Tango for 3

Alexander Souptel was born in Southern Russia in 1948 to a family of musicians, including his father, who was a conductor. He picked up the violin at the age of five and learnt the piano for seven years. He enrolled at Gnessin State Musical College, completing his high school studies in 1967 before graduating in 1972. In 1980, he served as leader of the USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra (known today as the State Symphony Capella of Russia) for 10 years, under then principal conductor, Gennady Rozhdestvensky. Souptel was recognised as a "rare and excellent concert master and soloist" by Rozhdestvensky. In 1982, he performed for the first time a violin poetry recital together with the orchestra led by Gennady Rozhdestvensky and Aman Agajkov. In 1986, he earned the Russian Honorary Artist medal. In Moscow, he actively performed as a leader as well as a soloist with various renowned orchestras. Souptel led the Moscow Symphony Orchestra before he served as a concertmaster of Singapore Symphony Orchestra from 1993 to 2013. Today, he holds many performances and nurtures young musicians at Virtuosi Music Centre.

Aya Sakou is a graduate of the Toho Gakuen School Of Music and the Musikhochschule Winterthur-Zurich, where she obtained diplomas in teaching and performance on the piano, and harpsichord under the guidance of Konstantin Scherbakov. She has won first prizes in competitions such as the Pitina Young Pianist Competition, The South Japan Piano Competition and the National Music Competition Of Japan.

As a chamber musician, she has been a member of the Tastro Quartet touring in Europe and Japan. She also participated in festivals such as the Yoshiwa Music Festival in Japan and the Vendsyssel International Music Festival in Denmark. She is also frequently performing as a chamber musician with musicians from the NHK symphony Orchestra, the Tonhalle Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, among others.

As a soloist, she has given many recitals in Europe and Japan. She has been invited to perform concertos with the Fontinu Chamber Orchestra and the Swiss Chamber Orchestra. In 2004-2005, the BBC radio broadcasted two of her recitals.

Since moving to Singapore in 2007, she regularly performs with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) both in chamber and in the orchestra. She also works as an accompanist for SSO musicians, Singapore Armed Forces Band, festivals, master classes and at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, while still pursuing an active career as an accompanist in Japan.

Since 1992, Guennadi Mouzyka has been the one name associated with the double bass in Singapore.

He has established himself not only as the Singapore Symphony Orchestra Principal Bass, but as a recitalist. His solo repertoire includes works ranging from baroque to contemporary music. He premiered Singapore compositions such as Inner Voice by Anne LeBaron and Natural by Tan Chan Boon for Double Bass solo, Op.47 that was dedicated by the composer to him.

As a chamber musician, Guennadi has performed with Yo-Yo Ma Silk Road Ensemble, T'ang Quartet, The Orchestra Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic, and collaborated with Alina Ibragimova, Jeff Bradetich and Nobuko Imai.

Guennadi is an Artist Faculty in Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Of Music and regularly conducts double bass masterclasses in Europe, Asia and the United States. His past students hold active positions in the profession, performing and teaching throughout the world.