Brilliant International Musicians Series: Elena Topogonova (piano) and Ricardo Pes (cello).

Riccardo Pes – Cello
Giovanni Sollima describes Riccardo Pes as “a perfect combination of knowledge, technical skills, natural lyricism, fluent sound and fine musical instinct.”

Riccardo is an Italian cellist and composer, a graduate of the Royal College of Music in London under Melissa Phelps. His repertoire ranges from baroque (on period instruments) to contemporary music.

As a soloist, he has performed major concertos by Schumann, Tartini, Fiorenza, and Porpora with orchestras such as the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, I Solisti Veneti, and the Philharmonic Orchestra. In chamber music, he has collaborated with leading musicians including Mario Brunello, Giovanni Sollima, Gilles Apap, Madeleine Mitchell, and Thomas Zehetmair.

Riccardo has played in prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall (Elgar Room), Queen Elizabeth Hall, Schloss Laudon in Vienna, Sala Sinopoli in Rome, and Teatro Della Tosse in Genoa, and has appeared at international festivals including the Venice Biennale, Triennale of Milan, and Sounds of the Dolomites. He also trained at the Conservatory of Venice and Accademia Nazionale of Santa Cecilia in Rome, and has taken part in masterclasses with Frans Helmerson, Franz Bartolomey, Johannes Goritzky, and Gustavo Tavares.

Elena Toponogova – Piano
Musical Opinion Magazine praised Elena Toponogova’s playing as “mesmerising.”

Based in London, Elena is a concert pianist and chamber musician, particularly known for her performances of Russian repertoire, with a special focus on Nikolai Medtner. Together with Norwegian violinist Elisabeth Turmo, she recently released a CD inspired by myths and legends.

Her competition highlights include prizes at the Nuova Coppa International Piano Competition (Italy), 1st prize at the Nikolai Rubinstein International Competition (Paris), and reaching the semi-finals of the Gershwin International Piano Competition (New York).

Elena earned her Master of Performance at the Royal College of Music with Norma Fisher, later studying at the Academie de Musique Riviera in Switzerland with Pavel Gililov, supported by Help Musicians UK. She has also attended masterclasses with Dirk Mommertz, G. Gruzman, and I. Chukovskaya.

She has performed at festivals including the Blanc European Festival (Italy), Bloomsbury Festival, and Festival of Chichester, and has appeared in venues such as Rachmaninov Hall (Moscow), Salzburg Wiener Saal, Amaryllis Fleming Hall, V&A Museum, and St. Martin-in-the-Fields.