The Management
Anna Fedorova
Co-Founder, Co-Director
Anna Fedorova is one of the top concert pianists in the world today. Anna's playing is "unfailingly sensitive, poetic and tasteful, the phrases flexibly shaped even when the technical going gets tough (...) she never forces her tone and never loses her cool” (Gramophone). From an early age, Anna demonstrated an innate musical maturity and astounding technical abilities. Her live recording of Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto has more than 30 million views on YouTube and is highly acclaimed by critics and world-renowned musicians. She regularly performs at the world’s most prestigious concert halls such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, New York's Carnegie Hall, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, Tonhalle Zürich, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo, and many others.
Anna comes from Ukraine, and was born into a family of pianists. Both her mother Tatiana Abaieva and father Borys Fedorov are graduates of the famous Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory and have been faculty of the Kiev Lysenko Special Music School for more than 30 years. They have received an artist visa to move to the Netherlands and will be the two main piano professors at the Davidsbündler Academy.
Nicholas Santangelo Schwartz
Co-Founder, Co-Director
Born in Boston, double bassist Nicholas Schwartz began his studies at Boston University. His teachers included Edwin Barker and Matthew McDonald. He has worked regularly as a substitute with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra. During the 2012–13 season, he took part in the Berlin Philharmonic Herbert von Karajan Academy.
Nicky has won various prizes, including first prize at the International Society of Bassists and the Stulberg International String Competition. He has spent many summers playing in the Verbier Festival Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. He performs with pianist Anna Fedorova as the Oyster Duo. Since August 2013, Nicholas Schwartz has been a member of the Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Ellen van der Sar
Foundation Director
Since September 2010, Ellen combines passion for the performing arts with her experience in various administrative and management positions in complex organizations and with large financial budgets. She is fully involved in organizing classical concerts (from concept to concert) and mediates between providers and demanders. She shares knowledge and experience generously, takes care of subsidy and fundraising, writes project evaluations and annual reports, performs marketing activities using self-built information systems (from knowledge and experience gained in various positions at TU Delft, VNG and NCIV), or books soloists and musicians. As production manager or master of ceremonies, Ellen is responsible for the health and smooth running of the Stichting Davidsbündler Foundation.
Floor van der Holst
PR and Business Manager
After having worked in the cultural (or more specifically: classical music) sector for over 15 years, Floor decided to start her own agency on January 1st, 2022. In her previous position as the Label Manager of Channel Classics Records, Floor had already worked with Anna Fedorova for several years. It was only natural that her new firm Vanderholst Arts Management would be involved with getting the Davidsbündler Music Academy off the ground.
Floor specializes in PR, Project and Artist management. Some would call her a one-stop-shop, as she is entangled in a network of many artists, record labels, press, concert halls, promoters and media in the Netherlands and abroad.