Sophos Duo

Sam Lucas is currently principal cellist of the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie. The Australian-born musician has gained international recognition since moving to Europe in 2017. Equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral leader, Sam collaborates with renowned artists such as Ani Ter-Martirosyan, Anna Fedorova, Konstantin Shamray, Evgeny Uhanov, Evgeny Genchev, Dorel Golan, Jan Vogler, Jens Peter Maintz, Victor Julien-Laferrière, Bruno Philippe, and Mischa Maisky.

He began his studies with the principal cellist of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and, as a teenager, participated in masterclasses with David Geringas, Pieter Wispelwey, and Li Wei Qin at the Adelaide International Cello Festival. By the age of fifteen, he had already won prizes at the Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition, the Royal Overseas League Chamber Competition, and the Gisborne International and National Concerto Competition in New Zealand.

He has performed internationally in major halls, including the Palace of Culture and the National School of Music in Sofia, St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Wigmore Hall in London (in 2016 and again in 2025). In 2015, he was invited to play for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. In 2025, Sam was a guest artist at the Holocaust Memorial Ceremony in the European Parliament – a performance that reached millions of people worldwide.

His competition successes include first prizes at the Sieghardt Rometsch Competition (2018), the Pro Artists International Music Competition (2019), the Anton Rubinstein International Cello Competition (2020), and the Gustav Mahler International Cello Competition (2021), as well as a gold medal at the Vienna International Music Competition and a second prize at the Gisborne International Music Competition.

In 2019, he released his debut CD featuring the Elgar Cello Concerto with the orchestra of the Robert Schumann Hochschule. He was also a participant in the Tchaikovsky International Cello Competition and the Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition, further solidifying his reputation as one of the world's leading young cellists.

In the 2025 season, Sam will perform as a soloist with the London Sinfonia Smith Square Orchestra in both Anghiari (Italy) and London. In the same year, he also performed with the Australian World Orchestra at Hamer Hall in Melbourne and the Sydney Opera House. Previous solo appearances have included concerts with the Sinfonieorchester der Universität Bonn, the Oberbergisches Kreis-Sinfonieorchester, the Philharmonie Hagen, the Ruhrstadt-Sinfonie, and the Kölner Sinfonietta, as well as chamber music performances at the Beethovenhaus Bonn and in the "Best of NRW" concert series with Ani Ter-Martirosyan.

He has also served as a guest principal cellist with the Essener Philharmoniker and the Saarländisches Staatsorchester. Sam plays a cello by Carlo Tononi from 1720, as well as an 18th-century cello by Nicolo Gagliano.

Programme

“Dreamtime”

For the program "Dreamtime," the Duo Sophos was inspired by the fairy tales and legends of their home countries. The Armenian pianist Ani Ter-Martirosyan and the Australian cellist Sam Lucas may have different cultural backgrounds, but their common musical language is classical music with all its emotional depths and beauty. Armenia, a country full of myths and legends, and Australia, with its rich culture of the "Dreamtime," form the backdrop for this special concert.

Ludwig van Beethoven
Zwölf Variationen über "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen" aus Mozarts Die Zauberflöte

Philip Wilcher
Reverie

Sally Greenaway
Three Poems

Robert Schumann
Märchenbilder, op. 113

Pause

Aram Khachaturian
"Adagio von Spartacus und Phrygia" aus dem Ballett Spartacus

Gareth Farr
Shadow of the Hawk

Sergei Prokofjew
Sonate für Violoncello und Klavier C-Dur, op. 119

This diverse program combines classical masterpieces with contemporary compositions and reflects the cultural backgrounds of the artists. Beethoven's variations on a theme from Mozart's "The Magic Flute" open the evening with a tribute to the Viennese Classical period. This is followed by the dreamy atmosphere of Philip Wilcher's Reverie and Sally Greenaway's Three Poems, which offer insights into the modern Australian music scene. Schumann's Märchenbilder transport the listener to a world full of fantasy and romanticism, fitting the theme of dreams and inner images.

After the pause, Khachaturian's emotional "Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia" will be heard, embodying the deep expressiveness of the Armenian musical tradition. Gareth Farr's Shadow of the Hawk adds another southern perspective to the program with influences from Maori culture. The crowning conclusion is Prokofiev's Sonata for Cello and Piano in C major, a work full of energy and technical brilliance that highlights the virtuosity and sensitive interplay of the two artists.

Through their interpretation, Ani Ter-Martirosyan and Sam Lucas open up musical spaces that evoke associations with dreams, memories, and feelings. They invite the audience to embark on a journey of sound that connects different cultures and stories.

Sam Lucas (cello) and Ani Ter-Martirosyan (piano) have received international awards as soloists. As Duo Sophos, they were accepted into the program for the highly gifted by the Dörken Stiftung and honored with the "Best of NRW" award. Their collaboration stands for musical excellence and the successful fusion of different cultural perspectives.