Sunday, 12 April 2026 · 17:00

Uilenburgersjoel

Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 91, Amsterdam

Program

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Sonata for Cello and Piano

(arrangement for tenor saxophone and piano)

Intermission

Paul Hindemith

Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 11

(arrangement for alto saxophone and piano)

George Gershwin

Rhapsody in Blue

(arrangement for soprano, alto and tenor saxophones and piano)

Vitaduo

The duo of Vitaly Vatulya (saxophone) and Maria Nemtsova (piano) is recognized as one of the most interesting ensembles performing in the chamber music world today. The rare combination of saxophone and piano was formed in 2006, when the duo won the first prize at the prestigious festival in Moscow.

Later they founded the famous ‘Music - for Peace’ project, which is a charitable musical project with the mission to benefit young musicians who live in today’s conflict zones. The Music - for Peace project used the convening power of music as a vehicle to maximize the benefits of international and cross-cultural contacts among youth and young adult populations. Through music, Music - for Peace sought to bring together individuals from all backgrounds and social statuses in a relaxed and natural environment.

Constantly searching for new music, arrangements and different directions of the classical saxophone repertoire, they have performed in more than 50 cities around the world, including Moscow (Russia), Tel-Aviv (Israel), Prague (Czech Republic), Tbilisi (Georgia), Vienna (Austria), Belgrade (Serbia).

Maria is an individual soloist, she has given concerts all over the world and is a laureate of many international piano competitions. Maria has performed in such halls as Carnegie Hall (New York), Wigmore Hall (London), National Center of Performing Arts in Beijing, Shanghai Oriental Arts Center.

Vitaly is the winner of more than 15 prestigious international competitions. He has performed in Moscow International House of Music and Great Conservatoire Hall, Philharmonic Concert Hall in Vilnius, Bruckner House in Linz and others. He is the soprano chair at the renowned Amstel saxophone quartet since 2022.

The duo’s first CD was recorded for OClassica Records in 2012.

Wenneke Savenije, (“De Nieuwe Muze” magazine author) named the duo the ‘Golden Duo’ after their recital in Amsterdam in 2022.

The Tunisian magazine Le Temps said after one of their performances:

‘The duo plunges the audience into shock with their virtuosity, ensemble quality and a breath for two; the two artists have offered a moment of pure pleasure where the emphasis was on the encounter between the past and the present through compositions that struggled for power and beauty.’ (R. Medelgi)

The duo has performed and lectured throughout Europe, including appearances at such festivals as ‘Slavic Spring’ in Prague, ‘Primavera Classic’ (Moscow), ‘SaxArte’ (Italy), ‘Autumn in Carthage’ in Tunis, International Rachmaninov Festival in Tambov (Russia), Richter’s Festival in Tarussa, A Tempo (Montenegro).

Their second CD XX Century Sax was released in 2015, the same year they won the first prize at the International Chamber Music Competition ‘Marco Fiorindo’ in Italy. In 2017 Vitaly and Maria founded the international festival of contemporary music ‘Re:Formers Fest’, whose aim is to present rare musical masterpieces to the audience.

The duo has a diverse collection of classical and contemporary masterpieces of chamber music in its repertoire, which is always a new and exciting experience for the audience.