Violinist Aubree Oliverson won the 2021 Special Prize of Merit at Switzerland’s Verbier Festival, and has been loaned a very fine GB Guadagini by Irene R. Miller. She is the holder of a National YoungArts Foundation award, was honoured as a United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and was selected for the Dorothy DeLay Fellowship and concerto performance at the Aspen Music Festival.

“This beautiful Guadagnini has opened up a whole new world of sound and color possibilities when I play, and I know there is still so much more to discover… It is very exciting and truly life-changing for me to have access to this violin!”

Cello soloist Bruno Philippe is a multiple prizewinner across a number of international competitions, including ‘Instrumental Revelation’ at the Victoires de la Musique Classique, Third Grand Prize and Best Recital at the André Navarra competition, and the Nicolas Firmenich prize at Verbier Festival. He has been given a Gennaro Gagliano cello on a one-year loan, which will join him for his debuts with with Royal Northern Sinfonia, Sinfónica de Tenerife and the Hallé Orchestra in the 2023/24 season.

When one is trying a potential new instrument, I always ask myself the following question: could I play my concert with it tonight? My immediate answer after a few notes on this cello was yes and even for tomorrow’s concert and the one after tomorrow and maybe all in fact. It is quite rare to feel an immediate connection to an instrument as it is for me part of magic, psychology and luck with a momentum.

This momentum has been offered to me by the Beare’s International Violin Society and I couldn’t be more grateful for their trust & support. It was not the first time the Society did help me but this time happens in a very important moment of my life as a musician so I do feel blessed, ready to sing out loud and cherish every moments spent on this cello.

It has a very powerful while round voice and give me the possibility to say absolutely everything I want while serving the music.

So, from the bottom of my heart, a huge thank you to everybody involved in this loan.

Jaren, who won the 2022 BBC Young Musician Strings Final, is playing a Scarampella viola on long-term loan. He was the first violist to win the final in the competition’s history. Jaren has additionally recently been awarded First Prize in the Junior Royal College Concerto Competition, Junior Academy Viola Prize and Bromsgrove Young Musicians’ Platform and was the youngest participant in the 2021 Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition.

“I am immensely grateful for the invaluable support Beares has given me over the years. To play on this instrument is a true privilege. It allows me to develop as a musician in the best possible way and it is real joy to continue to be able to explore the depths of sound and colour on this wonderful viola.”

Isang is in demand both as a soloist and chamber musician. For the past three years, he has been a member of the acclaimed Sitkovetsky trio, and is a regular collaborator with pianist Igor Levit. He has played in a variety of settings, including as Concertmaster of the cellos of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, a position that had previously been vacant for 10 years. He plays a Tononi cello on long-term loan.

“The incredibly generous loan I received through the Beare’s International Violin Society has opened the gates to new ways of expressing myself, through the most beautiful voice of a Cello I could ever have dreamed of.”

Aki, who performed at BBC Young Musician 2023, is playing on a fine violin by Andrea Postacchini. He is a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and regularly participates in chamber music study courses.

“I’m so grateful to Beare’s and the owner of this amazing violin for letting me play on it. As soon as I tried it I was blown away by the sound. The range and variety of tone colours that I can find on this instrument has really expanded what I feel I can do with my playing, which has made me want to practice more and push myself harder to make the most of this opportunity. I’m enjoying playing on it so much, and feel that the qualities of this violin are helping me to develop and improve as a violinist.”

Cellist Lukas Schwarz specialises in chamber music, as a member of the acclaimed Leonkoro Quartet. With the quartet Lukas won the Jürgen Ponto Foundation Music Prize in early 2022, followed by 1st prize and nine additional special awards at the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition. The quartet was also awarded 1st prize at the Concours International de Quatuor à Bordeaux, and became BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists.

“I am beyond grateful that Beare‘s is helping me on the journey of finding an instrument – being able to play such a fine cello challenges me in further developing my own, unique sound as a string quartet cellist. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!”