Valerie Steenken und Ricardo Alvarez at Allerheiligen Hofkirche

About the Event

For an extraordinary evening of piano classics, visit the impressive Allerheiligen Hofkirche in Munich to hear the masterpieces of Schubert, Beethoven and Wieniawski.

Born in Munich in 1999, violinist Valerie Steenken is currently studying with Prof. Marco Rizzi at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid. Previously, she studied for 5 years with Prof. Julia Fischer at the Musikhochschule in Munich.

In a review by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, particular mention was made of her 'passionate singing', the 'wide arcs of tension' and her 'spirited virtuosity'. The Augsburger Allgemeine wrote about her performance of Max Bruch's 1st Violin Concerto with the Odeon Youth Symphony Orchestra: 'The 17‐year‐old Valerie Steenken enchanted with her violin.'
Valerie Steenken is a prizewinner of the 2019 'August‐Everding Music Competition' in violin solo. At the 'International Chamber Music Competition Gerhard Vogt' she received the 1st prize with her ensemble.Her quartet in Madrid won the prize for the best quartet of the Escuela Superior de Música which was awarded to them by Queen Reina Sofía personally.
The pianist Ricardo Alí Álvarez was born in Mexico and won first prizes in his home country at the Edvard Grieg National Piano Competition in 2003 and the Angelica Morales Piano Competition in 2009. He was also awarded 2nd prize at the Jacinto Cuevas Piano Competition and both 5th prize and the prize for the best interpretation of the Mexican composer Manuel M. Ponce at the Manuel M. Ponce International Piano Competition in Toluca, Mexico.
He currently lives and works in Madrid as a soloist and as a professor at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía