06.06.2026 | 19:30h
Zunftsaal Schmiedenhof | Rümelinspl. 4, Basel

Damien BACHMANN, Clarinet
Christian CHAMOREL, Piano

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TICKETS

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PROGRAM

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826), Grand Duo Concertant op. 48

Gerald Finzi (1901-1956), Five Bagatelles op. 23

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), Clarinet Trio op. 114

Alec Templeton (1909-1963), Pocket-Size Sonata No. 1

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The program of this concert brings together established works of the chamber music repertoire with lesser-known pieces beyond the standard canon. At its center is the clarinet, presented in a range of stylistic contexts from core repertoire to infrequently performed works.

These include Gerald Finzi’s Five Bagatelles, representative of British 20th-century music with its characteristic lyricism, and Alec Templeton’s Pocket-Size Sonata No. 1, which combines classical structures with elements of jazz. These works are complemented by Carl Maria von Weber’s Grand Duo Concertant, notable for its virtuosity and dramatic scope.

The program also expands to a trio setting with cellist Valentina Dubrovina in Johannes Brahms’s Clarinet Trio, Op. 114.

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DAMIEN BACHMANN

Damien Bachmann was born in Geneva into a family of musicians and has established himself as an outstanding clarinettist. He is the laureate of over 20 national and international competitions and regularly performs on major stages across Europe and Asia.

The press has praised his playing enthusiastically, describing him as a “gifted musician” endowed with “ease and boundless freedom in performance,” as well as a “phenomenal clarinettist in both expressiveness and virtuosity” (Cronica Muzicala, 2020), with a “captivating sound” (Pizzicato, 2023).

His chamber music partners include Janine Jansen, Gilles Apap, and the Quatuor Ébène. Thanks to his stylistic versatility, he is also a sought-after soloist, particularly for works in jazz and klezmer styles. Among many highlights, Damien Bachmann performed Artie Shaw’s Clarinet Concerto at the Paléo Festival in Nyon (CH) in 2025, in front of an audience of over 15,000.

As a professor at the Music Academy of the City of Basel, he shares his knowledge internationally through masterclasses and regularly serves as a jury member in competitions.

In 2010, Damien Bachmann founded the Puplinge Classique Festival, which he directed artistically for twelve years. In 2021, together with his brothers, he launched the Schubertiades Thônex, now a new landmark for music lovers in Geneva.

As principal clarinet of CHAARTS Chamber Artists, Damien Bachmann is an official artist of Buffet Crampon and performs on Tosca and Prestige models of the French brand.

CHRISTIAN CHAMOREL

Described as a “vital and eloquent” pianist (Diapason) and a “perfect stylist” with “jubilant and orchestral playing” (Classica), Christian Chamorel is one of the few pianists from Western Switzerland whose influence extends beyond national borders. His deep commitment to art song and chamber music has made him a highly sought-after artistic partner, admired for his communicative sensitivity and generosity.

Chamorel has appeared at renowned festivals such as the Menuhin Festival, Septembre Musical, and Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad in Switzerland; the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, Klavierfestival Ruhr, and Schloss Elmau in Germany; the Musicales du Golfe, Lisztomanias, and the Menton Music Festival in France; Music for Galway and the New Ross Piano Festival in Ireland; the North York Moors Chamber Music Festival in England; as well as the Istituzione Universitaria dei Concerti in Rome. He has also performed in the United States and Canada, at the NCPA in Beijing, Musashino Hall and Kioi Hall in Tokyo, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Prinzregententheater in Munich, the Tonhalle Zurich, Wigmore Hall in London, and Victoria Hall in Geneva.

A prizewinner at several international competitions—including the Gian Battista Viotti Competition in Vercelli, the Beethoven Competition in Vienna, the José Iturbi Competition in Valencia, and the Société des Arts in Geneva—Chamorel has performed with orchestras such as the Freiburg Chamber Orchestra, the Bern Symphony Orchestra, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestre Symphonique de Drummondville (Québec), and the Frankfurt Soloists.

His recordings, featuring works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Brahms, Franck, Chausson, Lekeu, and Strauss, have been widely acclaimed by the international press; three of his albums were nominated for Best Recording of the Year at the International Classical Music Awards.

Christian Chamorel is the founding member and artistic director of “Mont Musical,” a festival dedicated to art song and chamber music in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, whose strong thematic programming attracts a wide and enthusiastic audience.

He was recently appointed Professor at the Haute École de Musique Vaud Valais Fribourg (HEMU) in Fribourg.