royal College of Music London

In our capacity as official Expert and Luthier for Stringed Instruments for the Royal College of Music we come across many of the brightest future stars of the string world. For special concerts and masterclasses, as well as while we are restoring instruments of the RCM’s collection, we regularly loan instruments from our collection to their students, and it is a rewarding part of our work to hear their inspiring performances.

Azadeh Maghsoodi

,,Azadeh obviously has a fantastic technique. But she also has this truthfulness and beauty of sound, which reflects what is inside the music. This is very rare; not just for a young person, but for anybody.” These exuberant words come from none other than Nigel Kennedy. At the age of 15, Azadeh Maghsoodi played Bach’s Double Concerto with the star violinist at the Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival and gained international attention overnight.
Azadeh Maghsoodi has appeared several times on radio and television, as recently on the famous Persian TV show „Chandshanbeh ba Sina Valiollah“ and Shadi Asadollahi on MBC Persia London. A childhood dream came true: she played on a violin by Antonio Stradivari, made available to her through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship. A long-time fellow of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, Azadeh Maghsoodi has played instruments by Joseph Gagliano (Naples 1795), Lorenzo Ventapane (Naples 1790), and Stefan-Peter Greiner (Bonn 1998).

Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra

The ABYSO is a year-round, not-for-profit after school youth music programme founded in 2018 to provide quality, fun and accessible music education, instruments, performance and mentorship opportunities to young musicians and music teachers across Antigua and Barbuda. ABYSO programmes are designed to encourage social change, academic success, creativity teamwork and co-operative learning among young people regardless of their social and economic background. We first encountered the ABYSO through hosting a fundraising event with the Kanneh-Masons, proud members of the Antiguan and Barbudan diaspora in the United Kingdom through their father Stuart Mason. The family performed across schools in Antigua and Barbuda in 2018 and this experience led to the formation of the ABYSO. The Kanneh-Masons serve as advisors and music mentors to the ABYSO, assist with fundraising and hold an annual concert with the Orchestra in Antigua called Playing to Inspire.

Mark Chia

Mark Chia started playing the violin at 3 years old. Since the age of 5, he has been under the tutelage of Min Lee, an acclaimed Singaporean violinist.

Mark has been a top prize winner in several competitions including the Il Piccolo Violino Magico International Competition 2022, Leonid Kogan International Competition for Young Violinist 2021, Concorso Internazionale per Giovani Violinisti Festival 2020 and Alessandro Giuliani Violin competition (ASEAN round) 2019. He has also participated in masterclasses with Evgeny Sinaiski, Professor Simon James, Soovin Kim, Dr Robin Wilson, Aleksey Igudesman and Roby Lakatos. Away from the violin, Mark also does composing and improvisation, and plays the piano.

Mark plays on a fine Gagliano violin on loan through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship.

The High Barnet Chamber Music Festival

Established in 2021 by conductor and composer Joshua Ballance in the wake of the lockdowns, the High Barnet Chamber Music Festical presents a series of concerts each July. These provide a platform for the best early-career musicians, who explore repertoire spanning Schubert to Saariaho. FLFV have been supporters since 2022.

Simon Zhu

Soloist and 2023 Paganini Competition Winner

I have first met Florian in 2017 at the Kloster Schöntal competition when I was just 16. He served as a member of the Jury there.

He was one if the first people who took me seriously and introduced me to the world of fine violins. Since then I had the pleasure of playing some of the most amazing instruments over the years through the Florian Leonhard fellowship.

I am incredibly grateful to Florian and his amazing Team for their generosity, kindness and all their help. I can say for sure that I wouldn’t be the musician I am today without them.

Menuhin Competition

FLFV have been sponsors of the Junior Menuhin Competition since 2008. Among the recipients of our prize (the loan of a fine violin in addition to a monetary prize) are the staggeringly talented winners of the Junior Division of the competition:

Keila Wakao, Chloe Chua, Christian Li, Yesong Sophie Lee, Rennosuke Fukuda, Kevin Zhu, Kerson Leong, Chad Hoopes, and the list goes on.

The two-year loan has often turned into a long-term sponsorship as we have had the privilege to see these fine artists achieve their astonishing potential on the world stage.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason MBE

We first met Sheku through Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, and our support for Chineke! when he was just 14 years old. Sheku showed such infectious, intuitive musicianship, and it was immediately clear that he needed a cello which would allow him to continue to achieve his potential. It quickly became our mission to support his journey.

We were able to arrange the long-term loan of a rare Hieronymus Amati cello (Cremona, 1610) and a superb Maire bow, purchased for Sheku’s use by generous benefactors respectively, themselves long-term friends of FLFV. Sheku’s meteoric rise to global stardom ensued, which none of us could have foreseen, beginning with winning BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2016, playing on the Amati cello in the final two rounds. In May 2021 we were able to secure for Sheku the long-term loan of a superb cello by Matteo Goffriller, Venice c1700, through the Fellowship thanks to the generosity of a syndicate of private benefactors.

We remain extremely proud of Sheku’s achievements as a cellist, ambassador, and role model for young musicians everywhere. Sheku is taking the Classical Music world by storm and changing its face forever.

Highgate International Chamber Music Festival

Ashok, Natalie and the team have long been clients and friends of the FLFV family. Since the festival began as a small gathering at a local church, we have seen it grow to a sold-out annual event, attracting the highest calibre of musicians as can be heard anywhere.

The unique combination of local community and global talent make this a highlight of our year each Winter, and we have been proud supporters since 2014.

Nancy Zhou

‘One of today’s probing musical voices infused with searing virtuosity’, to witness Nancy’s playing is quite simply a transcendent experience. Florian met Nancy after being introduced by Anne-Sophie Mutter in 2011 and was bowled over by her playing. With loans of fine violins by makers including Gagliano and Stradivari, Nancy went on to win first place in the 2018 Isaac Stern Violin Competition and the 2018 International Music Competition Harbin, amongst numerous other prizes.

Now a well-established soloist based on the West Coast of America, Nancy gives concerts throughout the US, Europe and Asia, and shares her musical and technical insights in regular masterclasses. Since 2008, Nancy has been sponsored by the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, frequently collaborating with Ms. Mutter on tours in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Nancy plays a fine Guarneri del Gesù from c1730, ‘Le Sphynx’.

Chineke!

The motto of Chineke!, Europe’s first majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra, is ‘Championing change and celebrating diversity in classical music’. Ever since day one we have been proud supporters of the Chineke! Foundation and Orchestra, and their important mission which we all share. With Chineke! we have experienced countless exhilarating concerts and met so many talented musicians from all over Europe and beyond.

Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE has a clear vision, and has put it into motion on a scale beyond our wildest dreams. Chi-chi says, “music, of whatever kind, is for all people”, and who could disagree?

Lawrence Power

After having attended his concerts for over a decade, when we recently met violist Lawrence Power at the Aspen Music Festival he asked for advice in finding a suitable instrument for his increasingly regular violin performances. He plays a gorgeous Brescian viola, and the violin would need to be something really top notch. We were able to introduce Lawrence to a friend and long-term client of FLFV with a collection of extremely fine old Italian instruments (as well as a FLFV True Copy of a Guarneri del Gesù!). They immediately hit it off, and Lawrence has been able to play on a fine Stradivari violin for many of his UK performances.

Lawrence’s playing and musicianship are second to none, and it is a true honour to have helped in this very small way.

O’Modernt

Hugo Ticciati, violinist, conductor and artistic director, is quite simply one of a kind. Since Florian first met Hugo in 1999, our whole team have been superfans of his ground-breaking work, and especially of O/Modernt, which ‘imaginatively explores artistic connections old and new’ to awaken an innovative listening. It has been an honour to support Hugo and O/Modernt and enjoy their truly inspiring and unique music making.

Yume Fujise

Through our work as Official Stringed Instrument Experts for the Royal College of Music in London we were introduced to Yume in 2015. It was instantly clear that Yume had a rare musical sensitivity, and could draw out endless soundscapes from any instrument. We made it our mission to find her a violin that she could play long-term, and after many heart-breaking short-term loans, it was our delight to be able to help secure a fine J. B. Vuillaume violin on indefinite loan. Yume has been a BBC Introducing Classical Artist and member of the Kleio Quartet, and her career continues to go from strength to strength.

LGT Young Soloists

Since its inception, we have been proud supporters of the award winning LGT Young Soloists, including arranging regular loans of fine old Italian instruments for their unique and highly engaging concerts. LGT Young Soloists’ audiences can always be sure to expect ecstatic music making of a world-class level, and it is an honour to have enjoyed their tremendous journey so far.

Hayoung Choi

Born in Bielefeld in Germany, Hayoung Choi studied at the Korean National University of Arts Myung-Wha Chung and Hyongwon Chang, the Purcell School for Young Musicians in England with Alexander Boyarsky, and then at the Kronberg Academy, where she was taught by Frans Helmerson and Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt.

She has won first prize in several international competitions, including the 2022 Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, playing on a fine Bergonzi cello loaned through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship, as well as the Krzysztof Penderecki Competition in Poland, the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria, the Antonio Janigro Competition in Croatia, and the Justus Dotzauer Competition in Germany. She has performed as a soloist with Kremerata Baltica, the Camerata Salzburg, the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra and the Olsztyn Philharmonic Orchestra among others.

Royal College of Music London

In our capacity as official Expert and Luthier for Stringed Instruments for the Royal College of Music we come across many of the brightest future stars of the string world. For special concerts and masterclasses, as well as while we are restoring instruments of the RCM’s collection, we regularly loan instruments from our collection to their students, and it is a rewarding part of our work to hear their inspiring performances.

Azadeh Maghsoodi

,,Azadeh obviously has a fantastic technique. But she also has this truthfulness and beauty of sound, which reflects what is inside the music. This is very rare; not just for a young person, but for anybody.” These exuberant words come from none other than Nigel Kennedy. At the age of 15, Azadeh Maghsoodi played Bach’s Double Concerto with the star violinist at the Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival and gained international attention overnight.
Azadeh Maghsoodi has appeared several times on radio and television, as recently on the famous Persian TV show „Chandshanbeh ba Sina Valiollah“ and Shadi Asadollahi on MBC Persia London. A childhood dream came true: she played on a violin by Antonio Stradivari, made available to her through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship. A long-time fellow of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, Azadeh Maghsoodi has played instruments by Joseph Gagliano (Naples 1795), Lorenzo Ventapane (Naples 1790), and Stefan-Peter Greiner (Bonn 1998).

Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra

The ABYSO is a year-round, not-for-profit after school youth music programme founded in 2018 to provide quality, fun and accessible music education, instruments, performance and mentorship opportunities to young musicians and music teachers across Antigua and Barbuda. ABYSO programmes are designed to encourage social change, academic success, creativity teamwork and co-operative learning among young people regardless of their social and economic background. We first encountered the ABYSO through hosting a fundraising event with the Kanneh-Masons, proud members of the Antiguan and Barbudan diaspora in the United Kingdom through their father Stuart Mason. The family performed across schools in Antigua and Barbuda in 2018 and this experience led to the formation of the ABYSO. The Kanneh-Masons serve as advisors and music mentors to the ABYSO, assist with fundraising and hold an annual concert with the Orchestra in Antigua called Playing to Inspire.

Mark Chia

Mark Chia started playing the violin at 3 years old. Since the age of 5, he has been under the tutelage of Min Lee, an acclaimed Singaporean violinist.

Mark has been a top prize winner in several competitions including the Il Piccolo Violino Magico International Competition 2022, Leonid Kogan International Competition for Young Violinist 2021, Concorso Internazionale per Giovani Violinisti Festival 2020 and Alessandro Giuliani Violin competition (ASEAN round) 2019. He has also participated in masterclasses with Evgeny Sinaiski, Professor Simon James, Soovin Kim, Dr Robin Wilson, Aleksey Igudesman and Roby Lakatos. Away from the violin, Mark also does composing and improvisation, and plays the piano.

Mark plays on a fine Gagliano violin on loan through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship.

The High Barnet Chamber Music Festival

Established in 2021 by conductor and composer Joshua Ballance in the wake of the lockdowns, the High Barnet Chamber Music Festical presents a series of concerts each July. These provide a platform for the best early-career musicians, who explore repertoire spanning Schubert to Saariaho. FLFV have been supporters since 2022.

Simon Zhu

Soloist and 2023 Paganini Competition Winner

I have first met Florian in 2017 at the Kloster Schöntal competition when I was just 16. He served as a member of the Jury there.

He was one if the first people who took me seriously and introduced me to the world of fine violins. Since then I had the pleasure of playing some of the most amazing instruments over the years through the Florian Leonhard fellowship.

I am incredibly grateful to Florian and his amazing Team for their generosity, kindness and all their help. I can say for sure that I wouldn’t be the musician I am today without them.

Menuhin Competition

FLFV have been sponsors of the Junior Menuhin Competition since 2008. Among the recipients of our prize (the loan of a fine violin in addition to a monetary prize) are the staggeringly talented winners of the Junior Division of the competition:

Keila Wakao, Chloe Chua, Christian Li, Yesong Sophie Lee, Rennosuke Fukuda, Kevin Zhu, Kerson Leong, Chad Hoopes, and the list goes on.

The two-year loan has often turned into a long-term sponsorship as we have had the privilege to see these fine artists achieve their astonishing potential on the world stage.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason MBE

We first met Sheku through Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, and our support for Chineke! when he was just 14 years old. Sheku showed such infectious, intuitive musicianship, and it was immediately clear that he needed a cello which would allow him to continue to achieve his potential. It quickly became our mission to support his journey.

We were able to arrange the long-term loan of a rare Hieronymus Amati cello (Cremona, 1610) and a superb Maire bow, purchased for Sheku’s use by generous benefactors respectively, themselves long-term friends of FLFV. Sheku’s meteoric rise to global stardom ensued, which none of us could have foreseen, beginning with winning BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2016, playing on the Amati cello in the final two rounds. In May 2021 we were able to secure for Sheku the long-term loan of a superb cello by Matteo Goffriller, Venice c1700, through the Fellowship thanks to the generosity of a syndicate of private benefactors.

We remain extremely proud of Sheku’s achievements as a cellist, ambassador, and role model for young musicians everywhere. Sheku is taking the Classical Music world by storm and changing its face forever.

Highgate International Chamber Music Festival

Ashok, Natalie and the team have long been clients and friends of the FLFV family. Since the festival began as a small gathering at a local church, we have seen it grow to a sold-out annual event, attracting the highest calibre of musicians as can be heard anywhere.

The unique combination of local community and global talent make this a highlight of our year each Winter, and we have been proud supporters since 2014.

Nancy Zhou

‘One of today’s probing musical voices infused with searing virtuosity’, to witness Nancy’s playing is quite simply a transcendent experience. Florian met Nancy after being introduced by Anne-Sophie Mutter in 2011 and was bowled over by her playing. With loans of fine violins by makers including Gagliano and Stradivari, Nancy went on to win first place in the 2018 Isaac Stern Violin Competition and the 2018 International Music Competition Harbin, amongst numerous other prizes.

Now a well-established soloist based on the West Coast of America, Nancy gives concerts throughout the US, Europe and Asia, and shares her musical and technical insights in regular masterclasses. Since 2008, Nancy has been sponsored by the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, frequently collaborating with Ms. Mutter on tours in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Nancy plays a fine Guarneri del Gesù from c1730, ‘Le Sphynx’.

Chineke!

The motto of Chineke!, Europe’s first majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra, is ‘Championing change and celebrating diversity in classical music’. Ever since day one we have been proud supporters of the Chineke! Foundation and Orchestra, and their important mission which we all share. With Chineke! we have experienced countless exhilarating concerts and met so many talented musicians from all over Europe and beyond.

Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE has a clear vision, and has put it into motion on a scale beyond our wildest dreams. Chi-chi says, “music, of whatever kind, is for all people”, and who could disagree?

Lawrence Power

After having attended his concerts for over a decade, when we recently met violist Lawrence Power at the Aspen Music Festival he asked for advice in finding a suitable instrument for his increasingly regular violin performances. He plays a gorgeous Brescian viola, and the violin would need to be something really top notch. We were able to introduce Lawrence to a friend and long-term client of FLFV with a collection of extremely fine old Italian instruments (as well as a FLFV True Copy of a Guarneri del Gesù!). They immediately hit it off, and Lawrence has been able to play on a fine Stradivari violin for many of his UK performances.

Lawrence’s playing and musicianship are second to none, and it is a true honour to have helped in this very small way.

O’Modernt

Hugo Ticciati, violinist, conductor and artistic director, is quite simply one of a kind. Since Florian first met Hugo in 1999, our whole team have been superfans of his ground-breaking work, and especially of O/Modernt, which ‘imaginatively explores artistic connections old and new’ to awaken an innovative listening. It has been an honour to support Hugo and O/Modernt and enjoy their truly inspiring and unique music making.

Yume Fujise

Through our work as Official Stringed Instrument Experts for the Royal College of Music in London we were introduced to Yume in 2015. It was instantly clear that Yume had a rare musical sensitivity, and could draw out endless soundscapes from any instrument. We made it our mission to find her a violin that she could play long-term, and after many heart-breaking short-term loans, it was our delight to be able to help secure a fine J. B. Vuillaume violin on indefinite loan. Yume has been a BBC Introducing Classical Artist and member of the Kleio Quartet, and her career continues to go from strength to strength.

LGT Young Soloists

Since its inception, we have been proud supporters of the award winning LGT Young Soloists, including arranging regular loans of fine old Italian instruments for their unique and highly engaging concerts. LGT Young Soloists’ audiences can always be sure to expect ecstatic music making of a world-class level, and it is an honour to have enjoyed their tremendous journey so far.

Hayoung Choi

Born in Bielefeld in Germany, Hayoung Choi studied at the Korean National University of Arts Myung-Wha Chung and Hyongwon Chang, the Purcell School for Young Musicians in England with Alexander Boyarsky, and then at the Kronberg Academy, where she was taught by Frans Helmerson and Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt.

She has won first prize in several international competitions, including the 2022 Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, playing on a fine Bergonzi cello loaned through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship, as well as the Krzysztof Penderecki Competition in Poland, the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria, the Antonio Janigro Competition in Croatia, and the Justus Dotzauer Competition in Germany. She has performed as a soloist with Kremerata Baltica, the Camerata Salzburg, the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra and the Olsztyn Philharmonic Orchestra among others.

Royal College of Music London

In our capacity as official Expert and Luthier for Stringed Instruments for the Royal College of Music we come across many of the brightest future stars of the string world. For special concerts and masterclasses, as well as while we are restoring instruments of the RCM’s collection, we regularly loan instruments from our collection to their students, and it is a rewarding part of our work to hear their inspiring performances.

Azadeh Maghsoodi

,,Azadeh obviously has a fantastic technique. But she also has this truthfulness and beauty of sound, which reflects what is inside the music. This is very rare; not just for a young person, but for anybody.” These exuberant words come from none other than Nigel Kennedy. At the age of 15, Azadeh Maghsoodi played Bach’s Double Concerto with the star violinist at the Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival and gained international attention overnight.
Azadeh Maghsoodi has appeared several times on radio and television, as recently on the famous Persian TV show „Chandshanbeh ba Sina Valiollah“ and Shadi Asadollahi on MBC Persia London. A childhood dream came true: she played on a violin by Antonio Stradivari, made available to her through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship. A long-time fellow of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, Azadeh Maghsoodi has played instruments by Joseph Gagliano (Naples 1795), Lorenzo Ventapane (Naples 1790), and Stefan-Peter Greiner (Bonn 1998).

Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra

The ABYSO is a year-round, not-for-profit after school youth music programme founded in 2018 to provide quality, fun and accessible music education, instruments, performance and mentorship opportunities to young musicians and music teachers across Antigua and Barbuda. ABYSO programmes are designed to encourage social change, academic success, creativity teamwork and co-operative learning among young people regardless of their social and economic background. We first encountered the ABYSO through hosting a fundraising event with the Kanneh-Masons, proud members of the Antiguan and Barbudan diaspora in the United Kingdom through their father Stuart Mason. The family performed across schools in Antigua and Barbuda in 2018 and this experience led to the formation of the ABYSO. The Kanneh-Masons serve as advisors and music mentors to the ABYSO, assist with fundraising and hold an annual concert with the Orchestra in Antigua called Playing to Inspire.

Mark Chia

Mark Chia started playing the violin at 3 years old. Since the age of 5, he has been under the tutelage of Min Lee, an acclaimed Singaporean violinist.

Mark has been a top prize winner in several competitions including the Il Piccolo Violino Magico International Competition 2022, Leonid Kogan International Competition for Young Violinist 2021, Concorso Internazionale per Giovani Violinisti Festival 2020 and Alessandro Giuliani Violin competition (ASEAN round) 2019. He has also participated in masterclasses with Evgeny Sinaiski, Professor Simon James, Soovin Kim, Dr Robin Wilson, Aleksey Igudesman and Roby Lakatos. Away from the violin, Mark also does composing and improvisation, and plays the piano.

Mark plays on a fine Gagliano violin on loan through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship.

The High Barnet Chamber Music Festival

Established in 2021 by conductor and composer Joshua Ballance in the wake of the lockdowns, the High Barnet Chamber Music Festical presents a series of concerts each July. These provide a platform for the best early-career musicians, who explore repertoire spanning Schubert to Saariaho. FLFV have been supporters since 2022.

Simon Zhu

Soloist and 2023 Paganini Competition Winner

I have first met Florian in 2017 at the Kloster Schöntal competition when I was just 16. He served as a member of the Jury there.

He was one if the first people who took me seriously and introduced me to the world of fine violins. Since then I had the pleasure of playing some of the most amazing instruments over the years through the Florian Leonhard fellowship.

I am incredibly grateful to Florian and his amazing Team for their generosity, kindness and all their help. I can say for sure that I wouldn’t be the musician I am today without them.

Menuhin Competition

FLFV have been sponsors of the Junior Menuhin Competition since 2008. Among the recipients of our prize (the loan of a fine violin in addition to a monetary prize) are the staggeringly talented winners of the Junior Division of the competition:

Keila Wakao, Chloe Chua, Christian Li, Yesong Sophie Lee, Rennosuke Fukuda, Kevin Zhu, Kerson Leong, Chad Hoopes, and the list goes on.

The two-year loan has often turned into a long-term sponsorship as we have had the privilege to see these fine artists achieve their astonishing potential on the world stage.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason MBE

We first met Sheku through Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, and our support for Chineke! when he was just 14 years old. Sheku showed such infectious, intuitive musicianship, and it was immediately clear that he needed a cello which would allow him to continue to achieve his potential. It quickly became our mission to support his journey.

We were able to arrange the long-term loan of a rare Hieronymus Amati cello (Cremona, 1610) and a superb Maire bow, purchased for Sheku’s use by generous benefactors respectively, themselves long-term friends of FLFV. Sheku’s meteoric rise to global stardom ensued, which none of us could have foreseen, beginning with winning BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2016, playing on the Amati cello in the final two rounds. In May 2021 we were able to secure for Sheku the long-term loan of a superb cello by Matteo Goffriller, Venice c1700, through the Fellowship thanks to the generosity of a syndicate of private benefactors.

We remain extremely proud of Sheku’s achievements as a cellist, ambassador, and role model for young musicians everywhere. Sheku is taking the Classical Music world by storm and changing its face forever.

Highgate International Chamber Music Festival

Ashok, Natalie and the team have long been clients and friends of the FLFV family. Since the festival began as a small gathering at a local church, we have seen it grow to a sold-out annual event, attracting the highest calibre of musicians as can be heard anywhere.

The unique combination of local community and global talent make this a highlight of our year each Winter, and we have been proud supporters since 2014.

Nancy Zhou

‘One of today’s probing musical voices infused with searing virtuosity’, to witness Nancy’s playing is quite simply a transcendent experience. Florian met Nancy after being introduced by Anne-Sophie Mutter in 2011 and was bowled over by her playing. With loans of fine violins by makers including Gagliano and Stradivari, Nancy went on to win first place in the 2018 Isaac Stern Violin Competition and the 2018 International Music Competition Harbin, amongst numerous other prizes.

Now a well-established soloist based on the West Coast of America, Nancy gives concerts throughout the US, Europe and Asia, and shares her musical and technical insights in regular masterclasses. Since 2008, Nancy has been sponsored by the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, frequently collaborating with Ms. Mutter on tours in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Nancy plays a fine Guarneri del Gesù from c1730, ‘Le Sphynx’.

Chineke!

The motto of Chineke!, Europe’s first majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra, is ‘Championing change and celebrating diversity in classical music’. Ever since day one we have been proud supporters of the Chineke! Foundation and Orchestra, and their important mission which we all share. With Chineke! we have experienced countless exhilarating concerts and met so many talented musicians from all over Europe and beyond.

Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE has a clear vision, and has put it into motion on a scale beyond our wildest dreams. Chi-chi says, “music, of whatever kind, is for all people”, and who could disagree?

Lawrence Power

After having attended his concerts for over a decade, when we recently met violist Lawrence Power at the Aspen Music Festival he asked for advice in finding a suitable instrument for his increasingly regular violin performances. He plays a gorgeous Brescian viola, and the violin would need to be something really top notch. We were able to introduce Lawrence to a friend and long-term client of FLFV with a collection of extremely fine old Italian instruments (as well as a FLFV True Copy of a Guarneri del Gesù!). They immediately hit it off, and Lawrence has been able to play on a fine Stradivari violin for many of his UK performances.

Lawrence’s playing and musicianship are second to none, and it is a true honour to have helped in this very small way.

O’Modernt

Hugo Ticciati, violinist, conductor and artistic director, is quite simply one of a kind. Since Florian first met Hugo in 1999, our whole team have been superfans of his ground-breaking work, and especially of O/Modernt, which ‘imaginatively explores artistic connections old and new’ to awaken an innovative listening. It has been an honour to support Hugo and O/Modernt and enjoy their truly inspiring and unique music making.

Yume Fujise

Through our work as Official Stringed Instrument Experts for the Royal College of Music in London we were introduced to Yume in 2015. It was instantly clear that Yume had a rare musical sensitivity, and could draw out endless soundscapes from any instrument. We made it our mission to find her a violin that she could play long-term, and after many heart-breaking short-term loans, it was our delight to be able to help secure a fine J. B. Vuillaume violin on indefinite loan. Yume has been a BBC Introducing Classical Artist and member of the Kleio Quartet, and her career continues to go from strength to strength.

LGT Young Soloists

Since its inception, we have been proud supporters of the award winning LGT Young Soloists, including arranging regular loans of fine old Italian instruments for their unique and highly engaging concerts. LGT Young Soloists’ audiences can always be sure to expect ecstatic music making of a world-class level, and it is an honour to have enjoyed their tremendous journey so far.

Hayoung Choi

Born in Bielefeld in Germany, Hayoung Choi studied at the Korean National University of Arts Myung-Wha Chung and Hyongwon Chang, the Purcell School for Young Musicians in England with Alexander Boyarsky, and then at the Kronberg Academy, where she was taught by Frans Helmerson and Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt.

She has won first prize in several international competitions, including the 2022 Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, playing on a fine Bergonzi cello loaned through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship, as well as the Krzysztof Penderecki Competition in Poland, the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria, the Antonio Janigro Competition in Croatia, and the Justus Dotzauer Competition in Germany. She has performed as a soloist with Kremerata Baltica, the Camerata Salzburg, the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra and the Olsztyn Philharmonic Orchestra among others.

Royal College of Music London

In our capacity as official Expert and Luthier for Stringed Instruments for the Royal College of Music we come across many of the brightest future stars of the string world. For special concerts and masterclasses, as well as while we are restoring instruments of the RCM’s collection, we regularly loan instruments from our collection to their students, and it is a rewarding part of our work to hear their inspiring performances.

Azadeh Maghsoodi

,,Azadeh obviously has a fantastic technique. But she also has this truthfulness and beauty of sound, which reflects what is inside the music. This is very rare; not just for a young person, but for anybody.” These exuberant words come from none other than Nigel Kennedy. At the age of 15, Azadeh Maghsoodi played Bach’s Double Concerto with the star violinist at the Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival and gained international attention overnight.
Azadeh Maghsoodi has appeared several times on radio and television, as recently on the famous Persian TV show „Chandshanbeh ba Sina Valiollah“ and Shadi Asadollahi on MBC Persia London. A childhood dream came true: she played on a violin by Antonio Stradivari, made available to her through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship. A long-time fellow of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, Azadeh Maghsoodi has played instruments by Joseph Gagliano (Naples 1795), Lorenzo Ventapane (Naples 1790), and Stefan-Peter Greiner (Bonn 1998).

Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra

The ABYSO is a year-round, not-for-profit after school youth music programme founded in 2018 to provide quality, fun and accessible music education, instruments, performance and mentorship opportunities to young musicians and music teachers across Antigua and Barbuda. ABYSO programmes are designed to encourage social change, academic success, creativity teamwork and co-operative learning among young people regardless of their social and economic background. We first encountered the ABYSO through hosting a fundraising event with the Kanneh-Masons, proud members of the Antiguan and Barbudan diaspora in the United Kingdom through their father Stuart Mason. The family performed across schools in Antigua and Barbuda in 2018 and this experience led to the formation of the ABYSO. The Kanneh-Masons serve as advisors and music mentors to the ABYSO, assist with fundraising and hold an annual concert with the Orchestra in Antigua called Playing to Inspire.

Mark Chia

Mark Chia started playing the violin at 3 years old. Since the age of 5, he has been under the tutelage of Min Lee, an acclaimed Singaporean violinist.

Mark has been a top prize winner in several competitions including the Il Piccolo Violino Magico International Competition 2022, Leonid Kogan International Competition for Young Violinist 2021, Concorso Internazionale per Giovani Violinisti Festival 2020 and Alessandro Giuliani Violin competition (ASEAN round) 2019. He has also participated in masterclasses with Evgeny Sinaiski, Professor Simon James, Soovin Kim, Dr Robin Wilson, Aleksey Igudesman and Roby Lakatos. Away from the violin, Mark also does composing and improvisation, and plays the piano.

Mark plays on a fine Gagliano violin on loan through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship.

The High Barnet Chamber Music Festival

Established in 2021 by conductor and composer Joshua Ballance in the wake of the lockdowns, the High Barnet Chamber Music Festical presents a series of concerts each July. These provide a platform for the best early-career musicians, who explore repertoire spanning Schubert to Saariaho. FLFV have been supporters since 2022.

Simon Zhu

Soloist and 2023 Paganini Competition Winner

I have first met Florian in 2017 at the Kloster Schöntal competition when I was just 16. He served as a member of the Jury there.

He was one if the first people who took me seriously and introduced me to the world of fine violins. Since then I had the pleasure of playing some of the most amazing instruments over the years through the Florian Leonhard fellowship.

I am incredibly grateful to Florian and his amazing Team for their generosity, kindness and all their help. I can say for sure that I wouldn’t be the musician I am today without them.

Menuhin Competition

FLFV have been sponsors of the Junior Menuhin Competition since 2008. Among the recipients of our prize (the loan of a fine violin in addition to a monetary prize) are the staggeringly talented winners of the Junior Division of the competition:

Keila Wakao, Chloe Chua, Christian Li, Yesong Sophie Lee, Rennosuke Fukuda, Kevin Zhu, Kerson Leong, Chad Hoopes, and the list goes on.

The two-year loan has often turned into a long-term sponsorship as we have had the privilege to see these fine artists achieve their astonishing potential on the world stage.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason MBE

We first met Sheku through Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, and our support for Chineke! when he was just 14 years old. Sheku showed such infectious, intuitive musicianship, and it was immediately clear that he needed a cello which would allow him to continue to achieve his potential. It quickly became our mission to support his journey.

We were able to arrange the long-term loan of a rare Hieronymus Amati cello (Cremona, 1610) and a superb Maire bow, purchased for Sheku’s use by generous benefactors respectively, themselves long-term friends of FLFV. Sheku’s meteoric rise to global stardom ensued, which none of us could have foreseen, beginning with winning BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2016, playing on the Amati cello in the final two rounds. In May 2021 we were able to secure for Sheku the long-term loan of a superb cello by Matteo Goffriller, Venice c1700, through the Fellowship thanks to the generosity of a syndicate of private benefactors.

We remain extremely proud of Sheku’s achievements as a cellist, ambassador, and role model for young musicians everywhere. Sheku is taking the Classical Music world by storm and changing its face forever.

Highgate International Chamber Music Festival

Ashok, Natalie and the team have long been clients and friends of the FLFV family. Since the festival began as a small gathering at a local church, we have seen it grow to a sold-out annual event, attracting the highest calibre of musicians as can be heard anywhere.

The unique combination of local community and global talent make this a highlight of our year each Winter, and we have been proud supporters since 2014.

Nancy Zhou

‘One of today’s probing musical voices infused with searing virtuosity’, to witness Nancy’s playing is quite simply a transcendent experience. Florian met Nancy after being introduced by Anne-Sophie Mutter in 2011 and was bowled over by her playing. With loans of fine violins by makers including Gagliano and Stradivari, Nancy went on to win first place in the 2018 Isaac Stern Violin Competition and the 2018 International Music Competition Harbin, amongst numerous other prizes.

Now a well-established soloist based on the West Coast of America, Nancy gives concerts throughout the US, Europe and Asia, and shares her musical and technical insights in regular masterclasses. Since 2008, Nancy has been sponsored by the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, frequently collaborating with Ms. Mutter on tours in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Nancy plays a fine Guarneri del Gesù from c1730, ‘Le Sphynx’.

Chineke!

The motto of Chineke!, Europe’s first majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra, is ‘Championing change and celebrating diversity in classical music’. Ever since day one we have been proud supporters of the Chineke! Foundation and Orchestra, and their important mission which we all share. With Chineke! we have experienced countless exhilarating concerts and met so many talented musicians from all over Europe and beyond.

Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE has a clear vision, and has put it into motion on a scale beyond our wildest dreams. Chi-chi says, “music, of whatever kind, is for all people”, and who could disagree?

Lawrence Power

After having attended his concerts for over a decade, when we recently met violist Lawrence Power at the Aspen Music Festival he asked for advice in finding a suitable instrument for his increasingly regular violin performances. He plays a gorgeous Brescian viola, and the violin would need to be something really top notch. We were able to introduce Lawrence to a friend and long-term client of FLFV with a collection of extremely fine old Italian instruments (as well as a FLFV True Copy of a Guarneri del Gesù!). They immediately hit it off, and Lawrence has been able to play on a fine Stradivari violin for many of his UK performances.

Lawrence’s playing and musicianship are second to none, and it is a true honour to have helped in this very small way.

O’Modernt

Hugo Ticciati, violinist, conductor and artistic director, is quite simply one of a kind. Since Florian first met Hugo in 1999, our whole team have been superfans of his ground-breaking work, and especially of O/Modernt, which ‘imaginatively explores artistic connections old and new’ to awaken an innovative listening. It has been an honour to support Hugo and O/Modernt and enjoy their truly inspiring and unique music making.

Yume Fujise

Through our work as Official Stringed Instrument Experts for the Royal College of Music in London we were introduced to Yume in 2015. It was instantly clear that Yume had a rare musical sensitivity, and could draw out endless soundscapes from any instrument. We made it our mission to find her a violin that she could play long-term, and after many heart-breaking short-term loans, it was our delight to be able to help secure a fine J. B. Vuillaume violin on indefinite loan. Yume has been a BBC Introducing Classical Artist and member of the Kleio Quartet, and her career continues to go from strength to strength.

LGT Young Soloists

Since its inception, we have been proud supporters of the award winning LGT Young Soloists, including arranging regular loans of fine old Italian instruments for their unique and highly engaging concerts. LGT Young Soloists’ audiences can always be sure to expect ecstatic music making of a world-class level, and it is an honour to have enjoyed their tremendous journey so far.

Hayoung Choi

Born in Bielefeld in Germany, Hayoung Choi studied at the Korean National University of Arts Myung-Wha Chung and Hyongwon Chang, the Purcell School for Young Musicians in England with Alexander Boyarsky, and then at the Kronberg Academy, where she was taught by Frans Helmerson and Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt.

She has won first prize in several international competitions, including the 2022 Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, playing on a fine Bergonzi cello loaned through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship, as well as the Krzysztof Penderecki Competition in Poland, the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria, the Antonio Janigro Competition in Croatia, and the Justus Dotzauer Competition in Germany. She has performed as a soloist with Kremerata Baltica, the Camerata Salzburg, the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra and the Olsztyn Philharmonic Orchestra among others.

Royal College of Music London

In our capacity as official Expert and Luthier for Stringed Instruments for the Royal College of Music we come across many of the brightest future stars of the string world. For special concerts and masterclasses, as well as while we are restoring instruments of the RCM’s collection, we regularly loan instruments from our collection to their students, and it is a rewarding part of our work to hear their inspiring performances.

Azadeh Maghsoodi

,,Azadeh obviously has a fantastic technique. But she also has this truthfulness and beauty of sound, which reflects what is inside the music. This is very rare; not just for a young person, but for anybody.” These exuberant words come from none other than Nigel Kennedy. At the age of 15, Azadeh Maghsoodi played Bach’s Double Concerto with the star violinist at the Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival and gained international attention overnight.
Azadeh Maghsoodi has appeared several times on radio and television, as recently on the famous Persian TV show „Chandshanbeh ba Sina Valiollah“ and Shadi Asadollahi on MBC Persia London. A childhood dream came true: she played on a violin by Antonio Stradivari, made available to her through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship. A long-time fellow of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, Azadeh Maghsoodi has played instruments by Joseph Gagliano (Naples 1795), Lorenzo Ventapane (Naples 1790), and Stefan-Peter Greiner (Bonn 1998).

Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra

The ABYSO is a year-round, not-for-profit after school youth music programme founded in 2018 to provide quality, fun and accessible music education, instruments, performance and mentorship opportunities to young musicians and music teachers across Antigua and Barbuda. ABYSO programmes are designed to encourage social change, academic success, creativity teamwork and co-operative learning among young people regardless of their social and economic background. We first encountered the ABYSO through hosting a fundraising event with the Kanneh-Masons, proud members of the Antiguan and Barbudan diaspora in the United Kingdom through their father Stuart Mason. The family performed across schools in Antigua and Barbuda in 2018 and this experience led to the formation of the ABYSO. The Kanneh-Masons serve as advisors and music mentors to the ABYSO, assist with fundraising and hold an annual concert with the Orchestra in Antigua called Playing to Inspire.

Mark Chia

Mark Chia started playing the violin at 3 years old. Since the age of 5, he has been under the tutelage of Min Lee, an acclaimed Singaporean violinist.

Mark has been a top prize winner in several competitions including the Il Piccolo Violino Magico International Competition 2022, Leonid Kogan International Competition for Young Violinist 2021, Concorso Internazionale per Giovani Violinisti Festival 2020 and Alessandro Giuliani Violin competition (ASEAN round) 2019. He has also participated in masterclasses with Evgeny Sinaiski, Professor Simon James, Soovin Kim, Dr Robin Wilson, Aleksey Igudesman and Roby Lakatos. Away from the violin, Mark also does composing and improvisation, and plays the piano.

Mark plays on a fine Gagliano violin on loan through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship.

The High Barnet Chamber Music Festival

Established in 2021 by conductor and composer Joshua Ballance in the wake of the lockdowns, the High Barnet Chamber Music Festical presents a series of concerts each July. These provide a platform for the best early-career musicians, who explore repertoire spanning Schubert to Saariaho. FLFV have been supporters since 2022.

Simon Zhu

Soloist and 2023 Paganini Competition Winner

I have first met Florian in 2017 at the Kloster Schöntal competition when I was just 16. He served as a member of the Jury there.

He was one if the first people who took me seriously and introduced me to the world of fine violins. Since then I had the pleasure of playing some of the most amazing instruments over the years through the Florian Leonhard fellowship.

I am incredibly grateful to Florian and his amazing Team for their generosity, kindness and all their help. I can say for sure that I wouldn’t be the musician I am today without them.

Menuhin Competition

FLFV have been sponsors of the Junior Menuhin Competition since 2008. Among the recipients of our prize (the loan of a fine violin in addition to a monetary prize) are the staggeringly talented winners of the Junior Division of the competition:

Keila Wakao, Chloe Chua, Christian Li, Yesong Sophie Lee, Rennosuke Fukuda, Kevin Zhu, Kerson Leong, Chad Hoopes, and the list goes on.

The two-year loan has often turned into a long-term sponsorship as we have had the privilege to see these fine artists achieve their astonishing potential on the world stage.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason MBE

We first met Sheku through Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, and our support for Chineke! when he was just 14 years old. Sheku showed such infectious, intuitive musicianship, and it was immediately clear that he needed a cello which would allow him to continue to achieve his potential. It quickly became our mission to support his journey.

We were able to arrange the long-term loan of a rare Hieronymus Amati cello (Cremona, 1610) and a superb Maire bow, purchased for Sheku’s use by generous benefactors respectively, themselves long-term friends of FLFV. Sheku’s meteoric rise to global stardom ensued, which none of us could have foreseen, beginning with winning BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2016, playing on the Amati cello in the final two rounds. In May 2021 we were able to secure for Sheku the long-term loan of a superb cello by Matteo Goffriller, Venice c1700, through the Fellowship thanks to the generosity of a syndicate of private benefactors.

We remain extremely proud of Sheku’s achievements as a cellist, ambassador, and role model for young musicians everywhere. Sheku is taking the Classical Music world by storm and changing its face forever.

Highgate International Chamber Music Festival

Ashok, Natalie and the team have long been clients and friends of the FLFV family. Since the festival began as a small gathering at a local church, we have seen it grow to a sold-out annual event, attracting the highest calibre of musicians as can be heard anywhere.

The unique combination of local community and global talent make this a highlight of our year each Winter, and we have been proud supporters since 2014.

Nancy Zhou

‘One of today’s probing musical voices infused with searing virtuosity’, to witness Nancy’s playing is quite simply a transcendent experience. Florian met Nancy after being introduced by Anne-Sophie Mutter in 2011 and was bowled over by her playing. With loans of fine violins by makers including Gagliano and Stradivari, Nancy went on to win first place in the 2018 Isaac Stern Violin Competition and the 2018 International Music Competition Harbin, amongst numerous other prizes.

Now a well-established soloist based on the West Coast of America, Nancy gives concerts throughout the US, Europe and Asia, and shares her musical and technical insights in regular masterclasses. Since 2008, Nancy has been sponsored by the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, frequently collaborating with Ms. Mutter on tours in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Nancy plays a fine Guarneri del Gesù from c1730, ‘Le Sphynx’.

Chineke!

The motto of Chineke!, Europe’s first majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra, is ‘Championing change and celebrating diversity in classical music’. Ever since day one we have been proud supporters of the Chineke! Foundation and Orchestra, and their important mission which we all share. With Chineke! we have experienced countless exhilarating concerts and met so many talented musicians from all over Europe and beyond.

Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE has a clear vision, and has put it into motion on a scale beyond our wildest dreams. Chi-chi says, “music, of whatever kind, is for all people”, and who could disagree?

Lawrence Power

After having attended his concerts for over a decade, when we recently met violist Lawrence Power at the Aspen Music Festival he asked for advice in finding a suitable instrument for his increasingly regular violin performances. He plays a gorgeous Brescian viola, and the violin would need to be something really top notch. We were able to introduce Lawrence to a friend and long-term client of FLFV with a collection of extremely fine old Italian instruments (as well as a FLFV True Copy of a Guarneri del Gesù!). They immediately hit it off, and Lawrence has been able to play on a fine Stradivari violin for many of his UK performances.

Lawrence’s playing and musicianship are second to none, and it is a true honour to have helped in this very small way.

O’Modernt

Hugo Ticciati, violinist, conductor and artistic director, is quite simply one of a kind. Since Florian first met Hugo in 1999, our whole team have been superfans of his ground-breaking work, and especially of O/Modernt, which ‘imaginatively explores artistic connections old and new’ to awaken an innovative listening. It has been an honour to support Hugo and O/Modernt and enjoy their truly inspiring and unique music making.

Yume Fujise

Through our work as Official Stringed Instrument Experts for the Royal College of Music in London we were introduced to Yume in 2015. It was instantly clear that Yume had a rare musical sensitivity, and could draw out endless soundscapes from any instrument. We made it our mission to find her a violin that she could play long-term, and after many heart-breaking short-term loans, it was our delight to be able to help secure a fine J. B. Vuillaume violin on indefinite loan. Yume has been a BBC Introducing Classical Artist and member of the Kleio Quartet, and her career continues to go from strength to strength.

LGT Young Soloists

Since its inception, we have been proud supporters of the award winning LGT Young Soloists, including arranging regular loans of fine old Italian instruments for their unique and highly engaging concerts. LGT Young Soloists’ audiences can always be sure to expect ecstatic music making of a world-class level, and it is an honour to have enjoyed their tremendous journey so far.

Hayoung Choi

Born in Bielefeld in Germany, Hayoung Choi studied at the Korean National University of Arts Myung-Wha Chung and Hyongwon Chang, the Purcell School for Young Musicians in England with Alexander Boyarsky, and then at the Kronberg Academy, where she was taught by Frans Helmerson and Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt.

She has won first prize in several international competitions, including the 2022 Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, playing on a fine Bergonzi cello loaned through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship, as well as the Krzysztof Penderecki Competition in Poland, the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria, the Antonio Janigro Competition in Croatia, and the Justus Dotzauer Competition in Germany. She has performed as a soloist with Kremerata Baltica, the Camerata Salzburg, the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra and the Olsztyn Philharmonic Orchestra among others.

Royal College of Music London

In our capacity as official Expert and Luthier for Stringed Instruments for the Royal College of Music we come across many of the brightest future stars of the string world. For special concerts and masterclasses, as well as while we are restoring instruments of the RCM’s collection, we regularly loan instruments from our collection to their students, and it is a rewarding part of our work to hear their inspiring performances.

Azadeh Maghsoodi

,,Azadeh obviously has a fantastic technique. But she also has this truthfulness and beauty of sound, which reflects what is inside the music. This is very rare; not just for a young person, but for anybody.” These exuberant words come from none other than Nigel Kennedy. At the age of 15, Azadeh Maghsoodi played Bach’s Double Concerto with the star violinist at the Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival and gained international attention overnight.
Azadeh Maghsoodi has appeared several times on radio and television, as recently on the famous Persian TV show „Chandshanbeh ba Sina Valiollah“ and Shadi Asadollahi on MBC Persia London. A childhood dream came true: she played on a violin by Antonio Stradivari, made available to her through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship. A long-time fellow of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, Azadeh Maghsoodi has played instruments by Joseph Gagliano (Naples 1795), Lorenzo Ventapane (Naples 1790), and Stefan-Peter Greiner (Bonn 1998).

Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra

The ABYSO is a year-round, not-for-profit after school youth music programme founded in 2018 to provide quality, fun and accessible music education, instruments, performance and mentorship opportunities to young musicians and music teachers across Antigua and Barbuda. ABYSO programmes are designed to encourage social change, academic success, creativity teamwork and co-operative learning among young people regardless of their social and economic background. We first encountered the ABYSO through hosting a fundraising event with the Kanneh-Masons, proud members of the Antiguan and Barbudan diaspora in the United Kingdom through their father Stuart Mason. The family performed across schools in Antigua and Barbuda in 2018 and this experience led to the formation of the ABYSO. The Kanneh-Masons serve as advisors and music mentors to the ABYSO, assist with fundraising and hold an annual concert with the Orchestra in Antigua called Playing to Inspire.

Mark Chia

Mark Chia started playing the violin at 3 years old. Since the age of 5, he has been under the tutelage of Min Lee, an acclaimed Singaporean violinist.

Mark has been a top prize winner in several competitions including the Il Piccolo Violino Magico International Competition 2022, Leonid Kogan International Competition for Young Violinist 2021, Concorso Internazionale per Giovani Violinisti Festival 2020 and Alessandro Giuliani Violin competition (ASEAN round) 2019. He has also participated in masterclasses with Evgeny Sinaiski, Professor Simon James, Soovin Kim, Dr Robin Wilson, Aleksey Igudesman and Roby Lakatos. Away from the violin, Mark also does composing and improvisation, and plays the piano.

Mark plays on a fine Gagliano violin on loan through the Florian Leonhard Fellowship.

The High Barnet Chamber Music Festival

Established in 2021 by conductor and composer Joshua Ballance in the wake of the lockdowns, the High Barnet Chamber Music Festical presents a series of concerts each July. These provide a platform for the best early-career musicians, who explore repertoire spanning Schubert to Saariaho. FLFV have been supporters since 2022.