Alon Sariel is one of today’s most versatile plucked-string performers, inspiring critics and audiences alike with his contagious musicianship and flawless technique, which earn him growing recognition as a multi-instrumentalist and a captivating Bach interpreter.
The Vancouver Sun praises his “dazzling virtuosity” when leading the Pacific Baroque Orchestra through Italian mandolin concertos; Gramophone describes his “Plucked Bach” recording series for PENTATONE as “highly poetic”, with “moments of quiet eroticism”; while the French magazine Diapason pays particular attention to his sensitive lute continuo at the Opéra Royal de Versailles with Le Poème Harmonique. In short, Alon Sariel is further proof that the most compelling artists are those who refuse to fit a mold.
With a record of well over a thousand concerts in more than 35 countries, including performances at Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Brazil’s Sala São Paulo and Mexico’s Palacio de Bellas Artes, he maintains a multifaceted career as a soloist and chamber musician, educator, curator and musical director. Increasingly, he is incorporating conducting into his musical activities, both from the instrument and with the baton.
In his acclaimed “Plucked Bach” recording series for the PENTATONE label, Alon reimagines Bach’s music through compelling new arrangements for a rich palette of plucked instruments, including various lutes and mandolins, baroque guitar, oud and bağlama. The latest instalment of the trilogy was selected as an Editor’s Choice by Gramophone and received five-star reviews in Concerti and De Volkskrant, alongside feature portraits on Radio France and The Violin Channel, among many other international accolades.
“This is the kind of moment that can change your day …
as pretty and heaven-sent as a soft spring shower …
you’ll find it hard not to be enchanted by Sariel’s profound artistry …
This is Bach-playing for the ages.”
Lindsey Kemp, Gramophone Magazine
Recent engagements include Alon’s debut with the Swedish Västerås Sinfonietta alongside conductor Bar Avni and his return to the Thüringen Philharmonie as player-director; an eight-concert residency at Early Music Vancouver’s summer festival; a five-city tour of Poland; and a return to Japan as a special guest of the Schubertiade in Tamba. Further projects include a series of Christmas concerts with the Bridges Kammerorchester as player-director, as well as a concerto recording with the English Chamber Orchestra under the baton of composer Nimrod Borenstein.
Alon Sariel is the recipient of numerous international prizes and awards, including the OPUS Klassik for his album “Telemandolin” on Berlin Classics. He was recently appointed Early Music Curator for the Styriarte in Graz and for ’t Huis te Poort in Schiedam. He also serves as a member of the Foundation Committee of the Göttingen International Handel Festival and as a goodwill ambassador for the animal welfare organisation Pro Animale.
Photo: © Silvia Mao