Before our super-slow elevator at the stage door takes an indefinite break for renovation and we all start into the seasonal summer break, we have set a small record - for the last episode, at least for the time being, eight out of twelve current scholarship holders from our orchestra academy  have made their way up with it. 

Flutist Giorgio Bani and violinist David Navarro answered our questions – for everybody's  replies, not even a ride on this elevator would have been long enough! 

Giorgio: I've never played a New Year's Eve concert before. It's something special when you know that a concert is the last one of the year. The atmosphere in the Great Hall was also really cool and the people were all very enthusiastic.

David: For me, it was a concert at the end of January that I really enjoyed. My girlfriend, my family and friends from Spain were visiting. We played Tchaikovsky, I always think his music is great. And Shostakovich's 1st Cello Concerto with Sheku Kanneh-Mason. I really like playing with young soloists who are still looking for something new in a piece.

David: I finally played Bruckner here - even two symphonies. I've been waiting many years for this! And a Mahler symphony. It's incredible to be able to play such works in an orchestra like this.

Giorgio: I learnt so much  from my three colleagues - Yuan Yu, the principal flutist, who is a year younger than me, my mentor Daniel Werner and Antje Schurrock. In addition, it was really exciting to experience several conductors over the course of the season: How differently they work, what details are important to them, how they care about the music... it gave me so much energy and motivation.

David: When I was 18, my teacher took me to a chamber music concert where he stood in. So, I discovered the Mendelssohn Octet quite by chance, was totally thrilled and immediately wanted to learn the first violin. Now I have the opportunity to perform it in the Great Hall. That's fantastic.

Giorgio: I'll be very happy to listen to the strings, because I'm not in their octet (laughs). But I'll be playing second flute in Beethoven's 5th Symphony after the interval - of course I'm looking forward to that too.