Jonian Ilias Kadesha

Jonian Ilias Kadesha is a Renaissance musician in the diversity and creativity of his intellectual interests and music-making. His studies in philosophy and rhetoric influence the stylistic accuracy of his interpretations, whether of early or contemporary music, and his rich imagination is clear both in the sound worlds he creates and the projects he curates as concerto soloist, soloist–director and chamber musician. 

He has performed widely as soloist throughout Europe in concertos including Sibelius, Mozart, Shostakovich, Bartók, Stravinsky, Mendelssohn and Beethoven, among others. His accomplishments as a soloist-director are increasingly recognised and he collaborates frequently with leading chamber orchestras. His approach to the classical orchestral canon is informed by his chamber music playing and he often improvises his own cadenzas and ornamentation.

Kadesha’s flair for programming is evident in his chamber music projects. He curated a six-concert series for the Leeds International Concert Season (2024–25). He is co-founder of the award-winning Trio Gaspard, he appears regularly with the group at festivals and venues around the world, and is also a member of the Kelemen Quartet.

His curiosity for repertoire is wide-ranging, as demonstrated by recordings he has made for Linn Records, to which he signed in 2021. His debut solo album featured Bach’s Partita in D minor alongside Helena Winkelman’s Ciaccona and works by Biber, Schnittke, Kurtág and Auerbach. His follow-up ‘Suite Italienne’ with CHAARTS Chamber Orchestra, featuring Giovanni Sollima’s violin concerto TYCHE along with works by Vivaldi and Stravinsky, received outstanding five-star reviews.