Ensemble d'arco

Xavier Vander Linden was born in Huy, in Belgium, and began learning the violin at the age of seven under Marcel Debot in Brussels. He subsequently studied with E. Koch in Liège, Igor Ozim in Cologne and Ida Bieler in Düsseldorf, his achievements culminating in a postgraduate diploma in solo performance. He has studied chamber music with the Alban Berg, Auryn and Ysaÿe Quartets, with Stephan Picard and with Paul Kantor at the Aspen Music Festival, where he was a member of the Aspen Chamber Orchestra. He was awarded a special prize at the Henri Vieuxtemps competition and in the summer of 2001 reached the semi-final of the Michael Hill competition in Auckland, New Zealand. He has been a member of the Luxemburg Philharmonic since 1988.

Aleksandr Khramouchin was born in Minsk, Belarus, where he received his first cello lessons from his father at the age of four. After studies at Minsk Conservatory (Perlin) and the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp (Mannes) he embarked on a career as a concert cellist, and his solo performances with Europe's most renowned orchestras have taken him to some of the world's most prestigious concert halls, including the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Philharmonic Hall in St Petersburg. The winner of many international competitions, he has made numerous solo recordings for television and radio, and in 2002 he was an award-winning finalist in the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Aleksandr Khramouchin is currently principal cellist with the Luxemburg Philharmonic Orchestra.