Ivan Karizna

| France-Belarus

"The young cellist is a breathtaking and special musician, who visibly allows himself to be drawn into Shostakovich’s dark worlds. He modulates his sound enormously and can sing and saw, dance and attack, shimmering in the pianos and glowing in the fortes"

Süddeutsche Zeitung (Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra / V. Jurowski)

Ivan Karizna is a storyteller with an exceptional gift of musical expression, known equally for his poetic interpretations and powerful stage presence. Described by András Schiff as "one of the best cellists of his generation", he has won numerous awards, including prizes at the Tchaikovsky and Queen Elisabeth Competitions.

In 2024–2025 Karizna returns to the Cello Biennale Amsterdam to give three performances, including Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto with Rotterdam Philharmonic and Tarmo Peltokoski. He tours Europe with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine playing Dvořák’s Cello Concerto, and performs Weinberg’s Cello Concerto with Aarhus Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Dmitry Matvienko. He also joins Liza Ferschtman to play the Brahms Double Concerto with the George Enescu Philharmonic in Bucharest, a piece with which he will return at the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam the following season.

His recent highlights include a six-concert tour with Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and Vladimir Jurowski, concerts with Netherlands Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra and Montreal Symphony Orchestra, with such conductors as Christoph Eschenbach, Stéphane Denève, Valery Gergiev and Juraj Valčuha.

An avid chamber musician, this season Karizna joins colleagues to perform in Rotterdam and at the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam. He also returns to Elena Bashkirova’s Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival. Past chamber music performances inlude collaborations with Gidon Kremer, András Schiff, Renaud Capuçon and Christian Tetzlaff.

Born into a musical family in Minsk, Karizna’s early training was in the Russian tradition. At the age of 17, he moved to the Paris Conservatoire, before completing his training at the Kronberg Academy with prof. Frans Helmerson. He plays the 1760 Tassini's cello, previously owned by Paul Tortelier, and on generous loan from a member of the Stretton Society. He is a French citizen, dividing his time between Paris and Amsterdam.