Sunday Salon - "The Romantic Violin"

"The Romantic Violin" - Romantic Violin Music of the 19th century featuring Sophie Branson

Program

César Franck: Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano Robert Schumann: Fantasiestücke, Op.73 Franz Waxman: Carmen Fantasie

Sophie Branson, violin

Yilan Zhao, piano/host Sophie Branson, violin

Sophie Branson is a British-Swiss violinist, born in 2006, currently studying for her Bachelor of Music degree with Prof. Svetlana Makarova at HEMU Lausanne. She began studying violin at the age of four with Liana Tretiakova at the Zakhar Bron School of Music in Zurich and, since 2021, has also studied with Prof. Zakhar Bron at his Academy in Interlaken. Sophie is a prize-winner of the 2024 Wieniawski and Lipiński International Competition and the 2023 “In Memory of David Oistrakh” Competition. In 2026, she won first prizes at the Zurich Youth Classical Competition and the Swiss Youth Music Competition, as well as the Brahms Prize at the Carl Flesch Academy in Baden-Baden. She made her Tonhalle Zurich debut in 2022 with Mozart’s Violin Concerto K. 216 and has since performed Brahms and Mendelssohn concertos there. Her 2026/27 season includes Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the Ensemble Symphonique de Genève and Sergey Ostrovsky at the Tonhalle Zurich, and a recital at the Brahms House in Baden-Baden. Since 2021, Sophie has played a violin by Stefan Peter Greiner.

Yilan Zhao, Piano/Host

The Chinese pianist Yilan Zhao is the winner of the Lucerne Festival Fritz Gerber Award and numerous international competitions including the 70th Viotti Music Competition.She has performed with the Zürcher Kammerorchester, Orchestra Musikkollegium Winterthur, the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, the Argovia Philharmonic, the Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova and the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra. Yilan Zhao began her professional piano studies at the Pre-College of Wuhan Music Conservatory. At the age of 15 she entered the Juilliard School in New York City, where she studied with Hung-Kuan Chen and received her bachelor's degree with honors. In 2023, She finished her master's degree with the highest distinction at the Zurich University of the Arts in the class of Konstantin Scherbakov. She continued her studies of contemporary music at the The State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart with Nicolas Hodges and received the Concert Exam diplome in 2025.

https://www.yilanzhao.com/ Sunday Salon

Sunday Salon in Lavatersaal, Zürich is an offering filled with live music, poetry and story telling that are based on the experience we share together as human beings who are going through similar situations in life. Founded by Yilan Zhao in February 2022, the Matinee series aims to break the boundaries between audience and performers by inviting everyone into the conversation of communicative art and making the floor a less formal and more interactive space for sharing. Every event is followed up by an Apéro for meeting new friends and asking the musicians any curious questions you migh have:)

FAQ:

What are my transportation options for getting to and from the event?

By public transport: Tram 4,15 to the stop Rathaus, Tram 7,11,13 to the stop Rennweg. The Lavaterhaus is located within 5 minutes walk from both tram stations.

Is it possible to get tickets before the concert at the door?

Yes, last-minute tickets can be purchased at the door. Payment options: Twint, Cash.

Where is Lavatersaal?

The Lavatersaal is located on the 1st floor of the Lavaterhaus. The Lavaterhaus is situated right across the St. Peter's church next to a water fountain.

Is the Apéro free of charge?

Yes, it is offered free of charge by the host as an opportunity to meet and exchange.