A Journey for Two Jonian Ilias Kadesha & Vashti Hunter

• Iannis Xenakis (1922 - 2001):
• 1 Dhipli Zyia, for Violin and Cello 03:45
• Zoltán Kodály (1882 - 1967): Duo for Cello and Violin, Op. 7:
• 2 Duo for Cello and Violin, Op. 7: I. Allegro serioso non troppo 08:56
• 3 Duo for Cello and Violin, Op. 7: II. Adagio 08:31
• 4 Duo for Cello and Violin, Op. 7: III. Maestoso e largamente ma non troppo lento 08:23
• Arthur Honegger (1892 - 1955): Sonatina for Violin and Cello, H. 80:
• 5 Sonatina for Violin and Cello, H. 80: I. Allegro serioso non troppo 05:01
• 6 Sonatina for Violin and Cello, H. 80: II. Andante 05:08
• 7 Sonatina for Violin and Cello, H. 80: III. Allegro 04:21
• Nikos Skalkottas (1904 - 1949): Duo for Violin and Cello:
• 8 Duo for Violin and Cello: I. Allegro ordinario e un poco agitato 07:18
• 9 Duo for Violin and Cello: II. Andante molto espressivo 06:17
• 10 Duo for Violin and Cello: III. Scherzo 03:06
• 11 Duo for Violin and Cello: IV. Finale. Allegro vivo 05:33
• Total Runtime 01:06:19

Info for A Journey for Two

“When choosing the title of this album, we were immediately drawn to the title of the first piece in our recording, Dhipli Zyia by Xenakis, which simply translates as ‘a band of two folk musicians’.

After delving more deeply, we discovered that Zyia derives from the ancient Greek word ‘balance’, which is such a vitally important element of chamber music, and indeed – in any relationship.

Fittingly, Zyia is also another name for Hera, the Goddess of marriage from ancient Greek mythology. This CD symbolises an important part of a journey for us – not only as partners in chamber music – but also as a celebration of our friendship…

Our recording centres around pieces which celebrate the joy and vibrancy of folk music, opening with music by Xenakis from the Balkans in Greece, Jonian’s birthplace, then venturing north to Hungary for the Kodály, west to Switzerland/France for the Sonatina by Honegger and finally returning to Greece for a rarely performed duo by Skalkottas.

We are both in love with folk music, particularly from the Balkans, and hope to pass on some of the joy it brings us when playing it!......

Jonian Ilias Kadesha, violin
Vashti Hunter, cello

Jonian Ilias Kadesha
At the start of his musical training, Albanian-Greek violinist Jonian Ilias Kadesha, born in 1992 in Athens, was taught by both Grigori Zhislin and Salvatore Accardo. He later continued his violin studies with Ulf Wallin at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin and also studied chamber music under Hatto Beyerle in Hannover and at the European Chamber Music Academy. In 2010, he co-founded Trio Gaspard with which he won both the International Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition and the International Joseph Joachim Chamber Music Competition. He participated in masterclasses with Ferenc Rados, Steven Isserlis, Ivry Gitlis, Leonidas Kavakos and Eberhard Feltz.

Jonian Ilias Kadesha has won awards in numerous international violin competitions. These include second prizes in the 2013 Leopold Mozart International Violin Competition and in the 2017 Windsor Festival International String Competition. He was awarded a scholarship following his performance in the 2015 Deutscher Musikwettbewerb.

He has worked with artists including Martha Argerich, Nicolas Altstaedt, Vilde Frang and Patrick Demenga at international festivals such as the Martha Agerich Project, Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Hitzacker Summer Music Festival and Heidelberger Frühling. As a soloist, he has given concerts with orchestras including the Munich Radio Orchestra, the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt, the Greek Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra. In 2019 he recorded his second CD for Cavi Music in collaboration with Deutchland Radio and took part in Open Chamber Music at IMS Prussia Cove.

Jonian Ilias Kadesha plays on Nicola Gagliano violin (18th century), kindly on loan from the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben in Hamburg.

Jonian Ilias Kadesha took part as "Junior" in Chamber Music Connects the World in 2014. In 2019 he played at the Kronberg Academy Festival and participated in Mit Musik – Miteinander as tutor. Since October 2017 he has been studying at Kronberg Academy with Antje Weithaas. These studies are funded by the v. Metzler/Leber Stipendium.

Booklet for A Journey for Two