Duo Paganini

Formed by two of the most renowned Ecuadorian virtuosos, violinist Jorge Saade-Scaff and guitarist Julio Almeida, the Duo Paganini has captivated audiences arround the world receiveng ravishing reviews from the international press.

Saade and Almeida met while studying at the National Conservatory of Musica in Guayaquil, Ecuador and at age 16 gave their first public performance together. They formed the Duo Paganini in 2002 and have performed arround the word in such famous halls like the Carnegie Hall in New York , the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Saint Anne Church at the Vatican, the Royal Palace in Warsaw, at Des Invalides National Museum in Paris, the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Duna Palota in Budapest, the Mayakovski Museum in Moscow, the Otto Braun Saal in Berlin, the Assembly Hall in Beirut, La Casa de la Música in Quito, the Albert Long Hall of the Bogazici University in Istanbul among the most important.

The duo has released three compact discs and one DVD, recorded live in Europe and the United States and has made recordings for Radio Netherlands in Holland, Radio Bartok in Budapest, Radio Visión in Quito, Argentinian National Radio in Buenos Aires, Heya Television in Beirut among others.

International Press:

"The two musicians have an excellent and abundant repertoire and have a great experience on the concert stage"

(Twoja-Muza magazine, Warsaw, Dec. 2006) 

"Almeida's style is pure and fluid, while Saade-Scaff is powerful like a human dynamo. The fusion of these balancing elements of style has given rise to the duo's transcontinental repertoire. Both artists have an acute intensity, and yet as a duo they are able to meld their individual skills to form a unique equilibrium based on both precision and passion."

(Inoarts, Washington D.C., December 2004)

"Two Ecuadorian virtuosos.[…] With the program "From Paganini to the Andes" the artists captivated the audience with a rich and varied repertoire. […].The duo impressed the audience with a perfect ensemble and artistry."

(Kölner Stadtanzeiger, Cologne, Germany, October 3, 2002)

Soprano Karolina Rüegg and guitarist Julio Almeida first met in 2005 in the conservatory of Meerbusch, Germany, where both were instructors of their respective crafts. Since then, they have performed a series of highly regarded recitals as a duo.

They perform a wide repertoire encompassing works of the Renaissance, Classical and Modern periods, particularly Spanish and Latin American composers such as Granados, de Falla, García Lorca, Moreno Tórroba, Villa-Lobos, Cordero, Lendle, Almeida and Luzurriaga. Their concerts bring listeners along on a journey through different countries and cultures - the unique spirit of Andalucia, the vast magnitude of the Andes of Ecuador, and the nature and vitality of Puerto Rico are conjured up when Rüegg and Almeida interpret the beautiful melodies of their collection.

Karolina Rüegg

Karolina Rüegg has lived and worked as a singer in Düsseldorf for eight years. She regularly gives concerts in Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Italy.
Among others she sang with the Flandern Phiharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Grant Llewellyn, the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Konstantin Zrimetz and the RTL Luxembourg, conducted by Leopold Hager.

She gained experience in singing opera at the Opera Frankfurt a.M. with Elisir D`Amore, at the Pocket Opera Nürnberg with a contemporary opera by A. Mellchiorre, at the Schlossfestspiele Zwingenberg am Neckar and at the Chamber Opera Transparant of Antwerp with an opera by Händel.

She was engaged at the Opera House in Passau, where she sang in an early opera by Rossini and a contemporary opera by the Swiss composer Jost Meier.
Beside opera and oratorio in her performances as a soloist she devotes herself to the music of the 20th and 21st century.