Faculty 2026
Violin
Viola
Violoncello
Violin
Prof. Philip A. Draganov
Violin masterclass and Artistic Director SIMA 2026
Philip A.Draganov is professor of violin at the Bern Academy of the Arts (HKB), teaches the violin class at the PreCollege Music of the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and regularly gives masterclasses in Europe and Asia. Among his current
and former students are winners and prizewinners of international competitions (Marschner, Spohr, Kreisler, Michael Hill, Menuhin, Tibor Varga, Postacchini, etc.) as well as concertmasters and members of various European orchestras. He serves on juries of international competitions and also conducts various orchestras.
www.draganov.ch
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Prof. Andreas Janke
Violin masterclass SIMA 2026
Andreas Janke is the first concertmaster at the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and professor of violin at the Zurich University of the Arts. He is an esteemed prizewinner
at prestigious international competitions (Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, Fritz Kreisler Competition in Vienna, the Prague Spring competition a.o.). Together with pianist Oliver Schnyder and cellist Benjamin Nyffenegger, Janke is part of the Schnyder Trio, whose debut release with RCA Sony featuring the Schubert piano trios was named «reference recording»by «Die Bühne»and selected as the «Best Swiss Classical Album of the Year» by the Aargauer Zeitung. www.oliverschnydertrio.ch
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Prof. Sunny Lee
Violin masterclass SIMA 2026
Sunny Lee, one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation in Korea, is currently a Chief Executive Officer of the Seoul Central Conservatory, and an Artistic director of the Ensemble M. She is also an honored professor at the Russia National Music Institute in Moscow founded by lppolitov-Ivanov, as well as faculty member at the Yewon School, and Seoul Arts High School in Korea.
As a renowned teacher both domestic and abroad, Sunny Lee was invited as a professor to many international music festivals. Also she has passionately contributed teaching talented young violinists who are distinguished both in national and international competitions. Due to her remarkable reputation, she has served as a jury member at many major concours. She has been also invited to participate as a jury member in international competitions.
In 2025, she has been attend Tibor Varga Academy and competition jury in Sion, Switzerland.
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Prof. Svetlana Makarova
Violin masterclass SIMA 2026
Svetlana Makarova — Professor at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne and at the MDW University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. As both a soloist and a chamber musician, Professor Makarova performs extensively with renowned orchestras and ensembles across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. A laureate of numerous international competitions, she is internationally recognized for her expressive artistry, refined musicality, and inspiring pedagogy.
Her artistry is complemented by her deep dedication to teaching — she regularly gives masterclasses around the world, sharing her expertise and passion with young violinists.
Professor Makarova is a regular jury member at prestigious international violin competitions, and her performances have been broadcast on major radio networks.
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Prof. Pavel Vernikov
Violin masterclass SIMA 2026
Pavel Vernikov teaches and gives master classes around the world, in Italy, France, Finland, Spain (Escuela
Superior de Música Reina Sofia Madrid), Israel (Rubin Academy), Germany (Kronberg Academy), etc.
and has been invited to be a member of the jury at international competitions (Szigeti, Kreisler, Gui,
ARD-Competition in Munich, Sendai (Japan), Budapest, Sarasate, Wieniawski, etc.).
He was Professor at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Lyon. At present he’s Professor at the famous Konservatorium Wien University and at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne (Site de Sion).
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Viola
Prof. Hartmut Rohde
Viola masterclass SIMA 2026
Violist and conductor Hartmut Rohde delights the audience with his tone and musical language as well as his special commitment to the respective style. Rohde is one of the
leading European violists and a founding member of the Mozart Piano Quartet, with which he received the OPUS Klassik Award in 2018. Chamber music partners include D. Geringas, J. Jansen, J. Widmann, L. Vogt and E. Bashkirowa. Performances on tours take him as a conductor to music centers such as the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Tonhalle Düsseldorf, the Hamburg Laeiszhalle a.o.. Hartmut Rohde has been a professor at the UdK Berlin since 1993 and is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music London.
www.hartmut-rohde.de
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Prof. Thomas Selditz
Viola masterclass SIMA 2026
Violist Thomas Selditz comes from a family of musicians. He was principal violist under Daniel Barenboim at the Staatskapelle Berlin. Later he taught as a professor in Hannover and Hamburg until 2010, when he was appointed
professor for viola at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.
As a chamber musician, he has been invited to many renowned international music festivals and has released more than 20 CD recordings for numerous labels including Sony, Largo Records, Phoenix a.o.. His CD with works for viola and piano by Henri Vieuxtemps was awarded with the Diapason d´Or/France and the German Record Critics’ Award in 2003.
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Violoncello
Prof. Thomas Grossenbacher
Cello masterclass SIMA 2026
Thomas Grossenbacher was the solo cellist of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich until 2020. After studies at the Zurich Academy, he studied with David Geringas at the Lübeck Academy. Menahem Pressler, Robert Mann, György Ligeti and Alfred Schnittke have as well had a great influence on
his artistic development. His recordings, particularly Richard Strauss’s Don Quixote (Arte Nova) with the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, conducted by David Zinman, where highly acclaimed. Besides of his career as a cellist, Grossenbacher is a professor at the Zurich University of the Arts. Many of his students have won prizes at international competitions or have leading positions with renowned orchestras and chamber
music ensembles.
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Prof. Ivan Monighetti
Cello masterclass SIMA 2026
As a sought-after performer, pedagogue and conductor Ivan Monighetti is one of the most versatile personalities in the classical music world today.
For more than four decades he has enjoyed a distinguished career, which has taken him throughout Europe, to America, Japan and Korea. Besides outstanding interpretations of the classical masterpieces he has become known for numerous premieres of modern compositions dedicated to him, many of which belong now to the established cello repertoire. His discography includes over 40 recordings that have been praised by the press and critics. He is Doctor Honoris Causa of the Music Academy in Krakow, cello professor at the Escuela Superier Reina Sofia in Madrid. At the Music Academy in Basel almost 30 years he trained and mentored several generations of cellists. Among his students are internationally acclaimed soloists such as Sol Gabetta, Kian Soltani, Hayoung Choi, Nicolas Altstaedt, Emil Rovner, Asier Polo.
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Prof. Troels Svane
Cello masterclass SIMA 2026
Troels Svane studied with David Geringas at the Musikhochschule Lübeck and became second solo cellist of the Copenhagen Philharmonic at the age of 18. He was the assistant to David Geringas for 11 years before he was appointed professor for violoncello at the Musikhochschule
Lübeck in 2004. Furthermore he has a cello class at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin. His students are prize winners at prestigious international competitions (ARD, Feuermann, Geneva, Isang Yun, Rostropovich, Tchaikovsky) and members of renowed chamber music ensembles and orchestras such as the Armida Quartet, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks.
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