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".

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”.