After winning top prizes in the Isang Yun and Enescu international cello competitions, Spanish-Taiwanese cellist Mon-Puo Lee has established himself as a musician with a rare combination of creativity, virtuosity and artistry.
As soloist, Mon-Puo performed with worldwide renowned orchestras including the Berliner Symphoniker, the Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin, the Enescu Festival Orchestra, the Nüremberg Symphoniker, the Chamber Orchestra of Andrés Segovia, the Tonyeong Festival Orchestra,the Extremadura Symphony Orchestra, the Harbin Symphony Orchestra, the Camerata Taiwan and the Jenaer Symphoniker under the guidance of Michael Sanderling, Alexandre Bloch, David Geringas, or Alvaro Albiach.
Mon-Puo is prizewinner at international competitions such as Isang Yun Competition (South Korea) , Enescu Competition (Bucharest) , Brahms Competition (Austria), Davydov Competition (Latvia), Khachaturian Competition (Yerevan) and Schoenfeld Competition (Harbin). Recognized for his talent and contributions to classical music in Spain and Taiwan, he was awarded the title of “Extraordinary Musician” in Madrid and “Ambassador of Culture” in Taiwan.
Mon-Puo performs at the major venues and festivals, including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Philharmonie Berlin, Stadtcasino Basel, Kronberg Festival, Wigmore Hall, National Concert Hall of Madrid, Elb Philharmonie of Hamburg, and the Tongyeong Concert Hall in South Korea.
Equally at home on the international stage as a soloist, as playing chamber music, he was a member of the Kelemen quartet and his chamber music partners include artists such as Robert Levin, Clara Jumi-Kang, Vilde Frang and Alexander Gadjiev.
Born in Madrid to a Taiwanese family of artists, Mon-Puo studied with Natalia Shakhovskaya in Madrid and Prof. Jens-Peter Maintz in Germany .
Always interested in continuously developing and learning, he is completing a postgraduate degree with violinist Rainer Schmidt and pianist Claudio Martinez Mehner in Basel.
After his victory in the prestigious Luis Sigall International Piano Competition, Claudio Berra has established himself as one of the leading pianists of his generation. He has also been awarded top prizes in numerous competitions, including the Enescu Competition, Bacewicz International prize, Pietro Argento IPC, and Premio Venezia.
Graduated with highest honors and special mention from the G. Verdi Conservatory of Turin under the guidance of Laura Richaud, he continued his studies with Enrico Pace at the Accademia di Musica di Pinerolo, with Benedetto Lupo at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and with Claudio Martinez Mehner at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel.
He combines his passion for performing and teaching, holding a professorship at the A. Corelli Conservatory in Messina.
He has performed in prestigious venues across Europe, America and Asia, including the European Penderecki Center for Music in Luslawice, the Ateneul Român in Bucharest, Parco della Musica, Teatro Palladium, Sala Casella and the Vatican Museums in Rome, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Stadtcasino Basel, Teatro del Lago de Frutillar, Chile, Hitachi Systems Hall Sendai, Japan. He has also appeared for institutions such as the Accademia Filarmonica Romana, Unione Musicale di Torino, Ravello Festival, Accademia Ricci, Mizmorim Festival, Semanas Musicales de Frutillar, and Liechtenstein MusikAkademie.
He has collaborated with conductors such as Rodolfo Fischer, Samuel Aguirre, Santiago Meza, performing alongside orchestras including the Sinfonieorchester Basel, Valdivia Chamber Orchestra, Camerata UAB Santiago, Turin State Conservatory Orchestra and Ensemble Fac Ut Arezzo.
Acclaimed for the poetry and freschness of his interpretations, with a repertoire spanning from the Baroque to contemporary music, he is also a passionate chamber musician. He has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Bruno Giuranna, Mon Puo-Lee, Jaemin Han, Lucy Hall, Adrian Pinzaru, Francesco Stefanelli and Benedek Horvath.
Supported over the years by foundations such as De Sono, CRT Fund, Liechtenstein Academy and Accademia Stefano Tempia, his upcoming season will see him perform in many venues around Europe and Americas.
The Duo has been studying at Fondazione Accademia di Musica since 2025.
