10* Piccolo Violino Magico

Born in Riga in 2004, Daniil Bulayev is a remarkable Latvian violinist, conductor, and artistic director who has transitioned seamlessly from a childhood prodigy into one of today's most dynamic young musical leaders. His extraordinary journey began at just five years old when he made his debut as a chamber orchestra soloist, followed by a symphony orchestra debut at age seven, and his first solo recital at the Moscow Conservatory at age eight. 

Daniil’s formidable talent was shaped by top-tier European mentors, including Galina Turchaninova, Nelly Sarkisyan at the Emīls Dārziņš Music School, and Professor Petru Munteanu at Germany's Leopold Mozart Centrum. He is currently continuing his advanced studies with Professor Tereze Ziberte-Ijaba at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Music Academy, performing on a fine Italian instrument generously loaned to him by Mr. Arkady Suharenko through Florian Leonhard Fine Violins. Over the last decade, Daniil has built an enviable international reputation as a soloist. A dominant force on the competition circuit, he has swept first prizes and grand prix honors at major global competitions across the UK (Windsor), Hungary (Ilona Fehér), Germany (Kloster Schöntal and the Ana Chumachenco Award), Belgium (Leonid Kogan), Italy (Il Piccolo Violino Magico), and China (Zhuhai Mozart Competition). These victories have paved the way for high-profile performances worldwide, including a milestone rendition of the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Marin Alsop at Windsor Castle, and collaborations with legendary figures like Gidon Kremer, Maxim Vengerov, and Vladimir Spivakov. 

In recent years, Daniil has evolved far beyond the role of a traditional virtuoso. In 2022, he founded the Davinspiro Camerata Chamber Orchestra, assuming the role of artistic director to explore fresh musical boundaries. Demonstrating his ambitious creative vision, he and collaborator Andrei Pushkarev co-arranged the complete cycle of Beethoven’s ten violin sonatas for full chamber orchestra, premiering it to great acclaim in 2025. The same year marked another major milestone with the release of his critically acclaimed debut album, Daniil Bulayev: Enescu, Bloch, Ysaÿe, under the British label Champs Hill Records. 

Daniil's artistry took an even grander turn when he added conducting and staging to his repertoire. His 2024 conducting debut with Astor Piazzolla’s operetta María de Buenos Aires—in which he also directed and played the violin solos—won the prestigious Latvian Grand Music Award for Performance of the Year, the absolute highest state honor in Latvian music.

Whether premiering complex new works by contemporary masters like Pēteris Vasks and Arvo Pärt, performing at major global festivals from Switzerland to Macao, or leading his own orchestra, Daniil Bulayev continues to captivate audiences while deeply committing himself to expanding community access to classical music through charity concerts.

Born in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan in 2007, Natsuho Murata began playing the violin at the age of three. She made her stunning soloist debut at just 11 years old with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. Since then, she has performed extensively with prestigious orchestras both in Japan and internationally, including the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, the St. Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra, the Korean Chamber Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the National Philharmonic of Ukraine. 

Her exceptional talent has been recognized with top prizes at numerous prestigious competitions. She won first place in both the Tokyo regional and national finals of the 71st Student Music Concours of Japan (Primary School Section). Her international accolades include first places at the Il Piccolo Violino Magico International Competition in Italy, the Tibor Junior International Violin Competition in Switzerland, and the Kloster Schöntal International Violin Competition in Germany. She was also awarded the prestigious Golden Nutcracker Award at the International Nutcracker Music Contest for Young Musicians in Moscow, and most recently, received the Manfred Grommek Prize at the Kronberg Academy in Germany in 2025.

Having previously studied under Kumiko Kawamata, she currently continues her studies with Koichiro Harada, Zakhar Bron, Mayuko Kamio, and Machie Oguri. She is currently enrolled in the Artist Diploma Course at the Tokyo College of Music as a special scholarship student.

Edward is an Australian violinist, born in 2006 and is currently studying with Professor Boris Kuschnir. He is a Violin Channel Young Artist and Pirastro Strings Young Artist. 

Notable accomplishments include Second Prize in the Junior Division of the 2021 Menuhin International Violin Competition, First Prize in the Il Piccolo Violino Magico in Italy, the Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition UK, the Medallion International Concerto Competition USA, and 2026 Musica Goritiensis Violin Competition among others. Edward has performed with orchestras internationally including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Australia, Göttinger Symphonie Orchester Germany and the National Symphony Orchestra in the United Kingdom. 

He has participated in renowned programs including Ozawa Academy, Verbier Festival Academy, Perlman Music Program, and the Kronberg Academy. Edward is a Scholarship holder of the Musikakademie in Liechtenstein and the AFSF society. He plays on a Gennaro Gagliano violin, generously on loan through the Beare's International Violin Society. 

Japanese violinist Yume Tomita is the Grand Prize winner of the Il Piccolo Violino Magico International Competition for Young Violinists (Italy, 2021). 

She has gained international recognition through major competition successes, including 3rd Prize at the Hengqin International Mozart Competition for Young Musicians (China, 2025), 1st Prize at the Ilona Fehér International Violin Competition (Hungary, 2019), 2nd Prize at the Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition (Italy, 2019), and 3rd Prize at the Arthur Grumiaux International Violin Competition (Belgium, 2018). 

An exceptionally gifted violinist, her musical journey began at the tender age of five, leading to her first solo recital in Italy just two years later. Since 2016, she has been honing her craft at the world-renowned Yehudi Menuhin School in the United Kingdom, where she has studied under the guidance of Natasha Boyarsky, Ning Kam, and currently, Robin Wilson. Her artistic development has been further enriched by masterclasses with some of the world's leading violinists, including Shlomo Mintz, Zakhar Bron, and Clara-Jumi Kang. 

Her immense talent quickly turned heads on the international competition circuit, yielding an impressive collection of awards. Most notably, she won the Grand Prize at the prestigious Il Piccolo Violino Magico in Italy (2021) and First Prize at the Ilona Fehér International Violin Competition in Hungary (2019). She has also taken home top honors from competitions in China, Belgium, and Germany. 

These competitive triumphs smoothly launched her career onto major concert stages. Following her concerto debut in 2019 with Budapest's Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra, she has become a highly sought-after soloist. Her recent performances featured heavy-hitting repertoire, including the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Marlborough Concert Orchestra and the Barber Concerto with the Wimbledon Symphony Orchestra. Looking ahead through 2026, her momentum shows no signs of slowing down, with scheduled performances of the demanding Sibelius Violin Concerto alongside the Newbury Symphony Orchestra and a headline appearance at the 10th Anniversary Grand Gala of Il Piccolo Violino Magico. 

Beyond her work as a soloist, she is an avid chamber musician. She is a founding member of QUADPHONICS, an innovative, all-violin ensemble that completed a successful six-city tour of Japan. Her recording credits include collaborations on the Orchid Classics label, where she recorded Sarasate’s Navarra alongside Coco Tomita and the Yehudi Menuhin School Orchestra. 

Reflecting her rising status in the classical music world, she performs on a 2020 violin custom-made for her by Frédéric Chaudière. She has also been granted the rare privilege of performing on historic masterpieces by Stradivari, Amati, Gagliano, Goffriller, and Guadagnini, generously loaned to her through Beare’s International Violin Society and Florian Leonhard Fine Violins. 

Violinist Hyunsuk Ryu began his musical journey at the age of six. Trained under Sunny Lee at the Seoul Central Conservatory and currently homeschooled, Hyunsuk places emotional depth and storytelling at the heart of his playing. This artistic philosophy gives his performances a rare and compelling capacity to connect deeply with audiences. 

Hyunsuk first established himself as one of Korea's most promising young talents by claiming top prizes at major domestic competitions, including the Nanpa National Music Competition (1st Prize, 2021), the Strad Competition (Grand Prize, 2022), and the Sonyeon Hankook Ilbo Competition (Grand Prize, 2022). 

In 2024, at just 11 years old, Hyunsuk made a striking entry into the international circuit. He won 1st Prize and the Audience Award at the Piccolo Violino Magico International Competition in Italy, and 1st Prize at the Małopolska International Music Competition in Poland. He also earned 2nd Prize at both the Leonid Kogan and Ysaÿe International Competitions in Belgium, and made his official debut at the prestigious Kumho Young Artist Concert in Seoul. 

His international and domestic success accelerated through 2025. He was awarded 2nd Prize at the Hengqin Mozart International Competition and swept domestic events, winning Grand Prizes at the Seoul Virtuosi and SC Bright Competitions, and 1st Prize at the Doam Music Competition. His performance schedule included a concerto tour with the Arigoni String Academy Orchestra across Italy, an opening recital at Piccolo Violino Magico, and performances at Seoul Arts Center Inchun Art Hall and Lotte Concert Hall. 

The year 2026 has marked further milestones in Hyunsuk’s rising career. In April, he held a solo recital at the Gumnanse Music Center (GMC). The following month, in May, he performed as a soloist with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at Lotte Concert Hall. He also achieved further acclaim in May by winning 1st Prize Overall in the Professional Division at the 'NYMC in Seoul' (New York Music Competition). In recognition of his exceptional potential, Hyunsuk was selected as a 2026 Music Scholarship Recipient by the Korea Mecenat Association, securing a full year of support for his musical endeavors.