Kulturwelten Summer Academy 2026

Japanese soprano Akiko Nakajima’s career began after winning the Australian Singing Competition in 1991. In quick succession, there followed her debut with Opera Australia in La clemenza di Tito under Christopher Hogwood and her European debut at the Teatro di San Carlo di Napoli as Musetta in La Bohème. Among 57 operatic roles she sang, notable roles include Lucia, Amina (La sonnambula), Violetta, Anne (The Rakes Progress), Susanna, Norina, Adina, Sophie and Pamina. She has performed under renowned conductors such as Seiji Ozawa, Herbert Blomstedt, Zubin Mehta and Andre Previn. The opera houses and theatres she appeared in include Vienna Volksoper, Hamburg State Opera, Alte Oper Frankfurt, New National Theatre Tokyo, Theatre Champs Elysees, Suntory Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Walt Disney Hall, Konzerthaus Vienna, Musikverein Vienna and Wigmore Hall. Akiko Nakajima’s first solo CD, La Pastorella was nominated for the Deutschen Schallplattenkritik list and the second solo CD, Female Portraits was followed by Plaisir d’amour. A DVD recording of a live concert of Britten’s Midsummer Night’s Dream with Seiji Ozawa was documented by NHK Enterprise, and Wien, du Stadt meiner Träume, which was recorded by the Viennese label Gramola at Musikverein followed after. As the general director of the Noura Opera Foundation in Japan and a professor at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, Nakajima continues to leave an indelible mark on the global operatic and vocal concert scenes.

Maria Woldrich, Vocal

Maria Woldrich was born in Germany and studied church music, piano and vocal pedagogy, as well as concert singing at the “Hochschule für Kirchenmusik & Musikpädagogik” in Regensburg (Dtld), at the University of Music in Munich and in Vienna. Her teachers include Peter Wetzler, student of Paul Lohmann, Franz Lukasovsky, Rotraud Hansmann, Walter Berry and Christina Baader. In Bavaria, she taught piano with the “Regensburger Domspatzen” and voice and piano at the “Berufsfachschule für Musik” in Lower Bavaria. She completed an education from the method of Ilse Middendorf to be an academic breathing pedagogue with Norbert Faller in Vienna. In addition to engagements at the Vienna Chamber Opera, the Vienna Radio Choir, the choir of the Vienna State Opera, at the Salzburg Festival she was also a soloist on tour with the Vienna Young Opera, as well as at concerts in Austria and abroad. Meanwhile she taught piano and singing in Lower Austria and singing at the Music School of the City of Vienna. For many years she was the head of the department “Junge Akademie” ( support for highly talented musicians ) for the singing group.Maria W. completed numerous further training courses in singing and vocal pedagogy, as well as in breathing and bodywork at the music school and privately ( for example with M. Klaushofer, J. Bauer-Huppmann, R. Braga-Postl, U. Schwabe, Y. Khomenko, G. Kahry, K. Hanser, C. Visca, D. Fally, S. Wienhausen, N. Turner, CVT mit T. Raich, Estill voice with C. Morini Level 1 und 2, Rabine method with S. Eisch, breath-tonus-tone with M. Höller-Zangenfeind, Alexander technique with H. Anderson, Music kinesiology with F. Karimi-Djafar-Zadeh, EFT mit M. Brüssing ). From 2017 to 2023 she had a teaching position for teaching practice at the Vienna University of Music. Numerous students in her singing class have participated very successfully in the Prima la Musica state and national competitions. Many students are already studying at university. M. Woldrich has been a juror at the Prima la Musica competition for many years. Since November 2022 she has been a member of the board of EVTA-Austria and is responsible for Vienna.

Elena Copons-Labarias, Vocal

Celebrated for her radiant vocal line, expressive intensity, and distinguished stage presence, Spanish soprano Elena Copons enjoys an active international career in opera, concert and Lieder. Born in Terrassa, she trained in Barcelona with Dolors Aldea and in Vienna, where she graduated cum laude. Her early success included Second Prize at the Internationaler Lied Wettbewerb Hugo Wolf in Stuttgart (2007) and the Prize for Best Singer at the Curs Internacional de Música Isaac Albéniz in Camprodon (2006). For over a decade, Elena Copons has been a regular guest artist at the Gran Teatre del Liceu and the Teatro Real, appearing in both opera and concert, including several world premieres. Her extensive operatic repertoire encompasses Mozart heroines such as Donna Elvira, Pamina, and Susanna; Marzelline (Fidelio); the title role in Rusalka; Antonia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann); Mélisande (Ariane et Barbe-Bleue); Dido (Dido and Aeneas); and roles in works by Bellini, Vicente Martín y Soler, and Britten. Further international engagements have taken her to the Stadttheater Klagenfurt, Kammeroper Graz, Musikwerkstatt Wien, and to festivals such as the Carinthischer Sommer, the Festspiele St. Margarethen, the Festival Castell de Peralada and the Musiktheatertage Wien. Her concert appearances have brought her to major international venues, including the Wiener Musikverein, Wiener Konzerthaus, Theater an der Wien, Palau de la Música Catalana, L’Auditori and the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, as well as to festivals and cultural centers throughout Europe, Asia and South America. Her wide-ranging symphonic repertoire spans from the Baroque to the contemporary, encompassing Bach’s Passions and Mass in B minor, Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elias, Paulus, and Lobgesang, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, and orchestral songs by Richard Strauss. She has collaborated with distinguished orchestras such as the Dresdner Festspielorchester, Münchner Symphoniker, Wiener Kammerorchester, Camerata Salzburg, RSO Wien, Staatskapelle Weimar, and I Solisti Veneti. Her work with conductors includes Juanjo Mena, Ivor Bolton, David Afkham, the late Claudio Scimone, Stéphane Denève, Leopold Hager, Josep Pons, Josep Caballé-Domènech, Patrick Fournillier, Pablo González, Erwin Ortner, Dani Espasa, and Antoni Ros-Marbà. Her stage collaborators have included directors David McVicar, Laurent Pelly, Claus Guth, David Alden, Barry Kosky, and Marta Pazos. Contemporary music is a central pillar of her artistic activity. She created leading roles in two operas by Raquel García-Tomás: Je suis narcissiste (2019) and Alexina B. (2023), both of which were shortlisted for the International Opera Awards. In 2025, she appeared at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in the world premiere of Antoni Ros Marbà’s Benjamin at Portbou, where her portrayal of Asja Lacis garnered critical and popular acclaim. She has premiered numerous other works, including operas, cantatas, song cycles, and oratorios. Lieder and chamber music hold a prominent place in her work. An sought-after recitalist, she has performed at the Schubertíada de Vilabertran, LIFE Victoria (including its inaugural 2017 edition), the Delta Chamber Music Festival, the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, and the Fundación Juan March, as well as at the Holywell Music Room in Oxford, the Kingsplace in London, the Wiener Musikverein, the Arnold Schoenberg Center, and the Liederhalle in Stuttgart. She has participated in major monographic series such as “The Schubert Project” in the UK and “Der Ganze Hugo Wolf” in Germany, and made her debut at the Teatro Mayor in Bogotá alongside Christoph Prégardien. Her regular recital partners include renowned pianists Roger Vignoles, Sholto Kynoch, Eduard Kutrowatz, Chihiro Gordon, Chanda VanderHart, Deirdre Brenner, Francisco Poyato, David Malet, Jordi Armengol, and Marc Heredia, as well as chamber ensembles such as the Eliot Quartett and harpist Abigaïl Prat. She also develops interdisciplinary projects that explore vocal repertoire in dialogue with theatre, literature, and dance, including the cabaret programme Cabaret (2015), Mignon versus Danae (2023), and the Mozart project Mon très cher père (2005-2006). Her performances have been broadcast by ORF, Radio Nacional de España, TV3, MEDICI TV, My Opera Player and Catalunya Música. Her recording of Toldrà’s La rosa als llavis with the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya under Antoni Ros-Marbà received the Enderrock Award for Best Classical Album. She has participated in numerous CD and DVD productions and was selected as one of the outstanding figures in music for the exhibition “D’ONES” at the Palau Robert in Barcelona. From 2016 to 2024, Elena Copons was faculty at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu in Barcelona. Since 2024, she has been Professor of Voice at the Joseph Haydn Privathochschule in Austria. Her masterclasses, which focus on advanced vocal technique, stylistic precision, interpretation, and stage presence, are designed to prepare singers for the demands of the international profession. She has also served as a juror for competitions including Primer Palau, the Concurs de Música de Cambra Paper de Musica and Prima la Musica in Austria.

Eszter Haffner, Violin & Viola

Eszter Haffner, is one of the most exciting and respected violinists of our time. Over the past 30 years, she has captivated audiences around the world with her rich sound, superb musicianship, and deeply personal interpretations. She has developed close collaborations with numerous of the world’s most renowned conductors and orchestras, and is also highly sought after as a violist, always eager to explore new artistic horizons. Her social engagement and tireless commitment to the arts in Austria were recognized in 2021 with the “Golden Decoration of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria”, and in 2024 with the Golden Medal for Culture awarded by the Lower Austrian Government. In 2022, Eszter was appointed as a Professor of Violin at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW). Since 2000, she is also holding a professorship at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG). She is serving as a visiting professor at the Royal College of Music London, the Sibelius Academy Helsinki, the Franz Liszt Academy Budapest, the Academy of Music Oslo, and at conservatories in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, and Jerusalem (JMC). She has achieved significant international recognition through her expert teaching videos on the prestigious platform Tonebase Violin in the US. Eszter has been as a jury member at numerous international violin competitions, including: the Spohr Competition (Germany), Isang Yun Competition (Korea), Piccolo Magico Violin Competition (Italy), Andrea Postacchini Competition (Italy), Szymanowski and Bacewicz Competitions (Poland), LIVE Music Now Austria, Singapore Violin Competition, Brahms Competition (Austria), Dubai Olympia, and the Khachaturian Competition. She is the artistic director of the Serguei Azizian Competition (Denmark). She has given countless masterclasses at institutions including the most famous Universities like NYU, Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Stanford University, Yale University, UCLA, USC, USCI,Colburn School Los Angeles (USA), and Geidai University (Tokyo, Japan). Eszter performs on the “ex Hamma Segelmann” violin by N. Bergonzi (1780), kindly loaned to her by the National Bank of Austria. Her strings are generously sponsored by Jargar Strings and Thomastik-Infeld Vienna, and her bows by Charles Shih. Her CD recordings are supported by NEIRO Productions, Vienna. Her most recent recording—Mozart Violin Concertos with the Salzburg Soloists will be released in 2025. She is also active as a consultant and artistic advisor for Live Music Now Vienna (founded by Lord Yehudi Menuhin), EMIV Vienna, CIMS and Verão Clássico (Portugal), and the Virtuoso Belcanto Festival in Lucca, Italy. As the founder and artistic director of the Serguei Azizian Competition in Denmark and jury member at numerous international competitions, she is passionately committed to supporting and promoting young talents from around the globe. She is a faculty member of the PE-Förderkreis der Studierenden (Mannheim, Germany) and a professor at Villa Musica (Mainz, Germany). Since 2017, she has also curated the arts and cultural program at the Austrian Embassy in Copenhagen. Eszter is a member of both the Haffner Strings and the Haffner Trio.She studied with Prof. Gerhard Schulz, Sándor Végh, Philippe Hirschhorn, Joseph Gingold,György Kurtág, and Thomas Kakuska at the music academies in Vienna, Budapest, Bloomington and Utrecht. Her solo debut took place in 1991 at the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein, conducted by Karl Österreicher. Since then, she has performed in many of the world’s leading concert halls and is the recipient of numerous international awards. She regularly appears at festivals around the globe. In addition to her classical repertoire, Eszter is a devoted interpreter of contemporary music. Many composers—including Alfred Huber, Peter Eötvös, Aleksey Igudesman, and Volker David Kirchner—have composed works especially for her.

Dominika Falger, Violin

Born in Krakow into a musical family, Dominika Falger discovered the violin at the age of four, receiving her first formative instruction from her father. By the age of twelve, she had already embarked on a solo career that would take her across almost all European countries, as well as to America and the Far East. Her extensive musical education bridges the rigorous Polish violin school with the refined Viennese tradition. She studied concert violin at the Academy of Music in Poznan under Professors Jadwiga Kaliszewska and Marcin Baranowski, and continued her mastery in Austria at the Universities of Music in Vienna and Graz, guided by Edward Zienkowski, Yair Kless, and Jan Pospichal. Her artistic profile was further deepened through studies in historical performance practice with Ingomar Rainer and Hiro Kurosaki, as well as masterclasses with renowned virtuosos such as Herman Krebbers, Shmuel Ashkenasi, and Norbert Brainin. She graduated in both Concert Violin and Instrumental Pedagogy with the title “Magistra artium”. Dominika Falger’s virtuosity has been recognized with prizes at numerous prestigious international competitions. Her accolades include awards at the Zdzisław Jahnke Competition (Poznan), the Rodolfo Lipizer Competition (Gorizia), the Pablo Sarasate Competition (Pamplona), the Johannes Brahms Competition (Pörtschach), the Karol Lipiński and Henryk Wieniawski Competition (Lublin), the Karol Szymanowski Competition (Łódź), and the Tadeusz Wroński Solo Violin Competition (Warsaw). As a soloist, she has collaborated with a multitude of distinguished orchestras, including the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Taegu City Symphony Orchestra, the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra Gdansk, the Poznan Philharmonic, the Slovak Chamber Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra “Wratislavia”, and the Lviv Virtuosi. Her artistic work is documented through active radio, television, and CD recordings, with a repertoire spanning from the Baroque era to the most significant works of Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary music. Since 1999, Dominika Falger has been a central figure in Vienna’s orchestral landscape as Principal Second Violin of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Since 2017, she has also dedicated herself to chamber music as a member of the Glière String Quartet. Parallel to her performance career, she is a passionate pedagogue. She began her teaching path from 1997 to 2005 as an assistant in the class of Prof. Yair Kless at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. Today, she passes on her expertise as a Professor at the Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna (MUK) (since 2011), as well as teaching at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and the Music Schools of the City of Vienna. Her commitment to the next generation extends to serving as a lecturer at various masterclasses and as a juror at international violin competitions.

Yair Kless, Violin

Born in Israel, Yair Kless began playing the violin at the early age. He graduated from Tel Aviv Music Academy, under the tutelage of Israel Amidan. Following a recommendation from Nathan Milstein, Yair moved to Brussels to study with Prof. Andre Gertler in the Royal conservatory and Chapelle- Musicale Reine-Elizabeth, graduating with the highest distinction in both instrumental and chamber music. Yair quickly became a well known soloist performer and chamber player. His vast repertoire ranges from Baroque to Modern, including premieres of works, some of which were written especially for or dedicated to him. Yair was one of the founders and first violinist of the Sol-La-Re string quartet, recording among others, major works by Israeli composers. He was a member of the “Israeli Baroque Players” which toured extensively around the world, such as participating at the prestigious Salzburg Festival. Other ensembles and groups include the “Tel-Aviv piano quartet”, USA based “New Art Trio”, Modus Trio, Modus Ensemble and many international projects and festivals. He enjoys collaborating with his son Eyal, in Duo violin repertoire. Yair has performed the majority of sonata repertoire, collaborating with outstanding musical partners, such as Nadia Reisenberg, Pnina Salzman, Shoshana Rudiakov, Arie Vardi, Victor Derevianko, Frank Wibout, Victor Yampolski and Pascal Sigrist. Apart from chamber music activities, Yair holds a career as soloist, having more than 30 violin concertos in his repertoire. As one of the most prominent teachers in the world today, many of Yair’s students have reached successful solo and chamber careers, winning prizes in the competitions and holding key teaching and performing positions.

Annelie Gahl, Violin

Annelie Gahl has been studying at the Mozarteum Salzburg and the Muskhochschule in Vienna respectively . with Paul Roczek, Harald Herzl and Ernst Kovacic. She then complemented her studies with a postgraduate course in Amsterdam with Herman Krebbers and Shmuel Ashkenasi at the Northern Illinois University. Sandor Vegh and Nikolaus Harnoncourt, with whom she collaborated for the biggest part of her professional life, were both most influential. She has been a regular with their orchestras, Camerata Salzburg and Concentus Musicus Wien. Furthermore, her devotion to Contemporary Music is responsible for her versatile and lively work. She is a regular guest with the Klangforum Vienna and her creative solo programs, often performed in combination with dance, literature and visual art, took her to many international festivals, such as Wien Modern, Salzburg Festival, Salzburg Biennale, Salzburg Easter Festival, Easter Festival Hall, Styriarte, Ulrichsberger Kaleidophon, Festival Imago Dei and the Luxemburg Philharmonie and collaboration with Peter Simonischek, Ferdinand Schmatz, Freiburger Experimentalstudio, Klaus Lang, Claudia Rohrmoser, to name but a few. Moreover, Annelie gained international reputation through her Solo recordings for the labels Extraplatte, collegno and Kairos. Here she combines classical and baroque repertory with contemporary pieces for solo violin. The Strad Magazine talks of an auspicious an exciting solo debut, the Salzburger Nachrichten certify splendidly focused “violin art” and the German magazine Ronde labelled “Melodies and Harmonies”, which was awarded the Austrian Boroadcast Companys’ Pasticcio Prize, as the possibly most beautiful Cage recording in many years.Annelie Gahl was awarded the Anton Bruckner Prize and the Paula Boleszny Prize. As a soloist, she has appeared with a repertoire from Vivaladi, Beethoven to Steve Reich with Camerata Salzburg, Kammerphilharmonie Salzburg, as well as the Sinfonietta Danubia in Salzburg, Linz and at the Wiener Musikverein. She has performed as a chamber music partner along with Benjamin Schmid, Ivry Gitlis, Valentin Erben, Lukas und Veronika Hagen, Michael Kofler, the Hyperion Ensemble and members of the Klangforum Vienna and Camerata Salzburg. Another big focus in her diary is teaching at the Universität Mozarteum, where she holds a chair for violin since her habilitation in 2017.In addition, she also regularly gives masterclasses and chamber music coaching in Austria,Israel, Germany, Moscow and China.

Wladislaw Winokurow, Violin

Born in Kiev into a distinguished musical dynasty, Wladislaw Winokurow was immersed in the world of sound from his earliest years. His artistic journey began at age five under the tutelage of his father, rapidly leading to the renowned Special Music School for Gifted Children. There, embedded in the rigorous tradition of the Kiev violin school, he received intensive formative training from Alexander Panov, Avanes Buludian, and Isaak Kushnir. By the age of ten, Winokurow had already demonstrated his precocious talent through solo debuts with the Kiev Chamber Orchestra—a prelude to his relocation to Austria in 1992, a move that would decisively shape his artistic identity. In Vienna, the capital of classical music, Winokurow successfully merged the technical virtuosity of his Eastern roots with the stylistic elegance of the Viennese tradition. He honed his craft at the Vienna Music High School and the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, guided by renowned mentors such as Eugenia Polatschek, Gernot Winischhofer, and the legendary Boris Kuschnir. His musical personality was further sculpted through masterclasses with violin titans including Abraham Stern, Zakhar Bron, and Viktor Tretyakov, gaining profound insights into the great violin repertoire. As the founder and primarius of the Glière String Quartet, Winokurow has established a significant international presence in the chamber music world. Following a triumphant 1st prize at the 8th International Beethoven Competition in 2012, the ensemble has graced prestigious stages worldwide, from the Goldene Saal of the Vienna Musikverein to celebrated festivals including the Nikodemowicz Festival, the “Opus Magnum” Festival, and the Harmonie Starego Miasta in Poland. While the quartet’s repertoire spans from early Viennese Classicism to contemporary avant-garde, Winokurow has dedicated a core part of his artistic mission to the rediscovery and interpretation of Slavic repertoire. He is particularly celebrated for his advocacy of Ukrainian and Soviet composers such as Borodin, Myaskovsky, Shostakovich, and the ensemble’s namesake, Reinhold Glière. Since 2020, a prolific collaboration with the label DUX has produced highly acclaimed recording series, including the string quartets of R. Glière alongside masterpieces by Bruckner, Mendelssohn, and Ravel, receiving praise for their depth of expression and tonal refinement. Beyond the concert stage, Wladislaw Winokurow is a distinguished pedagogue devoted to nurturing the next generation of violinists. Since 2018, Wladislaw Winokurow has held a teaching position at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG). His pedagogical approach—focusing on the development of a distinct artistic personality—is evidenced by his students’ exceptional success, boasting over 60 victories at national and international competitions. A sought-after mentor, he regularly leads masterclasses across Europe, passing on his expertise at the Kulturwelten Summer Academy (Vienna), the European Music Institute Vienna, the Austrian Master Classes (Salzburg), and the Wieniawski Society in Lublin. Furthermore, he serves as a respected jury member at prominent competitions such as the Prima la Musica federal competition in Austria, the Vasa Prihoda, and the Kocian Violin Competitions in the Czech Republic.

Regina Brandstätter, Violin

Regina Brandstätter comes from Graz and studied violin performance at the former Vienna University of Music. She has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in numerous concerts at home and abroad. Performances as a soloist with the Tonkünstler Orchestra, the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, and the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire were particularly memorable highlights in her artistic career. The CD Solo for Two Violins, together with Raimund Lissy, Tobias Lea, and Cordelia Höfer-Teutsch, was awarded the Ö1-ORF Pasticcio Prize in 2009. However, the focus of her work as a musician has been on working with young, highly talented musicians. Since 1996, she has been teaching at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz/Institut Oberschützen and leading a training class for young musicians. In 2012, she was awarded the Venia Docendi after her habilitation, and since then she has been teaching as an associate professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts. Many of her students are multiple international prize winners, already play in renowned orchestras such as the Bruckner Orchestra Linz and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, or are successful international soloists.

Andrei Kalisch, Violin

Andrei Kalisch is head of the violin class at the Margareten Music School in Vienna. Intensive teaching activities since 2005. His students have made a name for themselves as prize winners of renowned international competitions such as the Kocian Violin Competition (Czech Republic), the International Grumiaux Violin Competition (Belgium), Leonid Kogan Violin Competition (Belgium). He is also the director of the Jehuda Halevi Music School in Vienna. Winner of solo and chamber music competitions. Solo performances with the Alma-Ata Philharmonic Orchestra, concerts as a soloist and chamber musician in many European countries as well as in Japan, China, South Korea, Brazil and Colombia. CD and television recordings. Andrei Kalisch was born in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan. Early in his musical career he took lessons from his grandfather. He was a pupil of J. Lesman (assistant to L. Auer) and E. Antopolski (pupil of J. Thibaud). Later studied at the Music High School and Conservatory in Alma-Ata with Professor S. Abdusadikova (pupil of M. Garlitsky and A. Markov), Professor D. Kaseinov (pupil of I. Bezrodny), Studied at the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz with Professor Arkadij Winokurow.

Stanislaw Tichonow, Piano

Prof. Dr. Tichonow received his professional training at the Novosibirsk State “M. I. Glinka” Conservatory in Russia (M.A. in Piano Performance with L Slonim) and at the Moscow State “P. l .Tchaikovsky” Conservatory (D.M.A. in Piano Performance with R. Kehrer and PhD. in Musicology with M. Smirnov).
S. Tichonow is a representative of Theodor Leschetizky’s tradition. Among his scientific works are more than 40 professional articles published in Russian, American and Austrian musicology journals, and the book “Leschetizky und sein Wiener Kreis” (Vienna, 2001). Besides his career as a pianist and musicologist, prof. Tichonow currently serves as professor of the piano faculty of the Joseph Haydn Privathochschule in Eisenstadt, Austria; before that at Tchaikovsky Conservatory Moscow and at Conservatory Vienna (now-MUK). He performed intensively as a soloist and accompanist, as well as playing chamber music as the founder of his own Leschetizky Trio of Vienna, holds lectures, and gives masterclasses throughout Europe, the U.S (Yale Summer School of Music) and in the Far East. His students have won more than 100 prizes at international competitions in Germany, Italy, Sweden, France, Georgia, Finland, Portugal, the U.S., Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Spain, Czech Republic, Russia and Austria.

Paul Gulda, Piano

Born 1961, in Vienna, Austria. Father Friedrich Gulda, pianist/composer. Mother Paola Loew, actress. First apperarances in chamber music in 1979, from 1982 performing internationally (Hagen Quartett, Heinrich Schiff), as duo pianist with Roland Batik. As soloist with VPO/Mehta, Vienna Symphony, Gewandhaus Leipzig/Masur, Moscow Philharmonic/Fedossejew. Widespread experience as composer, conductor, improviser; collaborations with (folk) musicians from many backgrounds, with actors, authors and painters. Avidly interested in sound and style, he also plays the Hammerklavier, harpsichord, clavichord and organ. Starting in 2018, performances of Bach´s WTC I form the backbone of his work. About 30 CDs in various fields. Sought after as mentor and teacher, his students stand out by finding their very own path. Currently, he holds a teaching position at the Friedrich Gulda School of Music Wien. His compositions are mainly centered on the human voice and dramatic context. Political activism. (REFUGIUS Rechnitz). Various essays and publications in programs, newspapers, media.

Vladimir Kharin, Piano

Vladimir Kharin is known as a successful pianist and teacher. His musical education began at the Central Secondary Music School for gifted children in Moscow. Vladimir Kharin studied at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory with Evgeny Malinin and Lev Naumov, both representatives of the famous Neuhaus piano school. In 1998, the pianist was awarded a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), which enabled him to continue his studies with Michael Roll and Boris Bloch at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. Vladimir Kharin passed both his final artistic examination and his concert exam with honours. As a prizewinner at international competitions, Kharin has been invited to perform numerous solo and chamber music recitals and concerts with orchestra He has performed several recitals at the Ruhr Piano Festival. Vladimir Kharin has recorded several CDs, including in collaboration with Jonathan Darlington. The pianist is particularly dedicated and passionate about promoting young talent.

Jeremias Fliedl, Violoncello

“In the Schumann concerto, Fliedl showed a real feel for the ‘storyline’ and was not afraid to go beyond beautiful sound when the music demanded it, moving between poignant pianissimi and moments of passionate madness.”

– Pauline Harding, The Strad (July 25, 2022)

“He is someone who knows how to make the cello sing, who savors the melodic arcs of the music to the full, giving them time to unfold.”

– Holger Sambale, Klassik Heute (March 11, 2024).

Jeremias Fliedl is one of Austria’s leading cellists. He has performed at renowned festivals and major venues, including the Salzburg Festival, Mozart Week Salzburg, Schubertiade Hohenems, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, Carinthian Summer, South Tyrol Festival Merano, CLASSIX Kempten, Musiktage Mondsee, the Vevey Spring Classic Festival, the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht, the Grachtenfestival Amsterdam, the Viotti Festival, the Lake District Summer Music Festival, the Salzkammergut Festwochen Gmunden, the Festival Sankt Gallen, the Vienna Musikverein, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Palais des Beaux-Arts Brussels, the Konzerthaus Dortmund, and the Laeiszhalle Hamburg. As a chamber musician, he has performed with Petrit Çeku, Veronika Eberle, Karen Gomyo, Ariane Haering, Ziyu He, Maximilian Kromer, Matthew Lipman, Gerhard Marschner, Callum McLachlan, Nikola Meeuwsen, Nils Mönkemeyer, Daniel Müller-Schott, Benedict Mitterbauer, Julian Rachlin, Timothy Ridout, Linus Roth, Benjamin Schmid, the Simply Quartet, Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, Kiron Atom Tellian, Dimitry Udovichenko, and Dominik Wagner. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras such as the Brussels Philharmonic, the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, the Bremen Philharmonic, the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, the Danish Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Walloon Chamber Orchestra, the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Salzburg Orchestra Soloists, the Zagreb Soloists, the Zagreb Chamber Orchestra, the Beethoven Philharmonic, the Matrix Orchestra, the Changsha Symphony Orchestra, the Carinthian Symphony Orchestra, the Academia Ars Musicae, the Austrian-Korean Philharmonic, the Euro Symphony SFK, the Symphony Orchestra of the Olsztyn Philharmonic, and the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with conductors such as Stéphane Denève, Ádám Fischer, Martin Haselböck, Thomas Sanderling, and Case Scaglione, and will perform with Joji Hattori, Thomas Guggeis, and Przemysław Neumann for the first time next season. Jeremias Fliedl will make his debut with the Orchestra della Toscana, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestre National de Lyon, and the Szczecin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra. His debut album, “TRANSFORMATION,” was released in 2024 and was very well received by critics: “a magnificent celebration of cello timbres” (BBC Music Magazine), “brilliant” (Die Presse), “technically brilliant and with astonishing musical maturity” (Concerti), “thrilling” (Salzburger Nachrichten), “inspired expressiveness, wonderful legato” (Klassik Heute). The album was recorded with the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn under Emmanuel Tjeknavorian and released on the Berlin Classics label. Born in Klagenfurt in 1999, Jeremias Fliedl received his basic training from Igor Mitrovic and was then significantly influenced in his musical development by Heinrich Schiff as his last student at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. He completed his bachelor’s degree with Clemens Hagen at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and his master’s degree with Julian Steckel at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich. He received important artistic inspiration from Daniel Müller-Schott and Michael Sanderling. He is a prize winner of the Liezen Competition, the Svirél Competition, the Antonio Janigro Competition, and is also the first Austrian cellist to win a prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Jeremias Fliedl plays the “ex Gendron, Lord Speyer,” a violoncello by Antonio Stradivari from 1693, which is made available to him privately.

Konstantin Zelenin, Violoncello

Konstantin Zelenin wurde 1983 in Minsk geboren und begann im Alter von sechs Jahren mit dem Violoncellounterricht. Er schloss sein Studium „mit Auszeichnung“ am Moskauer Tschaikowsky-Konservatorium bei Prof. Natalia Schakhovskaya sowie an der Musikakademie in Minsk bei Prof. Vladimir Perlin ab, wo ihm der akademische Grad „Magister Artium“ verliehen wurde. Ab 2009 setzte er sein Studium an der Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Wien in der Klasse von Univ.-Prof. Mag. Stefan Kropfitsch fort. 2015 schloss er sein Masterstudium „mit Auszeichnung“ bei Prof. Natalia Gutman an der MUK Privatuniversität Wien ab. Zelenin ist dreifacher Stipendiat der „Special Foundation by the President of the Republic of Belarus for Talented Youth“ und Gewinner des „Grand Prix“ beim Wettbewerb „Arts of XXI Century“ in Kiew. Er hat bei zahlreichen internationalen Violoncello-Wettbewerben verschiedene Preise gewonnen, darunter der „Grodno Streicher Wettbewerb“ (Weißrussland, 2000), der „E. Koka Wettbewerb“ (Kishiney, Moldawien, 2003), der „M. Elsky Wettbewerb“ (Minsk, Weißrussland, 2003 und 2008), der „K. Davidov Wettbewerb“ (Kuldiga, Lettland, 2004), der „Liezen Cello Wettbewerb“ (Liezen, Österreich, 2010), der „Beethoven Streichquartett Wettbewerb“ (St. Pölten, Österreich) und die „Eugen Isaye International Competition“ (Lüttich, Belgien). Zelenin ist Gründungsmitglied des Auner Quartetts, das seinen eigenen kammermusikalischen Zyklus im Alten Wiener Rathaus ins Leben rief. Unterstützt wird das Quartett unter anderem von „Radio Klassik“, „Die Presse“, der „Bank Austria“, „Radio Stephansdom“ und Musikhaus Laimer. Das Auner Quartett trat in renommierten Konzerthäusern wie dem Wiener Konzerthaus und dem Wiener Musikverein auf und veranstaltet seit 2015 einen eigenen Kammermusik-Zyklus in Wien. Das Quartett konzertiert sowohl in Österreich als auch international. Als Solist und Kammermusiker konzertierte Konstantin Zelenin in Europa, Amerika und Asien. Er spielte mit renommierten Orchestern wie dem Weißrussischen Nationalsinfonieorchester, dem Nationalkammerorchester, dem Weißrussischen Rundfunksinfonieorchester, dem Symphonieorchester Brest, dem Symphonieorchester Gomel und dem Riga Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra. Seine Konzerttätigkeit ist durch zahlreiche Fernseh- und Rundfunkaufnahmen in Weißrussland und Österreich dokumentiert. Zelenin hat mehrere erfolgreiche CD-Aufnahmen vorzuweisen. Besonders hervorzuheben ist seine Einspielung des Mozart-Klarinettenquintetts, das von „Radio Klassik“ als „CD des Monats“ ausgezeichnet wurde. Zudem wurde eine Produktion von Werken der Komponistin Johanna Doderer von Ö1 als „CD der Woche“ geehrt. Eine weitere Aufnahme mit Werken österreichischer Komponisten des 20. Jahrhunderts wurde 2022 von Radio Ö1 als „CD des Jahres“ ausgezeichnet. Vor seiner Übersiedlung nach Wien in den Jahren 2008 und 2009 unterrichtete Zelenin an der Weißrussischen Akademie für Musik, am Musikalischen Gymnasium sowie an der staatlichen Musikschule in Minsk, wo er als Dozent für Violoncello und Kammermusik tätig war und als Assistent von Prof. Perlin arbeitete. Von 2016 bis 2021 lehrte er an verschiedenen privaten Konservatorien in Wien. Seit 2021 ist Konstantin Zelenin als Lehrer an der Friedrich Gulda School of Music (Jam Music Lab Privatuniversität) in Wien tätig.

Ivan Kitanović, Double Bass

Ivan Kitanović was born in 1976 in Kruševac (now Serbia); his great love of music was evident from an early age: he taught himself to play the guitar and accordion before his great musical talent was discovered and he was accepted into the renowned music boarding school in Ćuprija. There, his outstanding aptitude for the double bass soon became apparent and he achieved great success on this instrument in a very short time: he won first prize in five national and international competitions, followed by numerous solo performances with orchestra, live broadcasts and portraits on TV and radio. Immediately after graduating from the Ćuprija music boarding school with the highest honours to date, he became solo bassist with the Belgrade Strings and at the same time studied at the Belgrade Academy of Music. From 2000, he continued his studies with Josef Niederhammer at the University of Music in Vienna, where he was soon able to build on his previous successes: for example, he was chosen as the musical representative of Europe for the highly acclaimed intermission film of the 2003 New Year’s Concert, which was broadcast worldwide, and was a member of several orchestras (including the stage orchestra of the Vienna State Opera). Since 2003 he has been 1st solo double bassist of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Ivan Kitanović is dedicated to expanding the double bass repertoire and also includes major works of cello literature in his concerts. This enables him to position the double bass as a musically fully-fledged, sonically impressive solo instrument. He pursues his love of chamber music with the trio “Impossibile”, which performs worldwide, and is also regularly invited by renowned ensembles (such as the Hugo Wolf Quartet, EOS Quartet, Ensemble “die reihe”).