Artists
Biographies
Tetsuro Ban
Musical Direction
The Japanese conductor studied composition, piano, and conducting in his native Kyoto before moving to Vienna at the age of 22 to pursue conducting studies. At 24, Tetsuro Ban was appointed Kapellmeister at the Biel Opera House. He subsequently held positions as First Kapellmeister in Brandenburg and General Music Director in Eisenach. After several international guest engagements, he became Kapellmeister at the Komische Oper Berlin, where he conducted around 200 performances. From 2009 to 2018, he served as General Music Director at Theater Regensburg. Engagements for production series also took him to the Vienna Volksoper. Alongside guest conducting appearances in Europe, including with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, the maestro regularly conducts the major orchestras of Japan and appears at the leading opera houses of his homeland, including the New National Theatre Tokyo. Since 2019, he has been Chief Conductor of the Yamagata Symphony Orchestra and Professor of Conducting at the Kyoto University of Arts. In 2023, he was additionally appointed Artistic General Director of BIWAKO Hall Shiga (Kyoto).
Domen Križaj
Baritone
The Slovenian baritone completed his medical studies in Ljubljana while simultaneously studying voice at the Academy of Music there. Since 2020, he has been a permanent member of the Frankfurt Opera ensemble and appears regularly at the Slovenian National Theatre Maribor in his home country. His extensive repertoire includes the title roles in Tchaikovsky’s *Eugene Onegin* and Verdi’s *Macbeth*, as well as Count Almaviva (*Le nozze di Figaro*), Don Alfonso (*Così fan tutte*), Marquis Posa (*Don Carlo*), Giorgio Germont (*La Traviata*), Count Luna (*Il Trovatore*), Marcello (*La Bohème*), and Wolfram (*Tannhäuser*). Invitations have taken him to the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Tiroler Festspiele Erl, and the Bregenz Festival, among others. Domen Križaj also devotes himself to art song. As a concert singer, the baritone has performed with the Vienna Philharmonic, the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, the SWR Symphony Orchestra, and the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble.
Slávka Zámečníková
Soprano
The young Slovak soprano completed her vocal studies at the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” in Berlin and was subsequently engaged by the Berlin State Opera. Her international breakthrough came there with her highly acclaimed debut as Donna Anna in the premiere of Mozart’s *Don Giovanni* under Daniel Barenboim. In 2020, she joined the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera. Her repertoire includes roles such as Contessa Almaviva and Susanna (*Le nozze di Figaro*), Pamina (*Die Zauberflöte*), Ilia (*Idomeneo*), Marzelline (*Fidelio*), Adina (*L’elisir d’amore*), Norina (*Don Pasquale*), Gilda (*Rigoletto*), Nannetta (*Falstaff*), Musetta (*La Bohème*), Micaëla (*Carmen*), and Marie (*The Bartered Bride*). Invitations have taken her to La Scala in Milan, San Francisco Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Semperoper Dresden, and the Stuttgart State Opera. She also appears in major concert halls, including Philharmonie de Paris, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Konzerthaus Berlin, Gewandhaus Leipzig, and Vienna Musikverein.
Pavel Kolgatin
Tenor
The Russian lyric tenor completed his vocal studies in Moscow and launched his career in 2009 at the renowned Bolshoi Theatre, where he made his debut as Tamino in Mozart’s *The Magic Flute* at the age of 21. From 2012 to 2020, he was a member of the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera. Invitations have taken him to major opera houses worldwide, including La Scala in Milan, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Teatro San Carlo Naples, Teatro Massimo Palermo, Semperoper Dresden, the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, New National Theatre Tokyo, and Washington National Opera. He has also appeared at major festivals, including the Rossini Opera Festival Pesaro, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and the Salzburg Festival. His repertoire includes roles such as Belmonte (*Die Entführung aus dem Serail*), Ferrando (*Così fan tutte*), Count Almaviva (*Il Barbiere di Siviglia*), Don Ramiro (*La Cenerentola*), Nemorino (*L’elisir d’amore*), and Lensky (*Eugene Onegin*). Invitations have also brought him to major concert halls such as the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, and Suntory Hall Tokyo.
Štěpánka Pučálková
Mezzo-Soprano
Born in Berlin, the Czech mezzo-soprano completed her vocal training at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. From 2018 to 2024, Štěpánka Pučálková was a permanent member of the ensemble of the Saxon State Opera Dresden. Her repertoire includes the title role in Bizet’s *Carmen*, Cherubino (*Le nozze di Figaro*), Rosina (*Il Barbiere di Siviglia*), Adalgisa (*Norma*), Marguerite (*La Damnation de Faust*), Hänsel (*Hänsel und Gretel*), Orlofsky (*Die Fledermaus*), Waltraute (*Die Walküre*), and Octavian (*Der Rosenkavalier*). Invitations have taken her to Teatro San Carlo Naples, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Opera Leipzig, the Prague National Theatre, Vienna Volksoper, Theater an der Wien, and the Salzburg Festival, as well as to China and Japan. She has also enjoyed great success on the concert stage, including performances with the Dresden Staatskapelle under Christian Thielemann. More recently, invitations have taken her to KKL Lucerne and the Vienna Musikverein.
Dalibor Karvay
Violin
The career of this Slovak “musical prodigy” began at an early age. He later moved to Vienna, where he became a master student of the renowned violin pedagogue Prof. Boris Kuschnir. Winner of several major international violin competitions, he appears as soloist with orchestras including the Vienna Symphony, the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and the Czech Philharmonic. From 2014 to 2025, he served as Professor of Violin at the Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna (MUK). Since 2025, he has held a professorship at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw). From 2020 to 2025, he also served as First Concertmaster of the Vienna Symphony. He is in demand worldwide as soloist, chamber musician, and guest concertmaster. Dalibor Karvay plays the Antonio Stradivari violin “ex Benecke” (Cremona, 1694), on loan from the Oesterreichische Nationalbank.
Sebastian Bru
Violoncello
Born in Vienna, Sebastian Bru comes from an Argentinian-Austrian musical family. His teachers included Clemens Hagen and Heinrich Schiff. Before he completed his studies at the Vienna Conservatory, he was engaged at the age of 18 by the Vienna State Opera Orchestra. After serving as principal solo cellist of the Vienna Symphony from 2010 to 2011, he joined the Vienna Philharmonic in 2013, where he now serves as principal of the cello section. As a soloist, he has performed with distinguished conductors and orchestras, including the Vienna Symphony and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional Buenos Aires. Concert tours have taken him across Europe, South America, and Asia as both soloist and chamber musician. Sebastian Bru plays the Giovanni Battista Guadagnini cello “ex von Zweygberg” (Piacenza, 1749), on loan from the Oesterreichische Nationalbank.
Eva Lilla Fröschl
Horn
Eva Lilla Fröschl was born in Budapest in 1999 and began playing the horn at the age of seven. She has won a wide range of national and international horn and brass competitions. In 2011, at only 12 years of age, she was invited to appear as soloist with the Budapest Festival Orchestra under Iván Fischer. In 2019, she was accepted into the horn class at the University of the Arts Berlin and subsequently engaged as horn player at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. In 2021, she won the horn academy position in the orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin. Since 2022, she has been horn player in the Bavarian State Orchestra at the Munich State Opera. She continues to appear regularly as a soloist, chamber musician, and as part of the Munich Opera Horns ensemble.
Fedor Rudin
Violin
Born in Moscow into a musical family and raised in Paris, Fedor Rudin received an extensive musical education as both violinist and conductor. A multiple prizewinner at major violin competitions, he has appeared in many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Berlin Konzerthaus, the Philharmonie de Paris, the Vienna Musikverein, and the Tonhalle Zürich. He has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, the SWR Symphony Orchestra, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Invitations have also taken him to the Salzburg Festival and the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. From 2019 to 2021, he was concertmaster of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic. Since 2023, he has held a professorship in orchestral training at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw). Fedor Rudin plays the 1712 Antonio Stradivari violin “ex-Viotti,” on loan from CANIMEX INC. (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada), and also a modern copy of a Storioni violin by Sylvain Tournaire (2023, Paris).
Julia Zulus
Oboe
The Viennese oboist received comprehensive musical education from an early age in piano and oboe. She completed her concert diploma at the University of Music Vienna and furthered her studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur Musique et Danse de Lyon. She is a multiple prizewinner at competitions and a scholarship holder of the Tokyo Foundation. Since September 2014, she has been an oboist in the stage orchestra of the Vienna State Opera. She is a regular substitute in the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and with the Vienna Philharmonic, and has also performed with the Vienna Symphony, the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Volksoper Vienna Orchestra. In chamber music, she has distinguished herself as a founding member of the Webern Wind Quintet. Her performances have taken her around the world, from the Vienna Musikverein to Tehran, Moscow, Budapest, Rome, Ottawa, New York, and Suntory Hall Tokyo.
Nataliia Kuleba
Viola
Born in Kyiv, Nataliia Kuleba studied viola at the local Academy of Arts and at the National Music Academy. A winner of several international competitions, she became principal viola of the National Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine and a soloist at the National House of Organ and Chamber Music. Invitations also brought her to several festivals in her home country. In March 2022, Nataliia Kuleba moved to Vienna and was engaged by the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra from 2022 to 2024. As an orchestral musician, she regularly performs with the orchestras of the Vienna State Opera and Vienna Volksoper. She is also a sought-after chamber music partner in various ensembles.
Artemii Cholokian
Oboe
Born in Moscow, the oboist Artemii Cholokian began his musical training in his native city and moved to Austria in 2014 to complete his bachelor’s degree at the Mozarteum University Salzburg and his master’s degree at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. From 2020 to 2022, he gained valuable orchestral experience as an academy member of Zurich Opera House (Philharmonia Zürich) and as principal oboe in the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. Further engagements have taken him to the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra and the Georgian Chamber Orchestra Ingolstadt, among others. As a soloist, he has performed Mozart’s Oboe Concerto with the Bad Reichenhall Philharmonic and with the State Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia. Since 2022, he has been principal oboe in the Carinthian Symphony Orchestra at Klagenfurt City Theatre.
Julius Ockert
Clarinet
Born in Berlin, Julius Ockert began playing the clarinet at the age of seven. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik “Franz Liszt” in Weimar and at the Mozarteum University Salzburg. Early orchestral appointments took him to the Nuremberg Symphony and Camerata Salzburg while still young. He then spent two years as a member of the Hermann Levi Academy of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. From 2021 to 2024, he was engaged as principal clarinet of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin. Since 2024, he has been principal clarinet of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in Hamburg. He has also held a teaching position at the Berlin University of the Arts since 2024.
Franz-Joseph Labmayr
Clarinet
Born in Salzburg, he received early instruction in clarinet, singing, and diatonic accordion. He studied clarinet at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna (MUK), and the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw). Early orchestral work brought him together with the Vienna Symphony, Nuremberg Symphony, and the Staatskapelle Dresden. Since 2022, he has been engaged as principal clarinet with the Bruckner Orchestra Linz. Franz-Joseph Labmayr has appeared several times as a soloist, including performances of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto at the Vienna Musikverein and Brucknerhaus Linz. He also places special emphasis on chamber music and has been closely connected to folk music since youth.
Manuel Egger
Horn
Born in Linz, horn player Manuel Egger completed his studies with distinction at the Anton Bruckner Private University Linz and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw). In 2018, he became horn player at the Opera Graz and with the Graz Philharmonic. In 2023, he moved to the Vienna Volksoper as First Horn, where he remains active. As a substitute, he has performed with ensembles including the Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, Bruckner Orchestra Linz, and Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble. Tours have taken him through Europe, Asia, and America. As a chamber musician and arranger, he is a member of Vienna Brass Connection, the Vienna Horn Ensemble, Ensemble SONOS Vienna, and the Vienna Horns. He is also a co-founder and artistic programmer of the Vienna Wald Festival.
Christian Walcher
Bassoon
Born in Graz, the bassoonist Christian Walcher completed his concert studies at the Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna (MUK) and his chamber music studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw), both with distinction. Orchestral engagements took him as principal bassoon to the Orchestra of Vereinigte Bühnen Wien and as principal contrabassoon to the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared as a substitute with the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Volksoper, Opera Graz, and with leading orchestras including the Vienna Symphony and the Bremen Chamber Philharmonic. As a freelance principal bassoonist, he also appears regularly as a soloist and as part of a variety of ensembles in contemporary projects, world premieres, and classical chamber music, including at the Vienna Konzerthaus.
Johannes Kafka
Bassoon
Born in Freistadt, Johannes Kafka studied bassoon at the Anton Bruckner Private University Linz and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw). He then pursued advanced studies in choral conducting as well as conducting, also at the Anton Bruckner Private University Linz. Since December 2010, he has been engaged as bassoonist in the stage orchestra of the Vienna State Opera. He also regularly substitutes with renowned ensembles such as the Vienna Philharmonic, the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Bruckner Orchestra Linz. As a chamber musician, he has performed at major festivals including the Salzburg Festival and the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival. Concert tours have taken him through Europe, Japan, China, and the USA. He also appears as a soloist. Since 2011, Johannes Kafka has also been artistic director of the Vienna Brass Connection, which he co-founded, and since 2016 artistic director of the Vienna Horns.
Jasminka Stančul
Piano
Born in Serbia, the Austrian pianist studied at the Vienna University of Music and at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève. Her musical talent brought her victory in the 1989 International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna. Since then, she has performed worldwide with major orchestras such as the Orchestre de Paris, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, and the Vienna Symphony, under the baton of leading conductors of our time, including Lorin Maazel, Ádám Fischer, Daniele Gatti, Fabio Luisi, and Semyon Bychkov, among many others. She is a regular guest at major international music festivals and on concert stages around the world. As both soloist and chamber musician, the Vienna-based pianist regularly appears at the Vienna Musikverein and the Vienna Konzerthaus. Since 2019, Jasminka Stančul has held a professorship in concert piano at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw), and since 2024 she has also served as head of department.
Margarita Gritskova
Mezzo-Soprano
The Russian mezzo-soprano studied piano and voice at the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory in her native city. In 2012, she became a member of the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera. In 2014, she appeared at the opening of the Vienna Opera Ball. Her major breakthrough came in 2015 at the Salzburg Festival as Cherubino in Mozart’s *Le nozze di Figaro*. Since then, invitations have taken her to the Bavarian State Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Zurich Opera House, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, New National Theatre Tokyo, the Rossini Opera Festival Pesaro, and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. Her repertoire includes the title roles in Rossini’s *La Cenerentola* and Bizet’s *Carmen*, as well as Dorabella (*Così fan tutte*), Rosina (*Il Barbiere di Siviglia*), Giovanna Seymour (*Anna Bolena*), Adalgisa (*Norma*), Amneris (*Aida*), Eboli (*Don Carlo*), Marfa (*Khovanshchina*), Octavian (*Der Rosenkavalier*), and the Composer (*Ariadne auf Naxos*). As a concert and recital singer, she has appeared at Carnegie Hall in New York and Vienna Musikverein.
Levente Páll
Bass
The Hungarian bass studied viola as well as voice, song, and oratorio at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and later at the Hamburg University of Music. Since 2016, he has been a member of the ensemble of the Gärtnerplatztheater in Munich and appears regularly at the Bavarian State Opera. His major breakthrough came at the Salzburg Easter Festival in 2019 with his highly praised role debut as Fritz Kothner in Wagner’s *Die Meistersinger* under Christian Thielemann. His repertoire includes roles such as Osmin (*Die Entführung aus dem Serail*), Figaro (*Le nozze di Figaro*), Leporello (*Don Giovanni*), Sarastro (*Die Zauberflöte*), Banquo (*Macbeth*), Don Magnifico (*La Cenerentola*), Gremin (*Eugene Onegin*), and King Henry (*Lohengrin*). Invitations have taken him to the Royal Opera House London, Hamburg State Opera, Opéra National de Lorraine Nancy, Opéra National de Montpellier, Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, and the Bregenz Festival. He also appears regularly as a song and concert singer.
Rimma Benyumova
Violin
Born in Siberia, Rimma Benyumova grew up in a musical family and began playing the violin at the age of five. She studied at the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” in Berlin and at the Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna (MUK) with Prof. Boris Kuschnir. She is a multiple scholarship holder and prizewinner at international competitions. As a soloist, she has appeared with the Munich Symphony Orchestra, I Pomeriggi Musicali in Milan, and the Russian State Symphony Orchestra, among others. She has also performed as concertmaster of the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Saxon State Orchestra Dresden, and the Dresden Philharmonic. Since 2025, Rimma Benyumova has been concertmaster of the hr-Sinfonieorchester in Frankfurt. She also regularly appears with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and various orchestras abroad. Her performances as soloist, chamber musician, and concertmaster have taken her to leading concert halls worldwide. Rimma Benyumova plays a violin by Camillus Camilli (Mantua, 1741).
Brieuc Vourch
Violin
Born in Paris, the violinist studied at the Juilliard School in New York with Itzhak Perlman and later with Prof. Boris Kuschnir. He is a graduate of the first “Concertmaster Artist Diploma” at the Stauffer Center for Strings in Cremona and a prizewinner at international violin competitions. He made his Carnegie Hall debut with a solo recital. As a sought-after orchestral musician, he regularly performs with ensembles including the Teatro alla Scala Orchestra Milan, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Orchestre de Paris, and Utopia Orchestra, and appears as guest concertmaster and orchestral musician with orchestras such as the Copenhagen Philharmonic, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, La Filarmonica di Milano, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and Estonian Festival Orchestra. Since 2025, he has also been coordinating concertmaster of the second violins of the Dresden Philharmonic. His performances have taken him to the world’s major concert halls and to festivals in Verbier, Gstaad, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Brieuc Vourch plays a 1690 Francesco Ruggeri violin.
Julia Turnovsky
Viola
Vienna-born Julia Turnovsky studied violin at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and at the Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna (MUK) with Prof. Boris Kuschnir, as well as viola at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw). She is a multiple prize winner at major international competitions. As a soloist, Julia Turnovsky has appeared with orchestras such as the Southwest German Philharmonic, the North German Philharmonic Rostock, the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Prague, and Camerata Salzburg. Engagements have taken her to the Vienna Musikverein, Vienna Konzerthaus, Mozarteum Salzburg, Prague’s Rudolfinum, and Philharmonie Luxembourg. She is also a sought-after chamber musician and has been invited to major festivals such as the Menuhin Festival Gstaad and Prague Spring. She is also increasingly active as an orchestral musician, performing with ensembles including the Vienna Symphony, the NDR Radiophilharmonie, and the Utopia Orchestra.
Timos Sirlantzis
Bass-Baritone
The Greek bass-baritone Timos Sirlantzis was born in Thessaloniki and received a broad musical education at an early age. He plays seven instruments in total and served for three years as conductor of the marching orchestra “Apollon Amphipolis” in his hometown. He later studied violin and piano. He received his vocal training at the Drama Conservatory and at the opera school of the University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart. Since 2018, he has been a member of the ensemble of the Gärtnerplatztheater in Munich. His repertoire includes Leporello and the title role in Mozart’s *Don Giovanni*, Figaro (*Le nozze di Figaro*), Sarastro (*Die Zauberflöte*), Don Alfonso (*Così fan tutte*), Don Basilio (*Il Barbiere di Siviglia*), Lindorf, Coppelius, Dr. Miracle and Dapertutto (*Les contes d’Hoffmann*), Sparafucile (*Rigoletto*), Schaunard (*La Bohème*), and Escamillo (*Carmen*). Invitations have taken him to major opera houses such as the Greek National Opera in Athens, the Komische Oper Berlin, and the Daegu Opera House in South Korea.
Alejandro Pizarro-Enríquez
Baritone
The Chilean baritone Alejandro Pizarro-Enríquez was born in Concepción and began his vocal studies at the Municipal Opera Conservatory in his hometown. As a scholarship holder of the Friends of Teatro Municipal de Santiago for opera singing, he continued his training in Santiago de Chile. He later moved to Europe and became a member of the chorus of the Saxon State Opera at the Semperoper Dresden. Since September 2015, he has held a permanent engagement at the Vienna State Opera and has appeared in productions of *Salome*, *Manon*, *Otello*, *Macbeth*, *La Traviata*, *Billy Budd*, and *Il Barbiere di Siviglia*, among others. He made his role debut as Gianni Schicchi in Vienna in 2017 and his role debut as Papageno in Italy in 2019. More recently, he sang Count Almaviva (*Le nozze di Figaro*) and Dottore Malatesta (*Don Pasquale*) in international opera productions. His repertoire also includes roles such as Dandini (*La Cenerentola*), Belcore (*L’elisir d’amore*), Silvio (*Pagliacci*), Schaunard (*La Bohème*), and Ping (*Turandot*).
Kyunghee Yang
Soprano
The young Korean soprano Kyunghee Yang completed her bachelor’s degree at the Korea National University of Arts. During her time in Korea, she appeared in roles such as Pamina (*Die Zauberflöte*), Norina (*Don Pasquale*), Donna Anna (*Don Giovanni*), and Mimi (*La Bohème*) on various opera stages in her home country. She later moved to Germany and completed a master’s degree in opera singing as well as her concert exam at the Hochschule für Musik “Franz Liszt” in Weimar with Prof. Anne Schwanewilms. Since 2022, she has been a member of the Bavarian State Opera Chorus.
Joseph Lorenz
Narrator
The Austrian Kammerschauspieler Joseph Lorenz, born in Vienna, trained as an actor at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. His first engagement took him to the State Theatre Kassel. He then spent seven years at the Schillertheater in Berlin, before moving to the Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf for several years. Later, Lorenz spent some time in Switzerland, including regular appearances at Schauspielhaus Zürich. He then divided his time between Hamburg, Stuttgart, and Zurich. This was followed by nine years as a member of the ensemble of Vienna’s Burgtheater. From 2004, Joseph Lorenz worked as a freelance actor, appearing repeatedly at the Theater in der Josefstadt and at the Reichenau Festival. In 2015, he was honored with the title of Austrian Kammerschauspieler. Since 2018, he has been a member of the ensemble at Theater in der Josefstadt. In addition to film roles, he also appears regularly in major literary readings. Joseph Lorenz is a recipient of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art and the Grand Golden Decoration of Honour for Services to the Province of Lower Austria.
Johannes Moritz
Trumpet
The trumpeter Johannes Moritz comes from the Austrian brass-band tradition. He began playing trumpet in the wind band of his hometown of Schärding and later completed his concert studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw). By that time, he was already performing with renowned orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony, and the Bruckner Orchestra Linz. From 2008 to 2018, he was principal trumpet of the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg. In 2018, he moved to the Bavarian State Orchestra at the Munich State Opera as principal trumpet, where he remains active today. He was also principal trumpet of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra for a time. As principal trumpet, he also appears as a guest with orchestras such as the Munich Philharmonic and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. Alongside his orchestral work, Johannes Moritz is active as a soloist and chamber musician and is also a founding member of the brass ensemble Vienna Brass Connection.
Elisabeth Brauß
Piano
Born in Hanover, the pianist completed her studies at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media and is a master student of Igor Levit. She is a multiple prize winner at international piano competitions, including first prize at the International Steinway Competition in Hamburg. As a BBC New Generation Artist, she made her debut at the BBC Proms in 2020 at the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Her concert appearances have taken her to major venues including Wigmore Hall London, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie de Paris, Konzerthaus Berlin, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Gewandhaus Leipzig, and the Cologne Philharmonie, as well as to international festivals. She has performed with leading orchestras in Germany and abroad, including the hr-Sinfonieorchester, Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Staatsphilharmonie Nuremberg, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg, and Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Sebastian Casleanu
Concertmaster
Sebastian Casleanu, born in Münster into a family with musical traditions and raised in Bonn, studied violin at the Robert Schumann University in Düsseldorf and at the Cologne University of Music and Dance. He then pursued postgraduate studies with the distinguished violin pedagogue Prof. Boris Kuschnir. Sebastian Casleanu is a multiple scholarship recipient and prizewinner at national and international competitions. Since 2012, he has been first violinist of the award-winning Giocoso String Quartet. Solo and chamber music performances have taken him to leading concert halls worldwide, including Wigmore Hall London, the Vienna Musikverein, Pierre Boulez Saal Berlin, Konzerthaus Berlin, Beethoven House Bonn, the National Grand Theatre Beijing, and Seoul Arts Center. In 2016, he became First Concertmaster of the Rhineland-Palatinate State Philharmonic. Since 2019, he has been First Concertmaster of the Nuremberg State Philharmonic. He also regularly appears as guest concertmaster at the Hamburg State Opera, Berlin State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, and the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn.
Christoph Heil
Chorus Master
Christoph Heil studied conducting, piano, and church music at the universities in Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, and Rottenburg. He began his career as assistant to the opera chorus at the Stuttgart State Opera, before becoming chorus director and Kapellmeister at Theater Regensburg. He later returned to the Stuttgart State Opera as deputy chorus director and was appointed chorus director there in 2017. Under his leadership, the Stuttgart chorus was named “Choir of the Year” in 2018 by *Opernwelt*. Since 2019, he has regularly appeared as a guest at internationally renowned opera houses, including in Lyon, Strasbourg, and Brussels. From 2016 to 2023, he also worked at the Bayreuth Festival as musical assistant to the festival chorus. In the 2022/23 season, he made his debut at the Bavarian State Opera, and since the start of the 2023/24 season he has overseen the Bavarian State Opera Chorus.
Kamila Akhmedjanova
Musical Studies Director
Kamila Akhmedjanova studied piano, harpsichord, organ, chamber music, and musicology at the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan. Even during her studies, she was engaged as a lecturer and concert accompanist at the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan and as a répétiteur at the Tashkent State Opera. She won numerous international piano competitions and was awarded “Best Accompaniment” several times at major vocal competitions. At the Immling Festival, she has worked since 2009 as musical assistant, répétiteur, and concert pianist. From 2013 to 2015, she worked as répétiteur at the University of Music and Theatre Munich. Since 2015, she has been chorus répétiteur at the Bavarian State Opera, since 2021 assistant to the chorus director, and she also heads the Bavarian State Opera Children’s Chorus. In addition, she regularly performs as a soloist, piano accompanist, and with various chamber ensembles. In 2024, she also served as musical director of *The Magic Flute for Children* at Lechwelten.
