Sebastian Manning
- Violin
Sebastian Manning, 16, is a scholarship student at the Preconservatory Academy at the Music Institute of Chicago, where he studies violin with Almita Vamos.
After receiving the scholarship, Sebastian moved to the USA after 9 years as a student at the “Ion Vidu” Art High School in Timișoara, where he studied with Cristina Dan. In Romania, he took part in numerous recitals organised by the school and the local Philharmonic and Conservatory. In recent years, he has given several solo recitals - at the National Museum of Art and Conservatory in Timișoara, at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest and at the National Museum of History of Serbia in Belgrade. He has performed as a soloist with the “Ion Vidu” orchestra at the Timișoara Philharmonic, as well as with the Oradea State Philharmonic Orchestra.
In August 2024 he was concertmaster of the Romanian Junior Orchestra. Sebastian is also passionate about chamber music. In the past year he was a member of the Hemingway Quartet at the Music Institute of Chicago, with whom he won the Grand Prize at the Barnett Chamber Music Competition and participated in the prestigious Fischoff Competition. Sebastian has participated in several national and international competitions, where he won various prizes. Among the most recent are, the International Competition “Muse” (Greece) and the International Competition “Petar Konjovic” (Belgrade). In June 2024 he was a finalist at the International Competition “Leonid Kogan” in Brussels, in August 2024 he was a semi-finalist at the International Violin Competition Kloster Schöntal (Germany), and in November and December 2024 he was a finalist at the Chicago Violin Competition and namely the DePaul Concerto Competition. In April 2025 he was a semi-finalist at the International Competition “Ion Voicu” Bucharest, where he was also the youngest competitor.
In his endeavours to continually improve his skills, Sebastian has had the chance to benefit from masterclasses with Christoph Wyneken, Răzvan Popopovici, Mathis Rochat, Alexandra Tîrșu, Sarah Nemțanu, Alissa Margulis, Rachel Barton Pine, Ida Kavafian, Martin Beaver, Robert Chen and Pacifica Quartet. He has participated in three editions of the Eufonia Festival in Timișoara and studied with Bernhard Forck at the Eufonia Baroque Academy. He was three times a SoNoRo Interferences Programme scholarship holder, which gave him the opportunity to perform with other young people and their mentors in Bușteni, Bucharest, Portul Cultural Cetate, Craiova and Montepulciano.
Între 1998 și 2005, a fost concertmaestru al Royal Philharmonic Orchestra din Londra. Este invitată în mod regulat de ansambluri importante în calitate de concertmaestru, precum Royal Opera House din Covent Garden, orchestrele BBC, orchestre simfonice belgiene de renume și orchestre din Franța, Olanda, Spania și Coreea de Sud. Activitatea sa ca solistă și muziciană de cameră – în special ca prim-violonistă a ansamblului Oxalys (din 1993) și ca membru fondator al trioului de coarde TrioFenix – a dus-o pe scene prestigioase din întreaga lume, printre care Concertgebouw din Amsterdam, Konzerthaus din Berlin, Wigmore Hall din Londra, Biblioteca Congresului din Washington D.C. și Teatro Colón din Buenos Aires.
Shirly Laub a fost membru al juriului la concursuri internaționale precum Concursul „Regina Elisabeta”. Este fondatoarea Orchestrei de coarde Musiq’3 Festival și este profesoară de vioară la Conservatorul Regal din Bruxelles din 2003.
After receiving the scholarship, Sebastian moved to the USA after 9 years as a student at the “Ion Vidu” Art High School in Timișoara, where he studied with Cristina Dan. In Romania, he took part in numerous recitals organised by the school and the local Philharmonic and Conservatory. In recent years, he has given several solo recitals - at the National Museum of Art and Conservatory in Timișoara, at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest and at the National Museum of History of Serbia in Belgrade. He has performed as a soloist with the “Ion Vidu” orchestra at the Timișoara Philharmonic, as well as with the Oradea State Philharmonic Orchestra.
In August 2024 he was concertmaster of the Romanian Junior Orchestra. Sebastian is also passionate about chamber music. In the past year he was a member of the Hemingway Quartet at the Music Institute of Chicago, with whom he won the Grand Prize at the Barnett Chamber Music Competition and participated in the prestigious Fischoff Competition. Sebastian has participated in several national and international competitions, where he won various prizes. Among the most recent are, the International Competition “Muse” (Greece) and the International Competition “Petar Konjovic” (Belgrade). In June 2024 he was a finalist at the International Competition “Leonid Kogan” in Brussels, in August 2024 he was a semi-finalist at the International Violin Competition Kloster Schöntal (Germany), and in November and December 2024 he was a finalist at the Chicago Violin Competition and namely the DePaul Concerto Competition. In April 2025 he was a semi-finalist at the International Competition “Ion Voicu” Bucharest, where he was also the youngest competitor.
In his endeavours to continually improve his skills, Sebastian has had the chance to benefit from masterclasses with Christoph Wyneken, Răzvan Popopovici, Mathis Rochat, Alexandra Tîrșu, Sarah Nemțanu, Alissa Margulis, Rachel Barton Pine, Ida Kavafian, Martin Beaver, Robert Chen and Pacifica Quartet. He has participated in three editions of the Eufonia Festival in Timișoara and studied with Bernhard Forck at the Eufonia Baroque Academy. He was three times a SoNoRo Interferences Programme scholarship holder, which gave him the opportunity to perform with other young people and their mentors in Bușteni, Bucharest, Portul Cultural Cetate, Craiova and Montepulciano.
Între 1998 și 2005, a fost concertmaestru al Royal Philharmonic Orchestra din Londra. Este invitată în mod regulat de ansambluri importante în calitate de concertmaestru, precum Royal Opera House din Covent Garden, orchestrele BBC, orchestre simfonice belgiene de renume și orchestre din Franța, Olanda, Spania și Coreea de Sud. Activitatea sa ca solistă și muziciană de cameră – în special ca prim-violonistă a ansamblului Oxalys (din 1993) și ca membru fondator al trioului de coarde TrioFenix – a dus-o pe scene prestigioase din întreaga lume, printre care Concertgebouw din Amsterdam, Konzerthaus din Berlin, Wigmore Hall din Londra, Biblioteca Congresului din Washington D.C. și Teatro Colón din Buenos Aires.
Shirly Laub a fost membru al juriului la concursuri internaționale precum Concursul „Regina Elisabeta”. Este fondatoarea Orchestrei de coarde Musiq’3 Festival și este profesoară de vioară la Conservatorul Regal din Bruxelles din 2003.
