Alon Sariel - NOSPR

Alon Sariel is merely impossible to be pigeonholed. The Vancouver Sun praises his “dazzling virtuosity” when leading the Pacific Baroque Orchestra through Italian mandolin concertos, Gramophone describes his “Plucked Bach” record series for PENTATONE as “highly poetic” with “moments of quiet eroticism”, while the French Diapason pays extra attention to his sensitive lute continuo at the Opera Royal de Versailles with Le Poème Harmonique. Having recently performed as a soloist at Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, Vancouver's Playhouse, the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and Sala São Paulo in Brazil, Alon Sariel has also been a guest at festivals such as the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Early Music festivals of Utrecht and Innsbruck, the Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, the Bachwoche Thüringen, the Handel Festivals in Göttingen and Halle as well as the Mozartfest Würzburg, the Baroque Festivals of Copenhagen and Valletta, Frankfurt's Alte Oper and the Opéra Royal de Versailles.

In 2024 musical collaborations have taken him to the Edinburgh String Quartet at St. Magnus Festival in Scotland, he was Artist in Residence at the Vancouver Early Music Festival and featured artist at the renowned world-music festival Morgenland in Osnabrück.

His engagements include collaborations with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the NDR Radiophilharmonie, as well as period orchestras such as Le Poème Harmonique, Cape Town Baroque Orchestra and the Kölner Akademie.

Since rounding up his training in Jerusalem, Brussels, Hannover, Bremen and London, Sariel’s focus has been given to his different plucked instruments and particularly to the mandolin. His debut album Telemandolin was awarded an OPUS Klassik for the best 18th century concerto recording in 2018. Increasingly, he is incorporating conducting into his musical activities now, both from the instrument and with the baton.

The Israeli born and Viennese-by-choice feels especially drawn to the repertoire between his two greatest idols, Bach and Mozart. In that realm, he often gives extra attention to lesser known composers, constantly on the lookout for new treasures to present to his audiences.

Alon Sariel’s recordings were co-produced by Deutschlandfunk and SWR radio. 2025 will see his new release with PENTATONE - Vienna Mandolin Stories - bringing to light newly discovered works for mandolin and orchestra by the Viennese composer Ernest Krähmer, that lay untouched in the Bavarian State Library for over 200 years. Alongside these ‘old-new‘ gems, Sariel presents and original creation, Joseph Haydn’s “Mandolin Concerto”, which is based on various orchestral works by the composer.

Further engagements in 2025 include the Swedish Västerås Sinfonietta (alongside conductor Bar Avni) and his return to the Thüringen Philharmonie (play/conduct) with music by Mendelssohn, C.P.E. Bach and Telemann. Also, he will be special guest to the Schubertiade Tamba (Japan) and return to the UK to record Nimrod Borenstein’s mandolin concerto dedicated to him, with theEnglish Chamber Orchestra. His Plucked Bach recitals will be presented at the festivals Romanischer Sommer (WDR Cologne), the Thüringer Bachwochen, in Frankfurt’s Alte Oper and Potsdam’s Nikolaisaal. Other highlights include Hummel’s mandolin concerto with conductor Sebastian Tewinkel in Brandenburg, an Artistic Residency in Amare and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, his debut in Armenia’s Kapan Festival and a new play/conduct program with the Bridges Kammerorchester in and around Frankfurt.

Alon Sariel is a member of the Foundation Committee of the International Handel Festival in Göttingen and a goodwill ambassador for the animal welfare organization Pro Animale.