ABOUT GERMANY, WITH LOVE

Sofia Molchanova, clarinet, began with clarinet lessons at the age of eight. After completing the Vida Matjan Secondary Music School in Kotor, she graduated from the Academy under Professor Ulf Rodenhauser, and then received her master’s degree under Jörg Widmann at the Music Academy in Freiburg. During her studies, she won numerous awards, such as the Special Award at the Republic Competition in Belgrade, the Special Award at the Federal Competition in Kotor, and the Award for the Best Wind Player at the competition in Sremski Karlovci. From the very beginning of her musical career, she has dedicated herself to collaboration with contemporary composers, and in 1999, one of the most prominent composers from the former Yugoslavia, Dejan Despić, dedicated his composition Music for Sonja to her, which was premiered in the same year by the Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra (Ukraine), and then in Kolarac in Belgrade. Sofia Molchanova has served as Solo Clarinet in the Georgian Ingolstadt Chamber Orchestra. Each year she performs at the Music Festival in Telavi (Georgia) as the Principal Clarinet of the Festival Orchestra. She is currently engaged at four music schools, while also serving as a Solo Clarinet in the Jewish Chamber Orchestra in Munich and a second clarinet in the Russian Chamber Philharmonic in St. Petersburg.

Pava Taušan, piano, was born in Canada, but moved to Montenegro with her parents at the age of three. She completed primary and secondary music school in the Piano Department, under Professor Lidija Molchanova. During her studies, she has had the opportunity to meet renowned pedagogues and pursue additional training with numerous pianists, participating in various masterclasses, including those held by Yuri Kot, Eva Kupiec, Vladimir Bochkarev, Evgenia Rubinova, and Vladimir Babin, among others. She has participated in numerous national and international competitions in Montenegro, Serbia, Italy, and Germany.