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Zlatomir Fung

Cello
Tchaikovsky Competition 2019, Gold Medal
Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship 2022

  • The first American in four decades and the youngest ever musician to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition Cello Division, Zlatomir Fung is poised to become one of the preeminent cellists of our time.


    Astounding audiences with his boundless virtuosity and exquisite sensitivity, the 23-year-old has already proven himself to be a star among the next generation of world-class musicians. Fung's impeccable technique demonstrates a mastery of the canon and an exceptional insight into the depths of contemporary repertoire.

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  • After making his debut with the New York Philharmonic in July 2022 under Leonard Slatkin as part of the Bravo! Vail Festival, the 2022/23 season sees Fung make his debuts with, among others, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lille, BBC Philharmonic and the Dallas Symphony for a world premiere of Katherine Balch’s Cello Concerto. Fung has recently been invited to make debuts with the The Hallé, Frankfurt Opera, Turku Philharmonic, Hangzhou Philharmonic among others.


    Following recital appearances at major European festivals including Verbier, Dresden, and Janacek May, Fung will return to the Wigmore Hall in a busy 2022/23 recital season, which also includes dates in Elmau, Berlin, and in Amsterdam as part of the Cello Biennale.


    Fung made his recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2021 and was described by Bachtrack as being "one of those rare musicians with a Midas touch: he quickly envelopes every score he plays in an almost palpable golden aura". Other recent highlights include appearances at La Jolla Chamber Music Society, ChamberFest Cleveland, Bravo! Vail with Joshua Bell and Shai Wosner and Aspen Music Festival performing Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme.


    A winner of the 2017 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the 2017 Astral National Auditions, Fung has taken the top prizes at the 2018 Alice & Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition, 2016 George Enescu International Cello Competition, 2015 Johansen International Competition for Young String Players, 2014 Stulberg International String Competition and 2014 Irving Klein International Competition. He was selected as a 2016 US Presidential Scholar for the Arts and was awarded the 2016 Landgrave von Hesse Prize at the Kronberg Academy Cello Masterclasses.


    Of Bulgarian and Chinese heritage, Zlatomir Fung began playing cello at age three and earned fellowships at Ravinia's Steans Music Institute, Heifetz International Music Institute, MusicAlp, and the Aspen Music Festival and School. A proud recipient of the Kovner Fellowship, Fung currently studies at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Richard Aaron and Timothy Eddy.


    Fung was announced as Borletti Buitoni Trust Fellowship winner in 2022. He plays an W.E. Hill and Sons cello from 1905.

    2022/23 season / 431 words. Not to be altered without permission.

Performances

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Concerto repertoire

Barber
Concerto in A minor, Op. 22


Beethoven
Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano


Bloch
Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hébraïque


Britten
Symphony for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 68


Brahms
Concerto for Violin and Cello, Op. 102


Boccherini-Grutzmacher
Concerto in B-flat major, G.482


Dutilleux
Tout un monde lointain... Concertante for Cello and Orchestra


Dvorak
Concerto in B minor, Op. 104


Elgar
Concerto in E minor, Op. 85


Haydn
Concerto No. 1 in C Major
Concerto No. 2 in D Major


Joonas Kokkonen
Cello Concerto


Kabalevsky
Concerto No. 2 in C minor


Lalo
Concerto in D minor


Lutoslawski
Cello Concerto


Prokofiev 
Sinfonia Concertante, Op. 125


Saint-Saens
Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33


Schumann
Concerto in A minor, Op. 129


Shchedrin 
Parabola concertante


Shostakovich
Concerto No. 1
Concerto No. 2


Tchaikovsky
Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33


Walton
Cello Concerto

Sample recital programme

Program 1


Robert Schumann: Five Pieces in Folk Style for Cello and Piano, Op. 102
Marshall Estrin: Cinemathique for Cello and Piano
Interval
Benjamin Britten: Sonata for Cello ad Piano
Sulkhan Tsintsadze: Five Pieces in Folk Style for Cello and Piano


Program 2


Nadia Boulanger: Three Pieces for Cello and Piano
Claude Debussy: Intermezzo e Scherzo for Cello and Piano
Interval
Tania Leon: Four Pieces for Violoncello
Richard Strauss: Sonata for Cello and Piano

"At his young age, Fung seems to be one of those rare musicians with a Midas touch: he quickly envelopes every score he plays in an almost palpable golden aura"

Bachtrack

"The cellist showed a mastery of his instrument that was truly a
thing to behold… He executed his pure talent, maneuvering the
strings with exquisite control as he created his own musical mosaic."

Benicia Herald

"A rich, warm tone, impeccable intonation and thoughtful phrasing... His appreciation
for dynamic shading proved especially rewarding."

Baltimore Sun

Intermusica represents Zlatomir Fung in Europe, Asia, Australia & New Zealand (excluding Russia, Japan)

Jessica Barra
Artist Manager
+44 20 7608 9942
jbarra@intermusica.com

Bridget Emmerson
Deputy Chief Executive / Head of Artist Management
+44 20 7608 9916
bemmerson@intermusica.com

If you have any queries, please fill in the form below, and we will be in touch soon

All artists

Chansonnier

HK Gruber

Counter-tenor

Tim Mead

Piano accompanist

Roger Vignoles