One of Austria's most renowned interpreters: celebrated pianist, organist und conductor. Born in Vienna, Robert Lehrbaumer started his career at the age of 9 when he made his appearance as a pianist in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Since then, concert tours have brought him to almost all European countries and capitals, to North, Central and South America, to the Near East, South-East Asia, Korea, and Japan, in famous locations from Viennas Musikverein und Konzerthaus to New York's Carnegie-Hall and Tokyo's Suntory Hall and Casals Hall.
Robert Lehrbaumer began to study piano at the age of six. From 8 to 13 he was a member of the Mozart Boys Choir. Two years later, he entered the Vienna University of Music and Dramatic Art to study piano, organ, and conducting. Prizes in numerous competitions, especially Geneva 1985, and scholarships by Bösendorfer and the Alban Berg Stiftung distinguished the young interpreter.
When he was 11, he had his first appearance as a soloist with orchestras and has since performed concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Radio Symphonic Orchestra, the Bruckner Orchestra/Linz the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, the Camerata Academica Salzburg, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and with many foreign orchestras under the baton of conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Yehudi Menuhin, Sandor Végh, André Previn, Leopold Hager....
He cultivates musical partnerships with Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Anton Dermota, Walter Berry, Angelika Kirchschlager, Bo Skovhus, Friedrich Gulda, Rudolf Schock, Philippe Entremont and others. Robert Lehrbaumer pursued his careers as an organist and as a pianist simultaneously. His special piano-organ-recitals, also with orchestras, are very popular events for which he gets rave reviews.
Robert Lehrbaumer has participated in numerous festivals such as the Vienna Festival, Salzburg Festival, Brucknerfest/Linz, Carinthian Summer/Ossiach, Bregenz Spring, Luzern Music Festival, the Nuremberg Organ-Week, Slovakia Spring-Festival, Schubert-Festival/Washington D.C., Festival Cervantino/ Mexico. At the age of 25, he played a solo-recital in the cycle "Master-Soloists" in the Vienna Konzerthaus, together with Abbado, Sinopoli, Previn, Caballe, Brendel.
In addition, Robert Lehrbaumer has made recordings for radio and TV stations, LP and CD; he has starred in films and videos. He teaches at International master courses in Austria and abroad and holds master classes at the University of Music in Vienna and at universities in USA and Mexico and Asia. Member of juries of international competitions. President of the international piano competition "Zagreb 2006". When conducting Robert Lehrbaumer is known also performing both as conductor and pianist in works of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Gershwin, In 2014 he was awarded with the title "Professor" by the Austrian Federal President. As a result: Grand Decoration of Honor of the Province of Lower Austria.
Honorary memberships and awards of domestic and foreign cities and orchestras. Head of the "A·M·A" ("Altenburger Musik Akademie", formerly "Aschbacher Musikakademie") founded by him.
Robert Holl was born in Rotterdam and finished also his degrees with Jan Veth and David Hollestelle there. In 1971 he won the 1st prize with the international song competition in ´s-Hertogenbosch. Then he studied under Hans Hotter in Munich. In 1972 Robert Holl won the 1st prize of the ARD competition in Munich. From 1973 to 1975 he was active member of the Bayrische Staatsoper. He worked with conductors like Eugene Jochum, Karl Richter and Wolfgang Sawallisch. He was a guest in the Wiener Staatsoper, the Brüsseler Oper and since 1991 in the Züricher Opernhaus with parts like Sarastro in the "Zauberflöte" or Basilio in the "Barbier von Sevilla" among conductors like Claudio Abbado, Nicholas Harnoncourt and Franz Wels-Möst. In the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin Robert Holl appeared under Daniel Barenboim as a landgrave Hermann in "Tannhäuser", as Hans Sachs in the "Meistersinger von Nürnberg", as a Daland in the "Fliegender Holländer" and as a Komtur in "Don Giovanni". In the Wiener Staatsoper Robert Holl was to be heard in 2006/07 and 2007/08 as a Pimen / BORIS GODUNOW (new production under Daniele Gatti in May, 2007). In the Bayreuther Festspiele Robert Holl was to be heard since 1996 as Hans Sachs in the "Meistersinger von Nürnberg" and was praised for his achievement.In summer 2004 he sang in Bayreuth for the first time the part of the Gurnemanz in a new production of Wagner "Parsifal" under the artistic direction of Pierre Boulez. Beside his engagement in various opera-houses Robert Holl is reknowned as a successful concert singer. He has sung among the most famous conductors of Europe and the USA in Europe, America and Japan. Robert Holl is valid as one of the big Lied-singers of our time. His special predilection is the German Lied and the Russian Lied. A long cooperation connects him with the record company Preiser Records. Lied-evenings lead the artist regularly in the international music centres. Robert Holl is a Lied- and pino-composer, too. The pieces are published by Doblinger. Beside his activity as a singer he regularly holds master classes. Furthermore Robert Holl is artistic director of "Schubertiaden" in Holland and Austria. In October 1990 Robert Holl he got the Austrian title "Kammersänger", became an honourary member of the society of the music lovers in Vienna, in July, 1997 honourary member of the festival "Carinthischer Sommer". In 1998 he was appointed the professor for Lied and Oratorium at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna.
Ildikó Raimondi is not only a celebrated singer on the opera stage, but is also a well-known recitalist and interpreter of Lieder. Since 1991, she has been a member of the Wiener Staatsoper where she has sung over 50 opera roles.
Guest performances have taken the Vienna-based artist to the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, the Semperoper in Dresden, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Zurich Opera House, Valencia Opera House and to the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, amongst others. Her numerous concerts, radio and TV appearances with acclaimed orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic have taken place all over Europe, in Japan, New York and Israel.
International festival engagements include Salzburg Festival, Bregenz Festival, Wiener Klangbogen, Wiener Festwochen, Musica Sacra Rome, Edinburgh Festival, Richard Strauss Festival in Garmisch, the Beethoven Festival in Bonn and the Johann Strauß Music Festival in Coburg.
Ildikó Raimondi has a particular passion for 20th century music. Works by Franz Schmidt, Arnold Schönberg, Alexander von Zemlinsky, Egon Wellesz, Ernst Krenek, Gottfried von Einem – as well as contemporary composers such as Friedrich Cerha and Thomas Daniel Schlee – make up the extensive repertoire of the soprano.
Her recitals in the Wiener Musikverein and in countless towns both home and abroad continue to set the benchmark for interpretation and programming. As part of a large-scale research project, Ildikó Raimondi published the collection of 41 Goethe Lieder by the Czech composer Wenzel Johann Tomaschek.
Ildikó Raimondi’s most recent performances at the Wiener Staatsoper include Dame (Cardillac), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Alice (Falstaff), Musetta (La Bohème) and the première of Iván Eröd’s children’s opera “Pünktchen und Anton”. She has sung the role of Gräfin (Capriccio) at the Palace of Arts in Budapest and gave a guest performance as Arabella at the Hungarian State Opera.
Her artistic career has been well documented through numerous CD and DVD recordings as well as radio and TV broadcasts.
Ildikó Raimondi is an Austrian Kammersängerin and an Integration Ambassador.
She has been a Professor of Solo Singing at the Salzburg Universität Mozarteum since 2015.
A Steinway Artist, pianist Min Kwon is in demand around the world as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher. Her professional engagements have taken her to over 60 countries on 7 continents and to all 50 states in the US, including such venues as Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, the United Nations in New York, Orchestra Hall in Chicago, the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, and to major venues in Seoul, London, Vienna, Freiburg, Interlaken, Prague, Sydney, and to the festivals of Aspen, Ravinia, Cape & Islands, Caramoor (US), Colmar (France), Salzburg and AMA (Altenburg), and Kuhmo (Finland).
Highlights of her recent seasons include chamber music performances with ten principals of the Philadelphia Orchestra, a tour and recording of Schubert Four Hand recital with Viennese pianist Robert Lehrbaumer, and world premiere of three newly commissioned works for her in New York, Florida, and Serbia.
Since her North American debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1987 in Prokofiev Concerto No. 3 Ms. Kwon has appeared worldwide in over 20 concerti performing as soloist under James Conlon, Alan Gilbert, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski among others and, as a chamber musician, performed with the principal players of New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Czech Philharmonic and many other distinguished artists. With her sister, violinist Yoon Kwon, she has given over 200 joint recitals throughout the United States under the auspices of CAMI, and has recorded for BMG/RCA Red Seal. Her solo album of Schubert and Liszt (MSR Classics) earned a Grammy Award for Best Producer of the Year (David Frost) in 2009.
A dedicated teacher, Min Kwon has given master classes at major institutions and festivals around the world, among them the Royal College of Music in London, Shanghai and Beijing Conservatories in China, National University of Singapore, Academy of Fine Arts in Hong Kong, The Juilliard School, Mannes College of Music, New York University, University of Chicago, Vladmir Feltsman's Summerfest, AMEROPA Int’l Festival in Prague, Kuhmo Int’l Festival in Finland, and Vianden Music Festival in Luxembourg. Dr. Kwon is currently Chair of Keyboard Programs and Professor of Piano at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University in New Jersey where she works with a highly selected group of doctoral candidates. Her students have won numerous national and international prizes. She is also Founder and Director of CME, The Center for Musical Excellence in New York, a non-profit organization dedicated to mentor and help careers of gifted young international pianist. With Robert Lehrbaumer, she also serves as Co-Director of Vienna ConcertoFest in Austria.
She performs as a piano soloist, as an accompanist for singers and instrumentalists (Hans Hotter, Kim Borg, Iliana Cotrubas, Robert Holl, Elly Ameling, Kurt Equiluz, Graziella Sciutti et al.), as well as an organist and a harpsichordist. She has been the accompanist for master classes in Vienna, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Berlin, Aldeborough, Matsue, Osaka, Nagoya, Cleveland. She has been a teacher for Lied-accompanist in Tokyo, Matsue, Hamamatsu as well as in Seoul and at the Vienna Master Classes. Margit Fussi can be credited with many CD and radio recordings.
Born in Carinthia, Austria; received her first piano lessons at the "Kärntner Landeskonservatorium" followed by studies with Prof. Charles Rainer in Montreal and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (piano and organ) with Prof. Walter Fleischmann and Prof. Dr. Rudolf Scholz. Besides her university studies Judith Velisek has attended various masterclasses.
Since 1991 she has been teaching at Austrian music schools and has been a tutor to many award-winning students. Besides her intensive teaching activities, Judith Velisek regularly performs both as an organist and as a pianist, focusing on chamber music and piano accompaniment, at various music festivals.
Heinz Wallisch was born in Lilienfeld/Lower Austria and studied classical guitar with Karl Scheit; diploma passed with honors, from 1973 - 1981 assistant to o.Prof Karl Scheit at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, since 1981 director of the guitar concert class at the private Konservatorium Wien University. Concerts in Germany, England, France, Hungary and the US. Member of the "Wiener Gitarrenduo", the "Wiener Gitarrentrio" and the "Wiener Instrumentalsolisten" (Flute-Guitar). Braodcast and CD recordings, edited and arranged pieces for the Universal Edition and Doblinger publishing houses, in 1994 foundation of the private publishing house "Edition Heinz Wallisch".
Tim Martina Schäffer is an inspired musician, an emphatic teacher and a passionate guitarist.
As a soloist, he is beloved among her audiences in Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Mexico and China. His favorite repertoire includes South American and Austrian music as well as Spanish guitar music from the Romantic era. He also dedicates herself to contemporary compositions, in particular with Lübecker Gitarrentrio, which he co-founded in 2000.
He studied at Joseph Haydn Conservatory in Eisenstadt (Austria), at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and at Luebeck University of Music (Germany). He lives and teaches in Vienna and in her hometown Eisenstadt in Austria.
After his studies, he adopted the expressive, virtuoso technique of Maestro Pepe Romero. He passes on his mastery of this powerful and effortless playing method to his private students and teaches it at seminaries and workshops (Musikforum Viktring, Forum Gitarre Wien, International Guitar Festival Rust)
Mirjam Schröder is Professor at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Before she was teaching at Hochschule für Musik Weimar.
The harpist Mirjam Schröder was born in Karlsruhe, Germany, and started her harp studies with Renie Yamahata in Stuttgart. When she was just 15, she debutated with Mozart´s Concierto for harp, flute and orchestra. Since then, she is giving concerts as soloist and chamber musician in all of Europe.
Mirjam Schröder accomplied her studies at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel with Susanna Mildonian and at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold with Catherine Michel and Godelieve Schrama. She is prizewinner of multiples international harp competitions, among them the Arpista Ludovico Harp Competition, Madrid, International ARD Music Competition Munich, International Reinl-Competition Vienna/Munich.
In her solo-recitals, Mirjam Schröder shows all the multiple different possibilities and colours of her instrument. She is performing in different chamber music groups too - duos with the guitar player Maximilian Mangold, the percussion player Rie Watanabe and the flutist Kaori Fujii. As she is also interessted in the music of our time, she inspires composers to create works for the harp and her chamber music partners.
Numerous radio and CD-recordings are documenting her work.
Website: www.mirjamschroeder.com
Siyeon Ryu has been acclaimed as a musician since winning the prestigious Dong-A Competition at the age of 17. Her early promise has been confirmed as she performed internationally, as soloist and chamber musician. Recently, she pioneered a series of theme concerts, in which reviews have praised her "colorful and imaginative performances that have an addictive charm which draws audiences," and her "technical control in combination with immaculate interpretation."
As a freshman at the Seoul National University, she went to Philadelphia to study with Aaron Rosand at the Curtis Institute of Music (B.A). In 1990, she continued her studies in London at the Royal College of Music with Rodney Friend, where she won several prizes and awards. Two years later, she entered Yale University, where she studied with Syoko Aki, and received an artist's diploma and a Master's degree. She completed her education with a doctorate degree from Stony Brook University of New York.
After her successful debut with the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Ms. Ryu has performed throughout the world, including tours in the Netherlands, England, Austria, Spain, the United States, Germany, Poland and France.
Ms. Ryu is a professor of music at the Sookmyung University, where she is dedicated to advancing music education in Korea.
Cellist Nan-Cheng Chen’s performance was recently described as “personable and smile-inducing” and “fine playing” by Washington Post and praised for his “Beautiful Tone” by New York Concert Reviews; nan-cheng is passionate about sharing music with music lovers.
As an active chamber musician, Nan-Cheng currently serves as the executive director of the New Asia Chamber Music Society (NACMS), which he co-founded in 2009; he is also the principal cellist of the Solisti Ensemble and was a member of award-winning trios Sonic Escape and Neptune Trio. As an active soloist, Nan-Cheng has collaborated in cello concertos with renowned orchestras such as Simon Bolivar Orchestra, Vienna International Orchestra, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Queens Symphony Orchestra, Metro-West Symphony, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Quincy Symphony, and Symphony Pro Musica, which received a review that states: “It was the kind of performance one might hear live only once a decade,” from Worcester Telegram and Gazette.
A Native of Taiwan, Nan-Cheng has earned Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School and is currently a doctoral candidate at CUNY Graduate Center. Nan-Cheng has taught at CUNY Queens College and currently holds adjunct professorships at Feitian College in Middletown and Mahanaim School in Long Island. Nan-Cheng is a CME Artist under the Center for Musical Excellence roster.
