Join us for our first edition!
October 17 to 25, 2026
Resonance across borders
FOUNDER AND
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
CLARISSA
BEVILACQUA
Violinist Clarissa Bevilacqua is the founder and Artistic Director of DYNAMIKfest, an annual classical contemporary chamber music festival that takes place in Salzburg and Chicago. The festival is dedicated to championing emerging, under 30 artists and composers. As an international performer, her playing is described as “luminously elevated” (Gramophone) and “elegant and nimble” (The Strad). An award-winning artist, she received First Prize, Audience Award and Bärenreiter Prize at the International Mozart Competition Salzburg. Her discography includes Dream Catcher featuring works by Augusta Read Thomas, Short Trio Stories with Giovanni Sollima, and Mozartiana by Berlin Classics. She collaborates closely with contemporary composers, with works written for and dedicated to her including Sun Plaits by Augusta Read Thomas, Clarissa’s Tango and Colombina by Richard Blackford, and Trazom by Giovanni Sollima. She completed her Master of Music in Violin Performance at the Mozarteum University Salzburg with Pierre Amoyal, and a Master of Violin Solo Performance at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" Berlin with Antje Weithaas.
Residence
artists
Oliver
Neubauer
Praised for his uniquely beautiful playing and his vivid and mature artistry, violinist Oliver Neubauer is swiftly establishing himself as a distinctive and compelling presence on the international classical music scene. First prize winner of the 2023 Susan Wadsworth Young Concert Artists International Auditions, Oliver is an inaugural YCA Jacobs Fellow and is managed worldwide by Young Concert Artists. Following his acclaimed debuts last season at New York’s Merkin Hall and Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center – “a nuanced, profound interpretation of [the Bartók Solo Sonata]” (Washington Classical Review) and first performances at London’s Wigmore Hall – “the playing was bright, clean, and characterful” (The Strad) – he had his recital debut at Carnegie Hall in Weill Hall. Oliver is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York City, where he studied with Li Lin, Itzhak Perlman, and Donald Weilerstein, and was a recipient of the Kovner Fellowship for his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees.
MARTINA
CONSONNI
Italian pianist Martina Consonni combines a refined musical intelligence with a strong artistic identity across both solo and chamber repertoire. A laureate of the Fondation Gautier Capuçon, she was selected for Sir András Schiff’s Building Bridges series and the Classeek Ambassador Programme, performing across major European venues. Particularly active in chamber music, she collaborates with artists such as Gautier Capuçon, Steven Isserlis and Tabea Zimmermann, reflecting a natural affinity for ensemble playing alongside her solo work. Her discography includes recordings for Warner Classics and Movimento Classical, with recent releases receiving five-star reviews and critical acclaim from BBC Music Magazine for their “luminous piano playing” and “outstanding ensemble artistry.” Winner of several international competition prizes, her profile is defined by clarity, depth and a distinctly collaborative musical voice. She completed her advanced studies with András Schiff, Enrico Pace and Arie Vardi at institutions including the Imola Academy, Barenboim-Said Akademie and Kronberg Academy.
Sarah
Strohm
Swiss violist Sarah Strohm gained major international recognition with First Prize, Audience Prize and special awards at the Geneva International Music Competition, alongside earlier distinctions including Second Prize at the Johannes Brahms Competition. Named a Classic FM Rising Star 2026, she has rapidly distinguished herself through a striking combination of expressive intensity and natural stage presence, praised for her “rich and sustained tone” (Crescendo Magazine). Regularly performing with prominent musicians and at major European festivals, she represents a new generation of violists combining technical authority with a deeply communicative musical voice.
Petar
PejCIC
Hailed as “a wonderful musician with a compelling sense of storytelling” (Le Soir), Serbian cellist Petar Pejèiæ is rapidly establishing a distinctive artistic voice defined by depth, clarity and narrative intensity. His international breakthrough came as the youngest finalist and 5th prize winner at the Queen Elisabeth Competition, followed by Second Prize at the Paulo Cello Competition, confirming his position among the leading cellists of his generation. A winner of the YCAT International Auditions at Wigmore Hall, he has also been named an ECHO Rising Star for the 2026–27 season, leading to performances across Europe’s major concert halls.
SALZBURG
artists
Kyan
Quartet
Winners of the DYNAMIKfest Salzburg Chamber Music Competition, the Kyan Quartet brings together four exceptional musicians from the United Kingdom, the United States, China and France. Currently mentored at the Mozarteum University Salzburg, the ensemble was established in 2020 and has since developed a vibrant international career, performing across Europe and Asia and receiving further recognition at the Royal Over-Seas League Competition (London, 2024). Recent highlights include appearances at the Barbican Centre as part of the Carducci Quartet’s Shostakovich cycle, collaborations at Conway Hall, and a UK tour as Tunnell Trust award holders. Their artistic development has been shaped through residencies and mentorship with leading ensembles including the Belcea, Doric and Pavel Haas Quartets. Deeply committed to outreach and contemporary music, they are Live Music Now artists, regularly engaging in educational and community projects, while also championing new works through commissions, premieres and recordings with emerging composers.
VENUES
Chicago CULTURAL CENTER
GraInger Ballroom SYMPHONY CENTER
The CheckOut
The Arts Club of Chicago
Pianoforte
Community Outreach
Merit School of Music
New Music School
University of Illinois Hospital
MISSION
At DYNAMIKfest, we reimagine the classical music industry by presenting a more responsible and resilient model for performers and audience members - one that unites sustainability with artistry at the highest level. Our mission is rooted in the belief that an environmentally conscious, community-oriented music festival can help shape meaningful cultural change, especially when spearheaded by the energy and vision of young, ambitious musicians from all around the world. Through extended artist residencies, partnerships with local schools and social organizations, and a commitment to low-waste practices, we cultivate deeper relationships between musicians and the communities they perform in.
With this in mind, DYNAMIKfest enters Chicago's already vibrant artistic landscape with the promise to create a platform where classical music can be daringly creative, forward-thinking and socially responsible.
As a violinist myself, I have the privilege of traveling the world with my instrument and experiencing first-hand the adrenaline-fueled lifestyle of a soloist performing almost every night in a new city.
However, as an artistic director, I also see the very evident cracks in a system that often strains the musicians and disengages the listeners.
DYNAMIKfest is my way of reinventing the concert-going experience: a festival that fully honors the art I have dedicated my life to, while building a sustainable approach that allows both performers and audience members to thrive.
KEY INITIATIVES
BUILDING BRIDGES
Initially founded in Salzburg, Austria three years ago, DYNAMIKfest now extends its vision to Chicago, forging an artistic connection between Europe and the United States. This expansion aspires to break down cultural borders and cultivate an unprecedented international franchise of this dynamic festival concept.
ADOPTING RESIDENCY MODEL
At DYNAMIKfest, we invite artists for extended residencies rather than single, hurried performances. In addition to preparing their concerts, the musicians will use this time to participate in community outreach and other meaningful initiatives around the city. By adopting a slower, more deliberate approach, the festival fosters long-term engagement and creates lasting connections between the artists and the city’s exceptional audience.
SHOWCASING UNDER 30
DYNAMIKfest aims to be a platform for award-winning, renowned musicians under 30 from all over the world. Their unique perspectives, diverse cultural backgrounds and young energy will infuse Chicago’s cultural scene with fresh ideas and innovative approaches. DYNAMIKfest will take place annually in the fall, every year bringing these new voices of classical music together for outstanding chamber music performances.
educatiNG THE FUTURE
Presenting world-class performances is no longer enough to engage a new generation of concert goers: without widespread education, both classical music and the environment risk extinction. At DYNAMIKfest, educational events in collaboration with local schools such as Merit School of Music and New Music School, and social initiatives with Chicago-based charities will be at the foreground of our activity.
MINIMIZING WASTE
We live in a digital age, and yet classical music festivals around the world spend an unnecessary amount of resources every year on programs, posters, and other printed marketing materials. We believe that DYNAMIKfest will find its audience not by being wasteful, but by interacting with music enthusiasts around the Chicago area both virtually and through catered outreach events.
