Syon Najman is born in 2002 in Antwerp, Belgium in an international family and is the eldest of four musical siblings. He started playing the cello at the age of six in the class of Daniela Cherpokova at the National Music School in Sofia, Bulgaria. Later he further specialized with prof. Romain Garioud at the Conservatory of L’Haÿ-les-Roses in Paris, France. Currently he is a student of prof. Jens Peter Maintz at the Berlin University of the Arts.
Over the years he attended masterclasses with cellists, such as Stefan Popov, Miklós Perényi,
Raphael Wallfisch, Lászlo Fenyö, Michel Strauss, Jerôme Pernoo, Troels Svane, Maximilian Hornung, François Guye, Kirill Rodin etc.
Syon is a first prize winner of numerous national and international competitions, such as the
Concertino Praha Competition and Karl Davidov International Cello Competition. He is also a laureate of the David Popper International Cello Competition, Cantus Firmus Musical Competition, Young Virtuosos International Competition, etc. He has been nominated as Young Musician of the Year by the Bulgarian National Radio and is a scholar of the Stoyan Kambarev Foundation, Ad Infinitum Foundation and Paul Hindemith Society in Berlin.
Chamber music seamlessly became part of Syon’s musical life and since recently he partners with violinist Lora Markova, resulting in warmly applauded concerts in Bulgaria and countries across Europe, winning first prices at Music and Earth Competition and Cantus Firmus Competition in Bulgaria and the Special Price of the Bohuslav Martinu Foundation at the Concertino Praha Competition. Syon highly estimates his performances with renowned musicians such as Giuliano Mazzoccante, Veneta Neynska, Boris Garlitsky, Franziska Hölsher, Giovanni Gnocchi, Kyril Zlotnikov, Marko Ylönen, Alexander Zemtsov, Roland Glassl and others.
He has played as a soloist with the Czech National Radio Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra,
Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra, Sliven Philharmonic Orchestra, Vratsa Philharmonic Orchestra and Varna State Opera Orchestra, and he has performed at festivals in Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and Finland.
In 2024, Syon made his debut in the Berlin Philharmonie performing the Schumann cello concerto
with the Berlin Sinfonietta 92 and after a successful audition he got accepted in the prestigious
program of Villa Musica Rheinland-Pfalz.
Syon plays a young and powerful Bulgarian cello made by the luthier Apostol Kaloferov.
If you are interested in working with Syon, please get in touch with the EMCY Office.
Solo
A. Piatti, 12 Capriccios op.25 (No.1, 3, 7, 12)
J. S. Bach, Suites for Cello Solo No.1-G dur
J. S. Bach, Suites for Cello No.2-D moll
J. S. Bach, Suites for Cello No.3-C dur
J. S. Bach, Suites for Cello No.4-Eb dur
G. Cassado, Suite for Cello Solo
G. Ligeti, Sonata for Solo Cello
Z. Kodaly, Sonata for Solo Cello op.8
With piano
L. Boccherini, Sonata in C moll G2
L. Boccherini, Sonata in A dur G4
L. Boccherini, Sonata in G dur G5
J. B. Breval, Sonata in G dur op.12
K. Davidov, Ballade op.25
A. Dvorak, Rondo in G moll op.94
P. I. Tchaikovsky, Pezzo Capriccioso op.62
R. Schumann, Adagio and Allegro op.70
R. Schumann, Fantasiestücke op.73
F. Chopin, Introduction and Polonaise brillante op.3
G. Faure, Elegie in C moll op.24
B. Martinu, Variations on Slovak theme
N. Paganini, “Moses” Variations
G. Rossini, “Une Larme” Variations
D. Popper, Hungarian Rhapsody op.68
D. Popper, Dance of the Elves (Elfentanz)
A. Piazzola, Le Grand Tango
L. van Beethoven, Cello Sonata No.1 op.5
L. van Beethoven, Cello Sonata No.3 op.69
F. Schubert, Arpeggione Sonata D821
F. Mendelssohn, Cello Sonata No.2 op.58
C. Franck, Cello Sonata in A major FWV 8
R. Strauss, Cello Sonata op.6
With orchestra
K. Davidov, Allegro de Concert op.11
K. Davidov, Concerto No.1 op.5
J. Haydn, Concerto No.1 in C dur
D. Popper, Concerto No.2 in E moll op.2
C. Saint-Saens, Concerto in A moll op.33
P. I. Tchaikovsky, Rococo Variations op.33
R. Schumann, Concerto op.129
E. Elgar, Concerto in E moll op.85
D. Shostakovich, Concerto No.1 op.107
Chamber music
L. van Beethoven, String trio op.9 No.2
L. van Beethoven, String trio op.9 No.3
F. Schubert, String trio D 471
E. Dohnanyi, Serenade for String Trio op.10
W. A. Mozart, String quartet No.1 in G dur–KV 80
W. A. Mozart, String quartet No.19 in C dur–KV 465 “Dissonance”
W. A. Mozart, String quartet No.20 in D dur–KV 499
L. van Beethoven, String quartet in F dur op.18 No.1
L. van Beethoven, String quartet in B dur op.18 No.4
F. Mendelssohn, String quartet in F moll op.80 No.6
A. Dvorak, String quartet No.12 op.96 “American”
A. Arensky, String Quartet No.2 op.35
D. Shostakovich, String quartet No.8 op.110
F. Schubert, String quintet D956
J. Brahms, String quintet No.2 op.111
A. Dvorak, String quintet No.3 op.97 “American”
J. Brahms, Sextet No.1 op.18
P. I. Tchaikovsky, “Souvenir de Florence” op. 70
L. van Beethoven, Piano trio op.1 No.2
L. van Beethoven, Piano trio in B-flat dur op.11
J. Brahms, Piano trio No.3 op.101
J. Brahms, Clarinet trio op.114
A. von Zemlinsky, Clarinet trio op.3
G. Faure, Piano trio op.120
A. Arensky, Piano trio No.1 op.32
A. Dvorak, Piano quintet op.5 No.1
A. Dvorak, Piano quintet op.81 No.2
G. Faure, Piano quintet op.89
B. Bartok, Piano quintet in C dur BB 33
