VOICE

Ksenija Kovacic was born in Varazdin, Croatia.
After having finished her diploma at the Music Academy in Zagreb, she started her Master studies at the Music University in Graz (Singing, Lied, Oratorium and Opera) and completed them. Appearances followed at Graz Opera, Opera house of music and theatre (MUMUTH), Theatre im Palais Graz, Musikverein für Steiermark and as well at the Music Biennale Zagreb.
On stage she sang for instance Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Badi` at (L´ Upupa), Prinzess Schlafittchen (Das Traumfresserchen), Marie (Die verkaufte Braut), erste Dienerin and Solo voice (Frau ohne Schatten).
She also took part in the world premiere of Mauro Montalbetti`s opera "Lies and sorrow" with the leading part of Donna 1 at the event of "Steirischer Herbst".
Recitals with classic and modern music she sang in Croatia, Germany, Slovenia, Slowakia and Austria. She was price winner of the contest " Best of South East".

PIANO AND COREPETITION

He finished his first musical training as pianist with the distinction „very good, outstanding“ at the Professional Conservatory of Music Oviedo/Spain with Pérez de la Torre and Purita de la Riva as teachers. By interpreting the f minor sonata of Beethoven (Appassionata), the 3rd Scherzo in C scharp minor and the 2nd Ballade in F major of Chopin as well as Allegro de concierto of Enrique Granados he received the price of Excelleny. Since he had felt also very attracted by natural sciences, he studied during the same time music at the Principal Conservatory Eduardo Martínez Torner and Chemistry at University of Oviedo.

At the 7th Piano Competion Casa Viena he obtained the first price combined with a concert tournée with orchestra. This great success he could repeat at the 12th Piano Competition Casa Viena.

He finally finished his musical studies with Purita de la Riva with the grade „very good, excellent“ and was honered with the Price for Graduates of the Principal Conservatory of Music and the Grand Prix Ángel Muñiz Toca being the highest appreciciation for musicians of this institution. He was especially praised by the Rector, a professor for counterpoint and composition, for his transparent interpretation of the polyphonic music of Bach. Under the baton of Alfonso Ordieres he played the d minor concerto of Bach and the c minor concerto of Beethoven during a tournée.

Complementory to his music studies he attended masterclasses, inter alia with Luis Vázquez del Fresno, Tomás Camacho, Xavier Parés, Walter Blankenheim, Piero Rattalino, Jacob Leuschner and Josep Colom. Furthermore, he was postgraduate student at the Music Academy of Aragón, where he attended master courses with Elisabeth Leonskaja and Blanca Uribe.

During many years he gave piano lessons at the Municipal Music School Oviedo and the Conservatories of Music at Logroño und Calahorra. Presently, he is employed by Wiener Musikakademie and teaches piano at the Viennese Music School Polyhymnia as well as at two Viennese Highschools (Gymnasien). Most recently he performed the 6th Partita of Bach on the occasion of a concert at Wiener Musikakademie.

GUEST PROFESSOR for VIOLIN

Eszter Haffner was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1969. She studied for 13 years in the Gifted Musician Class at the Budapest Liszt Ferenc Music Academy with Andras Kiss, Ferenc Rados and György Kurtag. After the completion of her studies in Hungary, she came to the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria to study with Gerhard Schulz (Alban Berg Quartet) and Josef Sivo.
She received her Diploma with unanimous distinction and prize from the Department of Culture Vienna.
From 1987-1995 she participated in a variety of Masterclasses with Josef gingold, Lorand fenyves, Alberto Lysy, Tibor Varga, Igor Ozim, Sandor Vegh and in 1995, she completed postgraduate study in Holland with Viktor Liebermann and Philip Hirschhorn. Ms.Haffner has been the recipient of scholarships from the Alban Berg, M.Sobotka, Erasmus, Janecek and Ziehrer Foundations, as well as the PE Förderkreises (Promotion Circle ) in Mannheim, Germany.
She has also been prize winner in numerous international competitions: Concertino Praha, Koncz Violin Competition Hungary, Jugend Musiziert, Stephanie Hohl Vienna, International Chamber Music Competition Trapani and Caltanissetta Italy. Because of her successful career in the arts, she received Austrian citizenship.
She has taught at countless Music Festivals such as the Menuhin Festival Blonay, Prussia Cove, Sion, Brighton Festival, Römerberg Festival, Bates Festival, Montana Festival USA, Wörthersee Classics, Klangbogen Wien, Neuberger Kulturtage, Mondsee, Casals Festival France, Brahms Tage Mürzzuschlag, Styriarte Graz, Villa Musica, Cervantino Festival Mexico, Festival Tamaulipas, Haydn Festspiele, Schubertiade, Bregenzer Festspiele, Macau and Hong-Kong Festivals, Porto Gruaro Festival etc.
As soloist and chamber musician (violin and viola), she has appeared with artists such as Clemens Hagen, gerhard Schulz, Leonard Hokanson, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Alexander Lonquich, Arto Noras, Melvyn Tan, Pamela Frank, Lars Anders Tomter, Patrick Demenga, Christian Altenburger,Wolfgang Schulz, Marko Letonja, Nicholas Chumachenco and Stefan Vladar.
Her recordings reflect her unusually extensive musical range, covering chamber and concerto works from Haydn to Eisler. These include Piano Trios from Martinu, Mozart, Brahms, Schubert, Kodaly with the Haffner Trio, Mozarts Sinfonia Concertante with Bettina Gradinger, Schubert, Schumann and Eisler Sonatas on behalf of the Austrian National Bank.
As pedagogue, Ms.Haffner`s experiences include 1999-2002 assistant to Prof.Gerhard Schulz and violin Lecturer at the University of Music in Vienna, as well as being a regular violin and viola instructor at Neuberger Seminare, Casals Festival France, Danish Strings, Int.Sommer Academy Semmering and Tokio, Japan and in the USA and Villa Musica Germany. Since 2002 she has been Professor of Violin at the KUG University of Music Graz, Austria.
Ms. Haffner plays the „ ex Hamma Segelmann“ violin by Michelangelo Bergonzi (Cremona 1750) from the collection of the Austrian National Bank.

TRAVERSO (BAROQUE FLUTE)

Born in Tokushima, Japan, Hiroko Huemer first made a Bachelor’s degree for flute at Tokyo College of Music under Junzo Hosokawa (formerly NHK Symphony Orchestra) before graduating with Distinction both from a Bachelor’s course as well as from a Master’s course at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna under Dorit Führer-Pawikovsky and Robert Wolf respectively. In 2012 Hiroko Huemer completes another degree with Distinction – this time a Master’s in Traverso at the Anton Bruckner Private University under Claire Genewein. In 2014 she finishes a two-year post-graduate course for Traverso and historical performance practice at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels under Barthold Kuijken and Frank Theuns. There she studies compositions published in 1728 and 1732, focussing on the cities of London, Paris, Hamburg and Amsterdam.  She has had the privilege to gather orchestra experience under Sigiswald Kuijken, Ton Koopman, Michi Gaigg or Heinz Ferlesch. Since 2012 she repeatedly played for Barucco and Salzburger Konzertgesellschaft 1756 baroque orchestras amongst others. She performs in countries like Germany, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Hungary and Japan. Hiroko Huemer is co-founder of the baroque ensemble L’Entretien des Muses. More detailed information (also in Japanese) you can find on www.hiroko-huemer.com.

PIANO

Christiana Lin (Chinese: 林秋孜)  is a Chinese Austrian concert pianist who has performed in Europe and China.

Christiana Lin was born in Taipei. Chinese-Austrian pianist and harpsichordist. Steinway Artist. From 1978 to 1992, she studied in Vienna, Innsbruck and Munich and was conferred the Diplom Ausgezeichnet in piano performing from Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien where she studied piano under Prof. Noel Flores, and composition with Prof. Erich Urbanner. She was also conferred the Diplom Ausgezeichnet in piano performing and Diplom in music education with additional Schwerpunkt in Cembalo (harpsichord) from Tiroler Landeskonservatorium Innsbruck where she studied piano under Prof. Claude-France Journès, a renowned French-German pianist, and harpsichord under Prof. Michael Jaud, an Austrian harpsichordist and organist. For several times at the Mozarteum International Summer Academy in Salzburg, she studied piano with the legendary American pianist, Prof. Leon Fleisher. She also has been to the Moscow Conservatory several times studying with Prof. Monov and Prof. Natalie Trull.

Christiana Lin is piano and harpsichord professor at the colleges and graduate schools of Soochow University and National Taiwan University of Arts in Taipei.

Career

Christiana Lin was the first musician ever playing both harpsichord and piano in one recital.

In the past many years, she has been invited to perform around Europe and Asia, such as Vienna, Innsbruck, Munich, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Her elegance, cultivation and natural musicality appeal to many audiences. In 1989, she was invited by Vienna Arts Festival to give a piano recital at Wiener Urania concert hall. She also gave many piano and harpsichord recitals at Innsbruck Konservatorium Saal. In 1991, she worked with the renowned conductor Edgar Seipenbush and Innsbruck Symphoniker, performing R. Schumann’s Piano Concerto in a minor Op. 54. Illustrious conductors she has collaborated with in concerts include Edgar Seipenbush, Mark Graveson, Henry Mazer, Jaime Laredo, Nien-Fu David Liao, Wen-Hsien Chang, and Cheng-Tu Su. Orchestras and musical groups she performed with include Innsbruck Symphoniker, Innsbruck Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan), Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Taipei Sinfonietta & Philharmonic Orchestra, Taipei Chamber Orchestra, Pace Symphony Orchestra, Hua-Gang Symphony Orchestra, and Da-Guan Symphony Orchestra.

In 1995, Dr. Merton Miller, who won the 1990 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, visited Taiwan. Christiana Lin was the only musician invited to play in his welcoming party. Among all concerts, she was also invited to appear in 1997 Taipei International Music Festival to perform with internationally-renowned artists such as conductor Jaime Laredo, cellist Yo-yo Ma and violinist Cho-Liang Lin. In 2008, she was invited by Taiwan National Palace Museum to perform in the documentary titled Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors: Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum. In the 2009 An Evening of Symphony concert, she performed L.v. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the renowned conductor Nien-Fu Liao and the Da-Guan Symphony Orchestra. She also composed the Cadenza herself, which was its international debut. In 2012, she was invited by Steinway & Sons Piano Center to hold “Beethoven Summer Festival – Christiana Lin Piano Master Class.”

In 2011, she held a concert titled From Vienna to Beijing - the Conversation between Piano and Guqin in the Multi-Function Hall of Peking University Centennial Memorial Hall, which was a concert blending Oriental and western artistries.

Christiana initiated an International Concert Tour starting in 2013:  Echo Aus Wien, piano duo at Klimt Villa in Vienna in late August; Wonderful Melody, cembalo and piano recital at Tianjin Concert Hall in Tianjin, China in October; Accolades To Classics, piano recital at the Central Music Conservatory Concert Hall in Beijing, China in November; Wonderful Melody, this time a piano recital at Bach Hall in Taipei, Taiwan in February 2014; Beauty of Classics From Vienna, piano recital at Minnan Grand Theater in Xiamen, China in April; and finally, The Charming Classics, piano recital at Shanghai Concert Hall in Shanghai, China in early July 2014.  Altogether more than 4,000 people attended her performances of that concert tour.
Education and Playing style

“Music is a language that can only rise from harmonized spirituality, passing from one generation to the next, and the most beautiful among all languages created by the humankind. ─ Christiana Lin”

In addition to performing, Christiana Lin has devoted years to music education. She is an avid speaker and frequently invited to give speeches and teach master classes. In 1994, she founded Cantabile Piano Music Group in the spirit of “I play, we play”. As the Artistic Director, she has held three Christiana Lin’s Piano Education Seminar and Master Class(es) and 17 Cantabile Piano Master Class Concert(s) in order to create a stage for aspiring young artists to present their talent. Among all the master class concerts, the eleventh was 2008 Cantabile Piano German Master Class in that she took the role of artistic director. She invited Chancellor of the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, pianist and Prof. Dr. Siegfried Mauser, French-German pianist, Prof. Claude-France Journès, and vocalist, Prof. Ingrid Kremling to teach master classes in Taipei.
Writings

In 2001, specifically for writing the book “J.S. Bach Sechs Partiten BWV 825–830 Analysis und Interpretation”, Christiana Lin went to do research at the Bach-Archiv Leipzig, Germany. This is the first book on the subject written in Chinese. She has devoted years to Bach studies and earned her authoritative status in interpreting Bach.

In 2003, she compiled her past speeches and her unique personal teaching experiences, and had them published in three books: “The Glory of Baroque Keyboard Music”, “Enlightenment in Your Capacity for Understanding Music”, and “Understanding the Humanism in Music”.

COMPOSITION

Austrian composer and singer Yevgen Gembik was born in Lutsk, Ukraine.

He got his first music diploma as a violin teacher at the State Conservatory in Lutsk. During his studies (1989-1994) of Composition und Music Theory at the Tchaikovsky National Academy in Kiev under Professor M.Skoryk, he also participated in education courses of Jazz Arrangement and Improvisation, led by Professor K.Vilensky.

In 2000 Yevgen Gembik started his postgraduate studies at the University of Music and Dramatic in Graz (Austria) with famous composer Beat Furrer (Switzerland). In 2007 Mr.Gembik received his degree Magister Artium with diploma thesis on the Voice in Modern Music. He took part in Composition Workshops IMPULS Vienna with Helmut Lachenmann and Beat Furrer and also continued his postgraduate research at the University of Music in Graz into Jazz Singing as a Reflection of Instrumental Performance under supervision of Professor F.Kerschbaumer.

Yevgen Gembik has worked as composer, arranger, pianist and singer for various companies and events, including Molodizhny Theater and Romance State Theatre (Kiev, Ukraine), Theatre Delphin Vienna, "Rennaissance" Cruise Lines, Casino Graz, Salzburg Opera Festival, Theater an der Wien, Carinthischer Sommer International Music Festival, New Opera Vienna and others.

As composer Yevgen Gembik has written many works in different styles, including symphonic music: Concert for Violin and Orchestra (premiere took place in 1994 by Ukrainian State Radio and Television Orchestra, Kiev), electronic, chamber, church, vocal music as well as several pop and musical pieces.

In 2013 Mag. Gembik won the 1th prize of the 1th International Nikolaus Fheodoroff Composition Competition with the work "Die Erkenntnis Gottes" (for mixed choir, organ and violin). In the following year this work was successfully premiered by Arnold Schoenberg Choir (soloists Thomas Fheodoroff and Stefan Gottfried. conductor-Erwin Ortner) at the International Music Festival Carinthischer Sommer, Austria. 

VIOLIN

Tímea studied violin at Franz Liszt University of Music in Györ and graduated as a violin teacher and chamber musician. She continued her studies at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg in the class of Prof. Klara Flieder and received her master’s degree  in violin performance.
Later, she majored in baroque violin with Michi Gaigg at Anton Bruckner Universität Linz and graduated with highest distinction in baroque violin and historical performance.
She completed a postgraduate course in violin performance with Lavard Skou Larsen at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg and another postgraduate course in baroque and historical performance in Midori Seiler’s class at the Universität Mozarteum.
Tímea had the privilege to complete her studies at mastercourses led by Dénes Zsigmondy, Midori Goto, Helfried Fister, Hiro Kurosaki, “Freiburg Baroque Orchestra”- Daniela Helm and Rachel Podger.
She gained a wide range of orchestra experience as a soloist and member of the chamber orchestra “Cis” in Salzburg, as the concertmaster of the “Collegium Musikum Salzburg”, as section-leader at “Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra Pécs” and as a member of the “Salzburg Chamber Soloist” chamber orchestra, performing on tournées around Europe, in South America and Asia.
She had the opportunity to play several ORF live recordings and play concerts with the “Acrobat” contemporary quintet  in Europe and South Africa.
Since 2008 Tímea has been a member of the “Vienna Chamber Orchestra”, since 2012 the baroque ensemble “Bach Consort” and the baroque “Ensemble 1756”.
Tímea regularly performs with the baroque ensemble “Les Passion de L’Ame” in Bern and abroad, as well as with the French baroque ensemble “Les Concert Lorrain”.
She played as a guest violinist in “Concentus Musicus” with Nikolaus Harnoncourt, with “L’Orfeo” baroque ensemble and she was invited to play with “Freiburg Baroque Orchestra”. 

VIOLIN

Mag.art. Minae Chung was born in 1979 in Seoul, South Korea.
At the age of 10 she started playing the violin in the class of Namyun Kim.
She had studied with Rainer Küchl and received her diploma at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in 2008. After that, she continued to study at the Vienna Conservatory for music education (IGP) with Dorice Köstenberger and completed her diploma study in 2010. During her studies, she participated in several international masterclasses with Igor Ozim, Alexander Arenkow, Edward Zinkowski, Isidora Romanoff-Schwarzberg and Jan Pospichal. She appeared as a soloist with various orchestras, such as the Czechoslovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Conservatory Chamber Orchestra and Concentus 21 Wien. In addition, she has been a prizewinner in the Music Journal Competition in Seoul (3rd), the International Music Competition "Premio Citta di Padova" (1st) and the edition of "VIRTUOSITE' PRIZE" (4th) in Italy.
Since 2013 Minae Chung has given her service and contributed in “Concentus 21 Wien” as a concertmaster, and since 2014 at the Vienna Conservatory and the Polyhymnia Music School as a lecturer for violin.