With a vivid onstage presence, dazzling technique, and keen musicianship, pianist Olga Kern is widely recognized as one of the great artists of her generation, captivating audiences and critics alike. She was born into a family of musicians and began studying piano at the age of five. At seventeen, she was awarded first prize at the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition, and in 2001, she launched her U.S. career, winning a historic Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition—the only woman in the last 50 years to do so.

Viktoria Mullova’s extraordinary talent captured international attention when she won first prize at the 1980 Sibelius Competition in Helsinki and the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1982 which was followed, in 1983, by her dramatic and much publicized defection to the West. She has since appeared with most of the world’s greatest orchestras and conductors and at the major international festivals. She is now known the world over as a violinist of exceptional versatility and musical integrity. Her curiosity spans the breadth of musical development from baroque and classical right up to the most contemporary influences from the world of fusion and experimental music.

Cellist Nina Kotova has been praised by Gramophone as a “strong and individual artist” and by the Los Angeles Times as “a talent to reckon with- poised, committed, graceful and spirited.” Ms. Kotova is internationally recognized as one of the outstanding instrumentalists of her generation and has performed in recital and as a soloist with symphony orchestras across the globe throughout the UK, Europe, Asia and the US.

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About Festival del Sole
The story of Festival del Sole, as its name suggests, starts in Italy in the 1990’s, where, arts entrepreneur and pianist Barrett Wissman and wife, cellist Nina Kotova, had often discussed organizing an event somewhere in the world where friends could make music together in a warm welcoming atmosphere.

In 2003, the Festival del Sole was born in Cortona in Tuscany, and incorporated a vast array of events including  concerts, fine art exhibitions, culinary events, wine tastings, and literary events.  In 2006,  Barrett Wissman brought the Festival Del Sole to Napa Valley, which has now become Festival Napa Valley.

Over the years, the Festivals have attracted a stunning lineup of some of the world’s greatest musicians, artists, actors, chefs and personalities including Robert Redford, Placido Domingo, Renee Fleming, Sting, Thomas Keller, Antonio Pappano, Sophia Loren, Pinchas Zukerman, John Malkovich, Midori, and many, many more.

Barrett Wissman has decided to bring back the style, artistic level, tradition and excitement of the Festival del Sole back to the wine country of Northern California in 2024, in partnership with the stunning acoustic and architectural gem, the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University and its Executive Director Jacob Yarrow.