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News … Home News David Steffens David Steffens - bass 01.08.2019 Alumnae & Alumni Stories Iris Wagner © Matthias Baus Skip page navigation Overview Conversation More portraits Alumnae & Alumni Network Return to slider start The path to becoming an opera singer: Bass David Steffens was awarded the Lilli Lehmann Medal of the International Mozarteum Foundation in 2011 at the end of his vocal studies at the Mozarteum University. in 2010 he made his debut at the Salzburg Landestheater, and in 2018 at the Salzburg Festival. He talks about the love for his profession and the beginnings of a career as an artist. David Steffens: bass Germany     You performed in three productions at the Salzburg Festival this summer. How did it feel to be a "Festival artist"? When you study at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, it's naturally a big dream to move to the other side of the Salzach one day. After the Young Singers Project 2012, last year I was invited for the first time by the Salzburg Festival to take on the role of the Fifth Jew in the Strauss opera "Salome." That obviously pleased them, and this year I was allowed to participate in George Enescu's "Œdipe," in the revival of "Salome," and at short notice also in Mozart's "Idomeneo." Was this short notice stressful? Well, I found out about an hour before the performance that I could sing, and I received the sheet music ten minutes beforehand. Of course there's stress involved. But the adrenaline is high at such a moment and it was very nice. Above all, it was great to get to know musical director Teodor Currentzis in this way. You have been a member of the ensemble at the Stuttgart State Opera since the 2015/16 season. Your first impressions? I was fortunate in Stuttgart in that the singers are continuously built up. I started with relatively manageable roles and was approached for a first leading role after the premiere season with "Figaro." You can learn new roles at a large theater like Stuttgart and have perfect working conditions, a wonderful orchestra and a great choir. Nevertheless, as an ensemble singer you are protected and can also try things out. And what was the path there like? After graduating from the Mozarteum, I first went to the Zurich Opera Studio, then moved to the Stadttheater Klagenfurt am Wörthersee for two wonderful years. There, too, I was lucky enough not to be "sold out" as a young singer. Often, up-and-coming singers have to master big roles that they are not yet up to, but in Klagefurt I had enough time to develop in peace. You have to get to know yourself in the first few years, in order to realize where your voice hangs out, what your voice can do, and in what repertoire you feel comfortable. Of course, you want to work as much as possible from the beginning and be universally applicable, but you also have to know your strengths - and those can often only be found out on stage. Did you plan and organize your career yourself, or do you need an agency? I took part in several auditions while I was still a student and traveled halfway across the country to northern Germany without things working out right away. That can be a pretty frustrating time and you ask yourself: is this really the right thing I'm doing? But fortunately, a small agency has already heard me in the university productions at the Mozarteum. Usually the way it works is that an agent proposes you to ten, twenty houses and you get invited by some of them to audition. Without anyone in the background, it's incredibly difficult to get into the large and small theaters - they have hundreds of blind applications on the table. What specific advice would you give to young graduates? I think the best way to get started these days is to join an opera studio at a good theater. There you have the opportunity to audition for agencies, get to know conductors and build up a network. You also have to have the courage to introduce yourself to as many people as possible, to write to people and approach them. What could be worse than not getting a response? Conversely, an invitation to an audition is already the first step. And often, after five or six years, someone does remember you. In your home country of Germany, there is even support from a public agency, the ZAV Artist Placement Office of the Federal Employment Agency… Yes, the ZAV helped me a lot. At that time, they also came regularly to audition at the Mozarteum University and got me my first engagement in Klagenfurt. The advantage is that you don't have to pay any agency commissions. That's essential, because the fees are low at the beginning. How did you actually prepare for such auditions? For the audition, you should have a fixed repertoire of common arias, no exotic and new arias. You know you can do more, but you also have to establish comparability. The important thing is to feel comfortable in the roles. How fit did the Mozarteum studies make you feel for the "job market"? My teachers Horiana Brănișteanu and Wolfgang Holzmair prepared me well, taught me inner strength and how to deal with criticism. For me it was a very good time at the Mozarteum University. You could work with great pianists and do real orchestra rehearsals. It was also very helpful to experience the stress of an opera production. I benefited from that in the opera studio in Zurich - 70 evenings with small parts and chronically too little time to rehearse. It already gave me a starting advantage over others. And in which area could you have done a bit more during your studies? One should always have the view "outside" in the back of one's mind. I'm the last person who would say that training should be geared to the market, because at university we first have to concentrate on the technology and on the personal profile. Only then can you market yourself. But it would be helpful to do a little more in the direction of contacts and agencies. That way, you could make the first step a little easier. As a singer, how have you experienced the job market so far? The German-speaking market is one of the most interesting for singers worldwide. That's because we still have the large ensembles. But it's also an incredibly tight market. You're not only competing with former fellow students, but also with incredibly well-trained colleagues from all over the world who are auditioning for the same position: from the U.S., from Russia and all of Eastern Europe, from China, Korea and Japan - everyone is here and wants to get into this small market. We have a few hundred stages in Germany, but compared to the supply of singers, it's still very small. As a bass, I'm still lucky in that I'm not exposed to quite the same competition as a soprano or a lyric baritone. There are ten times as many who apply for a position. Still, what's great about your profession? First, it was the total love of music. Coming from the piano, growing up I was able to convey everything through music. What's also wonderful, of course, is the encouragement you get from others. As a young person, you realize that you can do something that others can't do. You realize the talent. But when you start studying at university, it quickly becomes clear that it's not just talent that gets you ahead. You also have to focus the great joy and learn things that may not be so much fun at the moment - just like in any profession. www.davidsteffens.com More portraits Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr 6.8.2025 Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr  The versatile and renowned violinist, project manager and lecturer Franziska Strohmayr grew up in Augsburg and came to Salzburg to study, where she still lives today after graduating from the Mozarteum University under Prof. Martin Mumelter and Prof. Wolfgang Gratzer and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko 8.4.2025 Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko  Mariia Tkachenko lived in Kyiv until March 2022, where she received singing and violin lessons as a child and has already appeared in several TV productions. Her acting studies at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television were interrupted by the war in Ukraine. Alumnae & Alumni Stories A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß 17.3.2025 A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß  Alumnus Rupert Pföß has been working as a music teacher at Musikum Salzburg since 1996 and has been head of the folk music and harmonica department since 2012. He is also an extended board member of the Salzburger Volksliedwerk. His busy seminar and jury activities at various music weeks and music competitions enrich his everyday life as a musician time and again.  Alumnae & Alumni Stories From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina 20.11.2024 From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina  The flutist and instrumental music teacher Sofiia Musina came to Salzburg to study at the Mozarteum University in April 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she studied at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine and obtained a Master's degree in ‘Master of Musical Art. Educational and Professional Programme: Musical Art’. She wrote her master's thesis on the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman 5.11.2024 Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman  Meral Guneyman is a versatile classical musician, with numerous releases, who is comfortable in both pop and jazz music, has transcribed many original works and is also an enthusiastic arranger and improviser. Her ability to move between classical and jazz with lightning speed and conviction is a rarity. In 2021, her arrangements of classic David Bowie songs were presented for the first time on ‘Steinway-Spirio’ - a high-resolution self-playing system of the highest quality. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel 29.9.2024 Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel  Judith Valerie Engel is an Austrian pianist, musicologist & feminist. After years of study in Salzburg, Helsinki and Vancouver, she is currently completing a PhD in Historical Musicology at Oxford University. She is a recipient of the Stone-Mallabar Doctoral Scholarship awarded by Oxford College Christ Church. She is also one of the ‘Public Scholars’ in the Public Scholars Initiative of the University of British Columbia. Both academically and artistically, her focus is on historical and contemporary women composers. Alumnae & Alumni Stories More news

News … Home News Domenica Radlmaier Domenica Radlmaier - Soprano 27.04.2020 Alumnae & Alumni Stories Iris Wagner © Privat Skip page navigation Overview Conversation More portraits Alumnae & Alumni Network Return to slider start "Solo program as an alternative" — Domenica Radlmaier: Soprano, Germany & Austria How did you experience the Corona period as an artist? For me it was from one hundred to zero within one day. I had a four-week rehearsal period until mid-March for an opera project near Karlsruhe, where I would have sung Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. That meant lots of people, full days, wonderful music, great experiences and very creative work. We then had to skip the last day of rehearsals, because the public buildings were closed and so we couldn't go into our rehearsal hall anymore. So we met in front of the building on what was supposed to be the last day of rehearsals. The announcement, you are not allowed to enter anymore, came only in the morning. We were only able to have a short closing meeting outside. We said goodbye to each other and were all a little irritated. Most of us were already looking for trains home because we were afraid we wouldn't get home. We were an international team. But none of us really thought at that point that this festival couldn't happen. The rehearsals stopped in March and in May it was communicated that the festival cannot take place in the form it did. Instead, there will be smaller concerts. In what period would the festival have taken place without Corona? T he festival was planned with several productions from July to August. One production would have been the "Fledermaus" with 20 performances. Are there already new perspectives for you now? I was invited this week for four concerts. The program is not quite fixed yet, because the staff tried to save the festival until the very end. Not least for the audience, as it is a very established and popular open-air festival. Fortunately, the productions will be made up next year. But the four concerts are a first step and they probably wanted to stay present for the audience and not leave us artists out in the rain. It's nice to hear that other formats, forced smaller formats, are being implemented. I can already hear a sense of optimism. But what was the first time like after you stopped rehearsals? The first time I was still very committed to the project, because I couldn't imagine or didn't want the phase to last so long. I was still totally in work mode and worked off things that had been left lying around, got my apartment in shape and structured every day. Then the phase got longer and longer and at some point it was no longer foreseeable. From that point on, it became really difficult for me. When there is no real goal point. Especially since it is difficult to sing in my apartment. We have thin walls and I was also aware that many people are now at home. And then, when it was also foreseeable that I wouldn't be able to go on stage for a while, I didn't want to exhaust that and then also be a noise nuisance. Do you have to practice less as a singer than a violinist or a pianist? You notice it very much as a singer if you can't practice much. Especially the condition suffers. In Austria, support programs for artists, for example through the Artists' Social Insurance Fund, were also an issue relatively soon. What was that like in Germany? I didn't deal with it so intensively at first, because I thought the festival was taking place in the summer. I also thought, maybe others need this help more urgently than I do. In addition, the whole system was very opaque and keeps changing until today. Only yesterday I received new information. For a long time it looked like that solo self-employed people who don't have liquidity problems don't get any help. So, that private costs like rent don't count. I have no studio, no rehearsal room, no machine to pay for. For this reason, I fell out of the "aid projects" for the time being. Now it's being adapted and refined little by little, and I have high hopes that the system will improve for us artists. I've signed up for some things and filled out some forms but I guess you still have to be patient. It's not easy, but I'm trying not to lose heart and hope that some kind of "normality" will return soon. I am afraid that many people do not realize that the situation will drag on for a long time. This is not over with the end of the pandemic, but many things simply cannot be done now because they are not profitable for theaters. Without a financially functioning theater, artists can't be hired either. Therefore, the aftermath will be felt for much longer. As a young professional, it is therefore difficult to regain a foothold. Many auditions were canceled, programs and operas were canceled completely. I was lucky now that this festival tries to implement small projects instead of the planned program. But a lot of things have been canceled without replacement, so the loss of earnings is 100 percent. I can hear that as an artist you have to be creative in a different way at the moment. What can you actually do under the existing conditions? In Austria, events with 100 people have been allowed to take place since the end of May - an opera production is thus not profitable… It was very nice that some approached me and asked for online lessons. That was also a lot of fun and of course I was happy that they thought of me during that time. I also try to offer solo programs, have done some cabaret as well. The small programs include only two people on stage: the singer and the pianist. With them I want to bring the audience a little bit of cheerfulness, looseness and laughter in the difficult time for everyone. Is there anything you wish for your work environment? What has always stung me personally is that the soccer club has been in the media a lot, and very often there have been discussions about when the players will now be allowed back on the pitch, and other areas have been given less thought. There are very many people in the arts and many who are dependent on this industry. I was lucky that I was always well informed about the state of affairs by "my festival". However, I know of other organizers who to this day have given no indication of how things will continue, even though there are existing contracts. Being "stand-by" was also the hardest part of the Corona period for me. Not knowing when to be ready for the stage or whether to try for other things, the uncertainty. Of course, no one could know how long the situation would last. But I hope that soon we will be able to put aside this caution and have great events. We artists are all hungry to be able to make more art again. I realized during the Corona period that listening to music or seeing productions through a screen is not the real thing. The experience of the stage and concert hall is different. I miss that contact with my colleagues and the audience. www.domenicaradlmaier.com More portraits Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr 6.8.2025 Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr  The versatile and renowned violinist, project manager and lecturer Franziska Strohmayr grew up in Augsburg and came to Salzburg to study, where she still lives today after graduating from the Mozarteum University under Prof. Martin Mumelter and Prof. Wolfgang Gratzer and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko 8.4.2025 Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko  Mariia Tkachenko lived in Kyiv until March 2022, where she received singing and violin lessons as a child and has already appeared in several TV productions. Her acting studies at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television were interrupted by the war in Ukraine. Alumnae & Alumni Stories A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß 17.3.2025 A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß  Alumnus Rupert Pföß has been working as a music teacher at Musikum Salzburg since 1996 and has been head of the folk music and harmonica department since 2012. He is also an extended board member of the Salzburger Volksliedwerk. His busy seminar and jury activities at various music weeks and music competitions enrich his everyday life as a musician time and again.  Alumnae & Alumni Stories From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina 20.11.2024 From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina  The flutist and instrumental music teacher Sofiia Musina came to Salzburg to study at the Mozarteum University in April 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she studied at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine and obtained a Master's degree in ‘Master of Musical Art. Educational and Professional Programme: Musical Art’. She wrote her master's thesis on the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman 5.11.2024 Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman  Meral Guneyman is a versatile classical musician, with numerous releases, who is comfortable in both pop and jazz music, has transcribed many original works and is also an enthusiastic arranger and improviser. Her ability to move between classical and jazz with lightning speed and conviction is a rarity. In 2021, her arrangements of classic David Bowie songs were presented for the first time on ‘Steinway-Spirio’ - a high-resolution self-playing system of the highest quality. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel 29.9.2024 Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel  Judith Valerie Engel is an Austrian pianist, musicologist & feminist. After years of study in Salzburg, Helsinki and Vancouver, she is currently completing a PhD in Historical Musicology at Oxford University. She is a recipient of the Stone-Mallabar Doctoral Scholarship awarded by Oxford College Christ Church. She is also one of the ‘Public Scholars’ in the Public Scholars Initiative of the University of British Columbia. Both academically and artistically, her focus is on historical and contemporary women composers. Alumnae & Alumni Stories More news

News … Home News Petra Polli Petra Polli - visual artist 26.05.2020 Alumnae & Alumni Stories Iris Wagner © Privat Skip page navigation Overview Conversation More portraits Alumnae & Alumni Network Return to slider start Extremely Productive Corona Times Petra Polli: visual artist Bolzano & Leipzig     How did you experience the Corona period as an artist in Bolzano? The Corona period was an extremely productive one for me right from the start. I made two small ink works a day for the TRACKS series, where nature/the forest is the central motif. In the beginning, the works were black and white as in the Tracks series. As the Corona period progressed, the color and mood in my paintings changed. With the tightened restrictions and the duration of the quarantine, the colors became warmer, more intense and the images more sensual. The longing to go outdoors, into the forest became stronger and stronger. I have the impression that the measures in South Tyrol and Italy were stricter than here in Austria... Exactly. In Bolzano, at the beginning, it was the case that you were only allowed to go 200 meters away from where you lived. That was the case for about three weeks. You could only go out for shopping and to take short walks. Sports were not allowed. We were given new rules and packages of measures every week. At first these were very strict, then the movement radius was extended from 200 to 400 meters. At some point we were allowed to do some sports again, at least running. Cycling was not yet allowed. Friends and family were also not allowed to visit. After two months, the relaxation was that you were allowed to walk as far as you could. Only now, at the end of May, one is allowed to move freely again in South Tyrol, even to drive a car and meet one's friends and family. Masks are still compulsory as soon as you leave the apartment. I know you have a small studio in the apartment. Was that a stroke of luck? Yes. It so happened that I had to give up my studio because, as an artist, I was not allowed to go into my studio for the first two weeks. Wisely, I set up a space at home to work. The good thing was that there was always nice weather. That made the Corona time easier. Especially for those who had a balcony. How can you imagine the "Corona productivity increase" compared to a normal creative period? I've done the workload of a normal year now in two months. So you made good use of the Corona time and were productive. Do you already have plans where you will show the pictures? There are already planned exhibitions that will take place soon - although it is not yet clear how and whether there will be a vernissage and whether contact with the public will be possible. When are exhibitions allowed to take place again in South Tyrol? The museums may open to the public on May 29. In June I will show works in the Museion in Bolzano. The second exhibition in June, in which I will show works from the TRACKS series, will take place at the Palais Mamming Museum in Merano. In this exhibition there will be an artist talk, unfortunately without an audience. The talk will be recorded and put on the web. What were the biggest challenges during the Corona quarantine? The biggest challenge for me was the social distance. Not being allowed to meet anyone, no family, no friends. But there was also a positive development with the increasing video calls. Some contacts were intensified again as a result. I experienced this as a very intense time, but also as a time in which, unfortunately, many exhibitions had to be canceled. What conditions do you need as an artist to be able to work "normally" again? Basically, the framework conditions are now in place again. However, as an artist you have to think about how an alternative exhibition mode can take place. Maybe it would be a possibility to bring the works more into the net and to do virtual tours and artist talks, as some museums are already doing now. Nevertheless, the interaction and contact with the public are the most important. Are there any support programs for artists in Italy? In South Tyrol, an initiative was started by the Artists' Association and the South Tyrolean provincial government to support artists during this period. There was emergency aid of 600 euros, which worked well. As proof of activity, a work of art, which was offered for sale, was put online on a separate platform. A second initiative was created by the state for freelancers and entrepreneurs. This help was dependent on the income of the same month in the last year. However, artists do not earn regularly. So if the income was bad in April 2019, it will affect the help in 2020. How do you see the next weeks and months? Now is a good time for me to take initiative, be active and initiate projects. I feel in a mood of optimism. www.petrapolli.com More portraits Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr 6.8.2025 Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr  The versatile and renowned violinist, project manager and lecturer Franziska Strohmayr grew up in Augsburg and came to Salzburg to study, where she still lives today after graduating from the Mozarteum University under Prof. Martin Mumelter and Prof. Wolfgang Gratzer and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko 8.4.2025 Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko  Mariia Tkachenko lived in Kyiv until March 2022, where she received singing and violin lessons as a child and has already appeared in several TV productions. Her acting studies at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television were interrupted by the war in Ukraine. Alumnae & Alumni Stories A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß 17.3.2025 A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß  Alumnus Rupert Pföß has been working as a music teacher at Musikum Salzburg since 1996 and has been head of the folk music and harmonica department since 2012. He is also an extended board member of the Salzburger Volksliedwerk. His busy seminar and jury activities at various music weeks and music competitions enrich his everyday life as a musician time and again.  Alumnae & Alumni Stories From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina 20.11.2024 From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina  The flutist and instrumental music teacher Sofiia Musina came to Salzburg to study at the Mozarteum University in April 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she studied at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine and obtained a Master's degree in ‘Master of Musical Art. Educational and Professional Programme: Musical Art’. She wrote her master's thesis on the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman 5.11.2024 Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman  Meral Guneyman is a versatile classical musician, with numerous releases, who is comfortable in both pop and jazz music, has transcribed many original works and is also an enthusiastic arranger and improviser. Her ability to move between classical and jazz with lightning speed and conviction is a rarity. In 2021, her arrangements of classic David Bowie songs were presented for the first time on ‘Steinway-Spirio’ - a high-resolution self-playing system of the highest quality. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel 29.9.2024 Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel  Judith Valerie Engel is an Austrian pianist, musicologist & feminist. After years of study in Salzburg, Helsinki and Vancouver, she is currently completing a PhD in Historical Musicology at Oxford University. She is a recipient of the Stone-Mallabar Doctoral Scholarship awarded by Oxford College Christ Church. She is also one of the ‘Public Scholars’ in the Public Scholars Initiative of the University of British Columbia. Both academically and artistically, her focus is on historical and contemporary women composers. Alumnae & Alumni Stories More news

News … Home News Ulli Gollesch Ulli Gollesch - visual artist & art educator 30.05.2020 Alumnae & Alumni Stories Iris Wagner © Privat Skip page navigation Overview Conversation More portraits Alumnae & Alumni Network Return to slider start "A collection of experiences and adventures" — Ulli Gollesch: visual artist & art educator, Austria How did you experience the Corona period as an artist? Artistically, not much has changed for me. I am in an intensive preparation phase for a solo exhibition that is planned for the fall. I feel the same as always, because the fact that I retreat to work is nothing new. Neither are the issues that come up because of the crisis. For example, I have often dealt with isolation in my art. Maybe because I am a melancholic person. So pure loneliness has not yet overtaken me, but neither has overcreativity. I work always and everywhere - even in public spaces or in my small print workshop. Mostly a bit unstructured and yes, I would say I don't feel the crisis at all from that point of view. Of course, my exhibitions could be canceled in September, but then the world won't collapse for me either. I am also an art teacher and therefore not so dependent. In homeschooling (visual education), great discussions arose with my students about contemporary art, about the understanding of art and the interpretation of works of art. A project with artists from the Forum Stadtpark could also be implemented online, including an online exhibition. From a pedagogical point of view, homeschooling was already a burden. I have a certain demand as an art teacher, the personal contact in the school was very missing and the compensation in nature or in the studio became all the more important for me. My own gallery, the "Kunst off-space Narrenkastl" continues as normal. It is a shop window and the concept is based on the fact that people can look at the art as they pass by or sit down for a moment around the clock. So that's not a problem, the distance can be maintained optimally, and I don't hold any vernissages. In addition, I am engaged in a meeting zone in my home community Frohnleiten. Since Easter, there are 2 advertising columns on which passers-by can leave artwork, news, sundries - this will be a temporary story until the end of May. The action is well received, a special Grätzel has emerged - a neighborhood creativity - and I hope that the project will continue to develop. Planned are game meetings from the end of June with table tennis or other joint actions. When and where will you show your work? Will there be a vernissage and an artist talk? From September 12 to October 24, 2020, I will be showing my work at the Galerie Marenzi in Leibnitz with the exhibition "Geschichten aus der Schublade" (Stories from the Drawer). The opening will take place on September 11 at 7 pm. With mask and spacing rules of course. The gallery has about 150 square meters, so it will not be too crowded. The exhibition opening will make Heidrun Primas (Forum Stadtpark). Text about the exhibition: "Doesn't everyone have that drawer full of old things from the past, a small fantastic archive of memories and quotes that can't simply be cleared out without diving into it and intensively connecting even the smallest or most bizarre object with images of thoughts?" A conglomerate of stories - an accumulation full of inspirati¬ons, found or explored, captured moments. Remnants brought to light again - an archaeology of one's own biography - staged and reflected. What is the importance of interacting with the audience for you? I am a passionate networker and love to interact with people. Here and there stories are also inspirations for me - I am a collector. Everyone carries stories, memories or experiences around with them - isn't it the most beautiful thing to reflect or philosophize about them together? Is there anything else you would like to share with us from an artist's point of view? I think it is important to always believe in yourself and your own projects and to stand behind them. To create is something so meaningful - to have an expression and turn it into something. Art and culture is an important essence of life. www.ulligollesch.com More portraits Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr 6.8.2025 Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr  The versatile and renowned violinist, project manager and lecturer Franziska Strohmayr grew up in Augsburg and came to Salzburg to study, where she still lives today after graduating from the Mozarteum University under Prof. Martin Mumelter and Prof. Wolfgang Gratzer and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko 8.4.2025 Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko  Mariia Tkachenko lived in Kyiv until March 2022, where she received singing and violin lessons as a child and has already appeared in several TV productions. Her acting studies at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television were interrupted by the war in Ukraine. Alumnae & Alumni Stories A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß 17.3.2025 A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß  Alumnus Rupert Pföß has been working as a music teacher at Musikum Salzburg since 1996 and has been head of the folk music and harmonica department since 2012. He is also an extended board member of the Salzburger Volksliedwerk. His busy seminar and jury activities at various music weeks and music competitions enrich his everyday life as a musician time and again.  Alumnae & Alumni Stories From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina 20.11.2024 From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina  The flutist and instrumental music teacher Sofiia Musina came to Salzburg to study at the Mozarteum University in April 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she studied at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine and obtained a Master's degree in ‘Master of Musical Art. Educational and Professional Programme: Musical Art’. She wrote her master's thesis on the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman 5.11.2024 Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman  Meral Guneyman is a versatile classical musician, with numerous releases, who is comfortable in both pop and jazz music, has transcribed many original works and is also an enthusiastic arranger and improviser. Her ability to move between classical and jazz with lightning speed and conviction is a rarity. In 2021, her arrangements of classic David Bowie songs were presented for the first time on ‘Steinway-Spirio’ - a high-resolution self-playing system of the highest quality. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel 29.9.2024 Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel  Judith Valerie Engel is an Austrian pianist, musicologist & feminist. After years of study in Salzburg, Helsinki and Vancouver, she is currently completing a PhD in Historical Musicology at Oxford University. She is a recipient of the Stone-Mallabar Doctoral Scholarship awarded by Oxford College Christ Church. She is also one of the ‘Public Scholars’ in the Public Scholars Initiative of the University of British Columbia. Both academically and artistically, her focus is on historical and contemporary women composers. Alumnae & Alumni Stories More news

News … Home News Julia Rinderle Julia Rinderle - pianist 08.06.2020 Alumnae & Alumni Stories Iris Wagner © Neda Navaee Skip page navigation Overview Conversation More portraits Alumnae & Alumni Network Return to slider start "Culture is systemic!" — Julia Rinderle: Pianist, Germany How did you experience the Corona period as an artist? It was difficult because all the bans came so quickly and suddenly and you couldn't adjust to them at all. You were suddenly in the situation that you were no longer allowed to perform, that it was difficult at first to continue teaching your students. I have a teaching position at the Hanover University of Music, and there the semester also started later. You had to switch to online teaching very quickly. But I thought that was actually a pretty good thing, because at least it went on a little bit and there wasn't a complete hole. I did quite a bit of online teaching, private students and also the students in Hannover. That carried me through a lot. There were deadlines, I worked, of course I earned money. For freelance artists, of course, a lot has broken away and that will probably continue for quite a while. You have to fight quite a bit and who knows when concerts can take place again in a relatively normal form, so that it is bearable for organizers and artists. The lack of goals and concrete projects has been difficult in recent weeks. One was so used to working and preparing from concert to concert, from project to project. I was totally in the rhythm and then all that wasn't there anymore. But it was also nice to have some real time to work intensively on a piece. I also exchanged ideas with chamber music partners via Skype, since we couldn't rehearse. We analyzed pieces and went through them together. That was definitely profitable. Things continued, albeit in a more difficult form. Are there already perspectives again?  Do you already know whether the planned concerts in the summer, for example your China tour, will take place? I have been in contact with the organizer in China, but he could not yet tell me exactly whether it can take place or not. I have received a very vague answer. In China everything is already running relatively normal again, but until a few weeks ago no concerts were allowed to take place and the complete classes at the universities were also running online. I don't know yet how fast this will change and I'm still a bit skeptical. Of course I hope that it will take place, but I also don't know yet whether I would be allowed to enter. It is also the case that students from Asia could not take advantage of the semester in Austria and Germany because they were not allowed to come here. Are there other small projects or does it need more lead time for artists and organizers? The lead time is probably needed by the organizers. I would love to play again next week….(laughs). I am in contact with the cultural office of my hometown. I was allowed to look behind the scenes a bit and was informed about what it would mean to organize an open-air concert, for example. I thought that could be a nice solution. But you also need a place that is suitable for a piano concert. The place must be able to be cordoned off, there must be enough people who controlled the hygiene and distance rules. That involves a lot of effort. Indoor concerts quickly shrink the audience and then it's a question of whether it's worth it for the organizer. However, I am planning to play a concert in my home country this summer. There is also a very nice platform, "CouponConcert", created by young German musicians. There, private individuals can book house concerts. The concept is "pay now, play later". So you get paid now and make dates for the end of 2020 or for 2021. I think that's quite a nice idea, because you get help now and you can redeem the coupon later. There are already some creative concepts and a house concert has already come about as a result, I think I can already play that in the summer. Everything else then from autumn, there are then again projects planned. Probably also in compliance with the hygiene and distance rules. But that means that it was very important for you to have a second, pedagogical "mainstay"? Absolutely. That became very clear to me now. I was so happy to be able to teach. I've always enjoyed doing it. I don't do it now because I think I have to, but because I really enjoy it. But of course I was very grateful for the teaching job and for other students I was able to attract. Teaching has carried me through this time. What was the most difficult part of this situation for you? For me personally, adjusting to the new daily rhythm and accepting that it just wasn't possible. In the beginning I thought you could do it this way or that way and then at some point you have to accept that it's not possible. Now there are the small glimmers of hope that you can perform with a reduced audience, which is very nice. It helped me to accept the situation then. But it took quite a long time. And I also found it very difficult to see that art had to justify itself to politics. That art is very much system-relevant (this unword), that one had to fight for it in such a way. And it also became clear that we artists perhaps lack a representation of interests. It's difficult because we are so many individuals and we have no one to stand up for us. And that, unfortunately, one was often unwise and concluded concerts without a contract and thus also had difficulties with the funding programs. That happened to many of my colleagues. It's also common to set concert dates and receive a fee, but not sign a contract. We can certainly learn from that. How did you deal with the aid programs in Germany? Of course, I kept myself informed and also had to realize that I was falling through the cracks. One of the emergency aid programs would only have covered operating costs, and what does a freelance artist have for operating costs? It's more about living expenses. It was also the case that it varied from state to state. Because of federalism, everything was very complicated. I checked with the state of Bavaria, and there is now a support program that doesn't just cover operating costs like the emergency aid, but also includes loss of fees and the like. You can apply for the program from May to September. I also know from colleagues that the help was very different. Sometimes it went very quickly and other times it took a very long time. How did you get on with the practice? Did you have to be considerate of neighbors? Thank God that here in my home I can theoretically practice day and night. Did Corona also bring out positive things? I realized that I appreciate small things much more now. I see how precious the freedom we had before was. I recently had another trio rehearsal and I so enjoyed the exchange with others and feeling the sound, it was so nice to make music with others again. Before, it was routine. The things that were taken for granted, one appreciates more now. I hope one can preserve that. Is there anything you wish for your work? That's a difficult question. Well, the interim solution with the small concerts and the hygiene rules is good for the moment, but it's not the same in the long run. I don't know how much concertgoers enjoy it. I recently saw a picture from the Musikverein with all the empty seats. That was quite strange. That's why I would like to see a vaccine or a drug so that the restrictions can be eased. Otherwise, I don't have any concrete ideas either. For me, streaming and all the online concerts are not an alternative. It's not comparable to a real cultural or concert experience. The alternatives, which were certainly good for bridging the gap, are not a solution in the long run. But this realization is also positive. People miss art and long for it. That's what I've always hoped. Is there anything else you would like to leave us with? On December 4, I may play the fourth Beethoven piano concert still in the Beethoven Year! In the Herkulessaal in Munich. I am particularly looking forward to this concert and very much hope that we will still be able to pay tribute to Beethoven in 2020. If it really takes place, I would like to invite everyone to it! On the way I would like to give everyone a lot of patience, understanding for each other, the different handling of the situation, everyone reacts differently, and that you still try to support each other. juliarinderle.com More portraits Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr 6.8.2025 Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr  The versatile and renowned violinist, project manager and lecturer Franziska Strohmayr grew up in Augsburg and came to Salzburg to study, where she still lives today after graduating from the Mozarteum University under Prof. Martin Mumelter and Prof. Wolfgang Gratzer and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko 8.4.2025 Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko  Mariia Tkachenko lived in Kyiv until March 2022, where she received singing and violin lessons as a child and has already appeared in several TV productions. Her acting studies at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television were interrupted by the war in Ukraine. Alumnae & Alumni Stories A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß 17.3.2025 A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß  Alumnus Rupert Pföß has been working as a music teacher at Musikum Salzburg since 1996 and has been head of the folk music and harmonica department since 2012. He is also an extended board member of the Salzburger Volksliedwerk. His busy seminar and jury activities at various music weeks and music competitions enrich his everyday life as a musician time and again.  Alumnae & Alumni Stories From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina 20.11.2024 From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina  The flutist and instrumental music teacher Sofiia Musina came to Salzburg to study at the Mozarteum University in April 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she studied at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine and obtained a Master's degree in ‘Master of Musical Art. Educational and Professional Programme: Musical Art’. She wrote her master's thesis on the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman 5.11.2024 Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman  Meral Guneyman is a versatile classical musician, with numerous releases, who is comfortable in both pop and jazz music, has transcribed many original works and is also an enthusiastic arranger and improviser. Her ability to move between classical and jazz with lightning speed and conviction is a rarity. In 2021, her arrangements of classic David Bowie songs were presented for the first time on ‘Steinway-Spirio’ - a high-resolution self-playing system of the highest quality. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel 29.9.2024 Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel  Judith Valerie Engel is an Austrian pianist, musicologist & feminist. After years of study in Salzburg, Helsinki and Vancouver, she is currently completing a PhD in Historical Musicology at Oxford University. She is a recipient of the Stone-Mallabar Doctoral Scholarship awarded by Oxford College Christ Church. She is also one of the ‘Public Scholars’ in the Public Scholars Initiative of the University of British Columbia. Both academically and artistically, her focus is on historical and contemporary women composers. Alumnae & Alumni Stories More news

News … Home News Anne-Suse Enßle Anne-Suse Enßle - recorder player 15.06.2020 Alumnae & Alumni Stories Iris Wagner © André Hinderlich Skip page navigation Overview Conversation More portraits Alumnae & Alumni Network Return to slider start "Cultural diversity as a tremendous achievement" — Anne-Suse Enßle: recorder player, Germany & Austria How did you experience the Corona period as an artist? I experienced the time very ambivalently. It was a shock at first, and perhaps I was naive at first. I never thought that cultural life would collapse so quickly. I played a project shortly before the restrictions came into effect and I never thought that it would be the last concert for a long time. It was in Innsbruck and it started in Tyrol. I was on the road with my baby and we thought of course we have to be careful and always wash our hands etc.. But I never thought that just one week later the borders would be closed and you can no longer teach. That caught me cold as ice. It was a shock. Then came the question, how do you go on in that situation? On the other hand, I also have to say that when you're thrown back on yourself with your instrument - you can't rehearse with chamber music either - that opens a lot of doors again. Then I knew again why I took up this as a profession and why I love it so much. Because I was once forced to deal with my instrument all by myself. Without all the hustle and bustle, without organizational activities and coordination. At work, it is often the case that you have to do a lot of things relatively quickly. That was suddenly no longer necessary. You could occupy yourself with a certain piece for a while or develop yourself here and there. I thought that was great. Although I already noticed that I really miss the interaction with other musicians. I do a lot of chamber music and I really miss the exchange. But it's also really nice to think about why I actually enjoy it so much. Why do I like to pick up a recorder every day? You couldn't imagine that before. But that was the positive thing about it. So the biggest problem was the lack of interaction? I was lucky enough to have taken up the position as a teacher in Innsbruck in January. I didn't have the existential worries, although I also lost many projects. But I was also lucky to have the other income. That made me privileged, of course. But still, I kept thinking: I just want to sit in a rehearsal again and just talk about music with other musicians or work on something together. I missed that terribly. So the second, pedagogical pillar was very valuable? Yes, absolutely. It's also a really great place in Innsbruck. There are IGP students and quite a few enthusiastic people in the preparatory course, who are also very hard-working. That was also very interesting for me to see. Due to the fact that I had just started and was in the process of familiarizing myself, it was of course also a bit of a balancing act when everything was cut off immediately. You've just gotten to know each other and placed the things that are important to you, and then suddenly that doesn't work anymore in personal contact. But my students were so great about it, committed and disciplined. It worked out wonderfully. It also got me through the time well, because I was in exchange with the students. On the one hand with video telephony, on the other hand we worked with recordings that they sent me. There are also things that don't have as much room in the normal classroom but absolutely belong in the artistic subject. That's background information, research, etc., and that's what we got into. There was one assignment per week that you could also work on in writing, and so we just worked ahead a little bit for the pieces that were coming up in the near future. Did you have to cancel concerts as well? Yes, of course. I'm at a point now where next year's concerts are being cancelled because the concerts from this year are being moved there. It's kind of the second wave of cancellations coming now. But there will be some concerts in the fall, if the situation stays like this. What makes me very happy is that we can do a summer course in Ossiach, that is fixed. That is a ray of hope. Do you already know how the concerts in Germany will continue? Yes, through my parents, who are church musicians with their own concert series. They are at a very large church with about 1000 seats. If they follow all the rules about 180 people can attend. I was in a concert just now on Saturday and it looked spooky. You just can't solve it any other way at the moment, I don't think. It's a very difficult balancing act. The specifications are different in Germany in every state as well. The most difficult circumstance is that the restrictions are not linked to a time limit. If someone tells me that it won't be possible for a year, then that's just the way it is and I can adjust to that, too, economically. But I find the situation that you don't even know what the time frame is, and that's exactly how it is for organizers, really totally difficult. In the ensembles in which I work a lot, we have of course tried to work out concepts and programs at a distance. There are things you can do in advance, but we've all noticed that it's not so easy to motivate people if you don't know when you'll be able to play the concerts. What conditions would you wish for, what do you need to be able to work normally again? My wish is that a lot is invested in the form of the concert to save it. I have a little concern in watching the streaming services. I can't really get comfortable with that. A concert is more than listening to music. It has atmosphere, it's tied to a specific time, and you can't listen to it over and over again. That makes it something very special. The art takes place in a given window of time and then it's gone. That's also what makes it so appealing. I wish that the concerts would remain in this variety as we have had them until now. We were in a wonderful situation in that we had not only a few large concert organizers, but many small cultural organizer initiatives. I see that as particularly important! That has had an incredible impact on our cultural life. Cultural diversity is an enormous achievement. That's how it should be again. Unfortunately, things are often only noticed when they no longer exist. The big houses are just as much a part of that as the small promoters and festivals, because they bring music to places where people might not have the opportunity to drive three hours to get to a big concert hall. So people have the opportunity to experience good and great music locally. www.blockfloetistin.com More portraits Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr 6.8.2025 Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr  The versatile and renowned violinist, project manager and lecturer Franziska Strohmayr grew up in Augsburg and came to Salzburg to study, where she still lives today after graduating from the Mozarteum University under Prof. Martin Mumelter and Prof. Wolfgang Gratzer and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko 8.4.2025 Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko  Mariia Tkachenko lived in Kyiv until March 2022, where she received singing and violin lessons as a child and has already appeared in several TV productions. Her acting studies at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television were interrupted by the war in Ukraine. Alumnae & Alumni Stories A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß 17.3.2025 A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß  Alumnus Rupert Pföß has been working as a music teacher at Musikum Salzburg since 1996 and has been head of the folk music and harmonica department since 2012. He is also an extended board member of the Salzburger Volksliedwerk. His busy seminar and jury activities at various music weeks and music competitions enrich his everyday life as a musician time and again.  Alumnae & Alumni Stories From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina 20.11.2024 From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina  The flutist and instrumental music teacher Sofiia Musina came to Salzburg to study at the Mozarteum University in April 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she studied at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine and obtained a Master's degree in ‘Master of Musical Art. Educational and Professional Programme: Musical Art’. She wrote her master's thesis on the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman 5.11.2024 Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman  Meral Guneyman is a versatile classical musician, with numerous releases, who is comfortable in both pop and jazz music, has transcribed many original works and is also an enthusiastic arranger and improviser. Her ability to move between classical and jazz with lightning speed and conviction is a rarity. In 2021, her arrangements of classic David Bowie songs were presented for the first time on ‘Steinway-Spirio’ - a high-resolution self-playing system of the highest quality. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel 29.9.2024 Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel  Judith Valerie Engel is an Austrian pianist, musicologist & feminist. After years of study in Salzburg, Helsinki and Vancouver, she is currently completing a PhD in Historical Musicology at Oxford University. She is a recipient of the Stone-Mallabar Doctoral Scholarship awarded by Oxford College Christ Church. She is also one of the ‘Public Scholars’ in the Public Scholars Initiative of the University of British Columbia. Both academically and artistically, her focus is on historical and contemporary women composers. Alumnae & Alumni Stories More news

News … Home News Christine Foidl Christine Foidl - Specialist for historical clarinets & instrumental teacher 23.06.2020 Alumnae & Alumni Stories Iris Wagner © C. Maylandt Skip page navigation Overview Conversation More portraits Alumnae & Alumni Network Return to slider start "Would make the career decision exactly the same again" — Christine Foidl: Specialist for historical clarinets & instrumental teacher, Austria & Germany How did you experience the Corona period as an artist? The year 2020 began very promisingly at first. A jubilee like this year's Beethoven Year means a lot of work in the field of "early music". Some time ago I was approached for a tour with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. This is a very renowned chamber orchestra in Australia and certain projects take place with historical wind instruments. I was there for the whole month of February. Of course, you kept hearing in the media about the novel Corona virus or being asked at the airport if you had been in China in the last two weeks. But otherwise everything was still normal. At the end of February, when the first cases appeared in Innsbruck, I was briefly at home and on March 1 I went on another short tour. This was a concert tour to Beirut (Lebanon) with the Camerata Salzburg. At the Salzburg airport we had to get in touch with the embassy because some musicians from Italy were there and they didn't want to let them on board. We were surprised at that time and they joked. When we came back, the seriousness of the situation at the airports became more noticeable, because you had to give precise information about where you had been, etc. I couldn't really accept it at the time. I couldn't really appreciate it at the time. On March 8, I came back and then it went blow by blow. I resumed teaching in Berchtesgaden for a week before everything was cancelled. The classes were held online and I went to my home in Tyrol and settled in. What were the biggest challenges? It was all very unrealistic, but basically I quickly got comfortable with slowing down a bit, doing things I'd wanted to do for a long time. But I made sure from the beginning that I kept a regular daily routine. I was able to devote myself again to personal practice on my various clarinet instruments and didn't have to prepare only for performances and lessons. For me, the time was actually quite relaxed. You just couldn't plan anything anymore. First I thought it would go on in April and then there was another cancellation in the mails. At some point, the rejections came for July and you realized that you can't expect anything for a long time. But I was lucky enough to take part in the hearing at the Tiroler Musikschulwerk and was successful. It wasn't quite clear when I would be allowed to take up the position, i.e. when the face-to-face lessons would start again, but I then began teaching full-time in mid-May. Initially with individual lessons and spacing rules, in the meantime group lessons are also allowed again. So it was also important for you to maintain both pillars: Instrumental pedagogy and concert activity? My first career wish after graduating from the Innsbruck Music High School was to become a music school teacher. In the course of time it turned out that I also like playing in an orchestra and prefer the epochs from baroque to romantic. The ensembles in the early music scene nowadays go all the way into the Romantic period - so there's plenty for clarinets to do. I would really miss it if I could no longer do that at all. But I am basically very happy to be a teacher at a music school. I really enjoy the work. Just recently, I was talking to another alumna who also works in the "early music" field. A funny coincidence… During the time of my IGP master studies at the Mozarteum, I became more and more immersed in this world. I studied historical clarinets with Dr. Ernst Schlader as an addition to my concert studies in Graz, and through this I found a new approach to interpretation and to music in general. Are there already any prospects for upcoming concerts? Until July everything was really cancelled, partly with replacement dates next year. The first thing that is fixed from today's point of view with a contract and booked train tickets is at the end of August in France. I would be very happy about that and I am confident. It's on a small scale, so it's chamber music. I have the impression we all want to play again, something has to happen. But, of course, there always remains a factor of uncertainty. I also understand every organizer who finds it too risky to hold concerts at the moment. Is there a positive aspect that you can take away from the Corona period? Yes, definitely. I was able to bring out a lot of things again and go back to the essential things that I had wanted to play again for a long time. The online teaching also worked better than expected. Some students had more time to work on the instrument and made more progress than I would have expected. Are there any wishes or suggestions on your part for special conditions that you need as an artist? I think we have little influence on the further development. We have no chance against a virus. I really don't know how everything should go on: we musicians depend on being allowed to travel freely. It should not be a disadvantage to come from Austria if, for example, there are particularly good early music ensembles in France. It is a dilemma. I am already worried about what will become of the students who are currently still studying and do not yet have a profession. In recent years, there has been repeated talk of an oversupply of classically trained musicians. Do you have any experience with assistance programs? No, because I have not made any applications at all. I had good income at the beginning of the year and because of the music school position I don't have to worry financially. At the moment, I have come to terms with the fact that I am now mainly teaching, and how it will go on, we will see. But one must not forget that the pedagogical as well as the artistic demands on a music school teacher are high and one has to play very well oneself. Of course, the majority of students are beginners, but there are also those who need very specific support at a very high artistic level, and that's nice. Is there anything else you would like to tell us? If I had to make a career decision again, I would make it the same way. There are students who do not want to go to music school at all, but it would be helpful to convey that a "Plan B" is important. For example, another degree, training in management, etc. It hurts me to see people frustrated working in a music school. The children get nothing out of it. One should perhaps draw up the professional profile more precisely while still studying. More portraits Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr 6.8.2025 Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr  The versatile and renowned violinist, project manager and lecturer Franziska Strohmayr grew up in Augsburg and came to Salzburg to study, where she still lives today after graduating from the Mozarteum University under Prof. Martin Mumelter and Prof. Wolfgang Gratzer and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko 8.4.2025 Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko  Mariia Tkachenko lived in Kyiv until March 2022, where she received singing and violin lessons as a child and has already appeared in several TV productions. Her acting studies at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television were interrupted by the war in Ukraine. Alumnae & Alumni Stories A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß 17.3.2025 A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß  Alumnus Rupert Pföß has been working as a music teacher at Musikum Salzburg since 1996 and has been head of the folk music and harmonica department since 2012. He is also an extended board member of the Salzburger Volksliedwerk. His busy seminar and jury activities at various music weeks and music competitions enrich his everyday life as a musician time and again.  Alumnae & Alumni Stories From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina 20.11.2024 From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina  The flutist and instrumental music teacher Sofiia Musina came to Salzburg to study at the Mozarteum University in April 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she studied at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine and obtained a Master's degree in ‘Master of Musical Art. Educational and Professional Programme: Musical Art’. She wrote her master's thesis on the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman 5.11.2024 Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman  Meral Guneyman is a versatile classical musician, with numerous releases, who is comfortable in both pop and jazz music, has transcribed many original works and is also an enthusiastic arranger and improviser. Her ability to move between classical and jazz with lightning speed and conviction is a rarity. In 2021, her arrangements of classic David Bowie songs were presented for the first time on ‘Steinway-Spirio’ - a high-resolution self-playing system of the highest quality. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel 29.9.2024 Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel  Judith Valerie Engel is an Austrian pianist, musicologist & feminist. After years of study in Salzburg, Helsinki and Vancouver, she is currently completing a PhD in Historical Musicology at Oxford University. She is a recipient of the Stone-Mallabar Doctoral Scholarship awarded by Oxford College Christ Church. She is also one of the ‘Public Scholars’ in the Public Scholars Initiative of the University of British Columbia. Both academically and artistically, her focus is on historical and contemporary women composers. Alumnae & Alumni Stories More news

News … Home News Edith Haller Edith Haller - Soprano 02.07.2020 Alumnae & Alumni Stories Iris Wagner © Privat Skip page navigation Overview Conversation More portraits Alumnae & Alumni Network Return to slider start "It's like an iceberg" — Edith Haller: Soprano, Salzburg How did you experience the Corona period as an artist? It's a huge slump and a catastrophic situation for all artists. It's true that a lot is offered on the Internet, i.e. virtual exhibitions of museums, or streaming services of opera houses, such as the Vienna State Opera. But for the artists who are used to being on stage, the situation is catastrophic. It's difficult for everyone when you're not allowed to sing because you're banned from performing, so to speak, for the safety of your own health, but of course also for that of the audience. But the worst affected are the freelance artists. I have a number of friends who work on a permanent basis and who are lucky enough to have a secure system in Germany's theaters. The houses are subsidized by the state and get their budget even if they don't play. This means that the artists receive their salaries even if they are not allowed to perform. Only a few soloists are affected by short-time work. But it is above all the choirs and orchestras, the backstage staff and all the workshops that are affected. They not only work a few hours before and during the performance, but also produce wigs, masks, costumes, stage sets and so on. They are all attached to us. When there are no performances, these employees are just as affected. Also the administration, the operations office, the hall service. You can't even imagine that. It's like an iceberg, where the tip of the iceberg is the artist who is on stage and everyone else is literally invisible. Many colleagues are not financially secure. It takes a long time to get to the point where you can make a living as a soloist in the profession. There is a large supply of well-trained singers and very little demand for vacancies. The positive side of corona time is that you can focus. I use the time to prepare myself. Of course, I have already been in this profession for twenty years. At the beginning of my career, I spent three years in a permanent engagement in St. Gallen in Switzerland and then four years at the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe. That's where my career in Wagner began, and since then I've been traveling internationally, singing all the Wagner heroines at the major houses. I only decided to go freelance because I had so many offers in addition to my main roles in the first subject in Karlsruhe that I could no longer reconcile it with a permanent engagement. Is it more advantageous as a singer at the beginning of a career to go to a fixed house and only later to work as a freelance artist in order to have more creative freedom? I think so. But it always depends on the individual type. Being in a fixed ensemble means real back-breaking work. You have to serve several roles at the same time. In some circumstances in different styles and languages. In my first engagement, I played 72 evenings in one year. Of these, five different opera productions, one operetta and one children's play, i.e. from small parts, so-called "wurzen", to medium to title roles. This means that for weeks you don't have a day off and sometimes you have to get up very early because, for example, you have to travel overland in a theater bus to perform a children's play at a school in the morning and you are responsible for make-up and costumes, as well as carrying the stage set. On the same evening, you perform grand opera in the theater. Those are the beginnings, you are not spared. It is also common that after an opera premiere on Saturday, on the following Monday the rehearsals for the next piece begin, that you rehearse one piece in the morning, but sing the performance of another in the evening. For me it was a very important time because I learned a lot. The university can only partially prepare you for professional life. It's like always: no matter which degree you graduate from, when you go into professional life, the world looks very different for the moment. It is only when you get to grips with the tools that you can more easily understand and implement what you have learned before. In a way, the university is already a microcosm. You came to St. Gallen directly from the university. How did this step work? Did you have to do a lot of auditions? Basically, you need the talent, the diligence, the quality, but also a lot of luck. In the curriculum vitae it looks so straightforward and simple, but that's not true. I already did some productions as a freelance singer during my studies. During my studies I was lucky enough to be allowed to audition for the Prague State Opera. I did that just to get some audition practice and then I was invited for a production. My opera diploma was in June and from August I was in Prague for rehearsals of Freischütz. I didn't have an agency at the time and had to negotiate everything myself. You also have to be able to take the pressure. I was very appealing as Agathe, and I was offered an engagement for a year. I was flattered, of course, and wanted to know what roles I would have to sing. They were Agathe in "Freischütz", First Lady and Pamina alternately in "Die Zauberflöte", Rosalinde in "Die Fledermaus", Donna Elvira in "Don Giovanni", Elisabetta in "Don Carlos" and Tosca as well as the Princess in Zemlinsky's "Es war einmal … ". It is important to know that the Princess in Zemlisnky's opera is a dramatic soprano in the German repertoire and Elisabetta and Tosca in the Italian repertoire. I already knew then that these roles were definitely too early for me. I told the Intendant that I would not be able to sing the eight roles in one year and suggested that I take on four roles, without the dramatic part. The director then said that I had the voice and could sing the languages. Either all eight or the offer would be over. With a heavy heart I declined. The risk to my voice was too great. Probably also with a certain youthful naiveté and the thinking "well, then just not, I don't care". So I was left on the street for the time being. I had no agency and no theater. Then I did my postgraduate studies at the Mozarteum and spent a year expanding my repertoire of songs with Wolfgang Holzmair. For which I was very grateful. Then I was fortunate that my younger sister Ulrike Haller graduated in piano in Vienna with a song program that we worked on together with our teachers Johannes Kutrowatz and Wolfgang Holzmair. In addition, I auditioned with agencies and theaters and finally found an Italian agency that got me a first engagement as Euridice in Gluck`s Orfeo and later as Alice Ford in Falstaff in productions in Italy. The fees enabled me to keep my head above water and, of course, to finance further auditions. I then had to hear again and again that I was indeed a youthful dramatic soprano with a beautiful voice, but still too young for the subject. Until, on one such occasion, my patience snapped and I asked an agent if I should wait until I was 35 and then say, hurray, here I am, and if he wouldn't then ask me what I had sung so far. It's a very hard road, but you can't get discouraged, you have to keep pushing yourself and believe in success. It takes a lot of passion for this vocation. After all, it's not just a profession. During the year between Prague and St. Gallen, I doubted so often and thought that the decision not to sing the eight roles in Prague was wrong. Today, of course, I can smile about it. But when you are not so lucky and you don't know how to pay the rent, it is already a problem. With singers there is no union like with orchestras and professional choirs, you don't get reimbursed for travel expenses at auditions. Of course, it depends on the orchestra or opera house you apply to. Singers usually have to pay the expenses for their applications out of their own pocket. What was the step from Mozart to Wagner like? It's only extraordinary in this day and age. We have a tendency today to pigeonhole things. Singers used to have to be able to do everything. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf sang Wagner, Strauss and Mozart. So did Brigitte Fassbaender, Christa Ludwig, Birgit Nilsson, Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballé.... i could go on forever. Only today, when we have such a wealth of singers and good training worldwide, you can almost choose the type to the voice/role. One day a blonde, the next a brunette…There is an overabundance of options for casting roles today that didn't exist 40 years ago. It is also healthy for a voice not to sing only Wagner, Italian subject or Mozart. Of course, there is always overlap in the subjects. Some voices are more flexible and like both lyrical and dramatic subjects, others have specialized, for example, in early music or contemporary composition. In the summer of 2005, I was engaged at the Salzburg Festival as the First Lady in the "Magic Flute" under the direction of Riccardo Muti. At the same time, however, I sang performances of the "Flying Dutchman" as Senta in Karlsruhe, and people on both sides were amazed at how it was possible that I was singing a fantastic Senta in Karlsruhe and Mozart at the Salzburg Festival. But it can be explained quite simply: For Mozart the voice has to be beautiful, for Wagner loud (laughs). The ideal prerequisite for Mozart is, of course, a clear, beautiful voice. Everyone in Europe has had something to do with Mozart. Because of our cultural influence, it's a listening habit, so to speak; we feel we already know the music. So if you have a beautiful voice, it stands out, because Mozart has to be sung cleanly, because we (know) the music. For Wagner, above all, you have to have a loud voice. The orchestra consists of 100 or more instruments in the pit and behind or on stage. So it is not so easy to get over such a sound body only with the voice without artificial amplification. That's why a strong voice and good technique are of course a prerequisite for surviving such a long evening. However, if the voice then sounds beautiful and effortless, the pleasure for the audience is perfect. The competition is probably particularly fierce at German theaters today, because there are still relatively large ensembles in contrast to other countries. Yes. There are only repertory houses in Germany. I don't know that about France and Italy. My sister Veronika Haller, who is nine years younger than I am, had only one tenth of the audition possibilities. A lot has changed there, and it has become insanely difficult to get a permanent job. You work with an agency today, don't you? Yes, exactly. I have an agency in Berlin that also does all the bureaucratic work for me. Without an agency, it's almost impossible today. In the past, it might have been possible through good networking, but basically opera houses today already turn to agencies. As a singer with international engagements, you have to do a lot of additional work personally anyway, away from the stage. You have to apply for visas, go to embassies in person, answer a lot of questions, organize accommodation, travel long distances and organize life in foreign places. The small moment when you actually stand on stage is often the most relaxing of an entire day. But despite everything, the job is incredibly beautiful. What was the path to the Metropolitan Opera in New York like for you? Were you approached through your agent? Yes, exactly. Before that, I sang in Bayreuth for five years straight. Four roles in three Ring operas: Freia - Rheingold, Sieglinde - Walküre, 3rd Norn and Gutrune - Götterdämmerung. Maestro Thielemann once said to me that as often as he looked at the stage, he always saw me (laughs). Later I sang Elsa in Lohengrin under Andris Nelsons. Of course, I'm grateful for the opportunities I got in Karlsruhe, because that's where I really grew into Wagner. From then on, the international engagements started. I sang leading roles in Munich, Berlin, Dresden, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Oslo, Zurich, Vienna, Tokyo, New Zealand and finally in New York. With Wagner, you also usually meet the same artists, there aren't so many. For example, I had a summer in which I sang Elsa in "Lohengrin" in Bayreuth and shortly thereafter in Munich at the State Opera, and it was exactly the same cast as in Bayreuth. What was irritating, however, was that it was a different production. Were you also out of town at the beginning of the Corona period? No, with me it was the other way around. I should have flown to Shanghai in February for a "Walküre" production to sing Brünnhilde. A concert performance in the Grand Concert Hall at the Oriental Art Center with television production. In January, I was already following the situation in Asia and thinking about how to deal with it. After all, I had signed contracts. I have never been in the predicament of having to cancel a production. I was less afraid of getting sick myself than of not being able to fly back home. AUA had already suspended flights, but the festival had not yet been canceled. I didn't know what to do. Above all, there are strict contract guidelines. The penalties can be very high. Shortly before the planned trip, the Shanghai event was then postponed to the next season. I don't know anything for sure yet, though, because there is now a re-breakout in China. The situation at the theaters worldwide is still very uncertain. I'm afraid that won't change until we have a medicine or a vaccine. We must also remember that our opera audience, with a certain average age, belongs to the absolute risk group. Are there certain conditions that you would like to see in order to be able to work "normally" again? At the moment, I don't see any possibility of being able to work normally. As in other areas, there is no way to make up for these losses. There are few professions that are benefiting from the crisis, that are experiencing an upswing. In the case of artists, I don't see any possibilities there. Many areas in the economy will not recover so easily and will not be able to stay afloat even with the hardship fund or other government support. This will also be the case for many small theaters, agencies and, of course, freelance singers. Institutions like the Vienna State Opera or the Salzburg Festival have fewer problems reopening. Even if the hall, which actually has 2500 seats, can only be filled with 500 visitors due to spacing rules. Only large, "rich" houses that also receive sufficient subsidies can afford that. But a normal theater, which has to prove a certain occupancy rate, cannot live from the admissions. Initiatives for sponsors and friends of the theater also fall away. You can't play an opera in the theater in repetition from morning to night to get the same audience load. To a certain extent, culture has to pay for itself, that is unfortunately the case. I would like to draw your attention to an initiative. There is a really great film project by Michael Volle and his wife Gabriela Scherer, who, by the way, also studied at the Mozarteum. The two of them have collected interviews of well-known opera singers via Facebook. You can find the result on YouTube under "#bringbacktheculture." Singers tell how they fared during the Corona period. There are huge differences in how Austria, Germany or Italy deal with this crisis in the cultural sector alone. It comes out well, for example, that artists have the feeling of being supplicants, of being forgotten. Culture has too little presence, and that in a country like Austria, where according to studies, culture generates more money through indirect profitability than agriculture, for example. Something is wrong here. Culture has no lobby, people don't think about the fact that, for example, tourists also come to Austria because of the cultural offerings, not just because of the beautiful landscape. The contribution of culture to the economy is seen far too little. It is perceived as elitist, a bottomless pit that has to be subsidized and eats up our tax money. Moreover, stage artists are doubly punished at the moment. On the one hand, because they can't practice the profession now, and on the other hand, because they are abandoned by the state, treated as paupers or even forgotten, that's the worst. You see culture when you want to adorn yourself with it. During the festival, for example, there were piles of invitations to presentations and openings in my artist dressing room. I couldn't possibly go everywhere; after all, you're here to work and you also need your recovery periods. Do you already have concrete prospects for upcoming projects, possibly in the fall? For me personally, everything is still up in the air. Everything has been postponed until the fall until the next season. I really don't know yet. That's also because I mainly perform internationally and depend on traveling. Fortunately, the Covid crisis didn't hit me at the beginning of my career. I don't know if I would have given up then. I do not forget the arduous and deprived beginnings. For example, I once lived for three days only on my mother's "Zelten" (note: South Tyrolean fruit bread), so that I could get the money together to pay the rent for my garconniere in Salzburg. Today, as an established singer, it doesn't hit me so hard. I don't have to think about how to pay the rent, I don't have existential fears, and so I use the time to prepare for the next roles in peace, even though the longing to go back on stage is great, of course. In the beginning there was the shock, then comes the time of lamenting but at some point you have to grab yourself by the scruff of the neck and make the best of the situation. However, I assume that a lot will change in the theater landscape. www.edithhaller.com More portraits Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr 6.8.2025 Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr  The versatile and renowned violinist, project manager and lecturer Franziska Strohmayr grew up in Augsburg and came to Salzburg to study, where she still lives today after graduating from the Mozarteum University under Prof. Martin Mumelter and Prof. Wolfgang Gratzer and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko 8.4.2025 Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko  Mariia Tkachenko lived in Kyiv until March 2022, where she received singing and violin lessons as a child and has already appeared in several TV productions. Her acting studies at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television were interrupted by the war in Ukraine. Alumnae & Alumni Stories A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß 17.3.2025 A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß  Alumnus Rupert Pföß has been working as a music teacher at Musikum Salzburg since 1996 and has been head of the folk music and harmonica department since 2012. He is also an extended board member of the Salzburger Volksliedwerk. His busy seminar and jury activities at various music weeks and music competitions enrich his everyday life as a musician time and again.  Alumnae & Alumni Stories From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina 20.11.2024 From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina  The flutist and instrumental music teacher Sofiia Musina came to Salzburg to study at the Mozarteum University in April 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she studied at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine and obtained a Master's degree in ‘Master of Musical Art. Educational and Professional Programme: Musical Art’. She wrote her master's thesis on the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman 5.11.2024 Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman  Meral Guneyman is a versatile classical musician, with numerous releases, who is comfortable in both pop and jazz music, has transcribed many original works and is also an enthusiastic arranger and improviser. Her ability to move between classical and jazz with lightning speed and conviction is a rarity. In 2021, her arrangements of classic David Bowie songs were presented for the first time on ‘Steinway-Spirio’ - a high-resolution self-playing system of the highest quality. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel 29.9.2024 Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel  Judith Valerie Engel is an Austrian pianist, musicologist & feminist. After years of study in Salzburg, Helsinki and Vancouver, she is currently completing a PhD in Historical Musicology at Oxford University. She is a recipient of the Stone-Mallabar Doctoral Scholarship awarded by Oxford College Christ Church. She is also one of the ‘Public Scholars’ in the Public Scholars Initiative of the University of British Columbia. Both academically and artistically, her focus is on historical and contemporary women composers. Alumnae & Alumni Stories More news

News … Home News Fedor Rudin Fedor Rudin - violinist 03.07.2020 Alumnae & Alumni Stories Iris Wagner © Neda Navaee Skip page navigation Overview Conversation More portraits Alumnae & Alumni Network Return to slider start "It's all about atmosphere and emotion!" — Fedor Rudin: Violinist, France & Russia How did you experience the Corona period as concertmaster of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic on the one hand and as a soloist and chamber musician on the other? For me, I used this time very productively, learned and worked a lot. The conducting studies at the MDW in Vienna continued, albeit online. The studies are very intensive and there is always too little time anyway. The rhythm of our time is alarming. Musically, this excessive number of online videos was quite bad. There have also been cases of open appeals and complaints from some musicians who make big sales a year, which is disrespectful to those who are doing really badly. This has already been a negative impact, apart from the financial aspect, which has affected everyone who is self-employed. We are, of course, in a privileged country and what is happening right now in America with orchestras and concert halls will probably not happen here. Before the Vienna State Opera closes, many others will close. Although many things have been postponed and canceled. We will see how it goes on in Salzburg and how it will be with the tickets sold. You are also active in chamber music. Were there many cancellations? Thank God most of it was postponed and not canceled. The cancellations are more due to scheduling problems that come about now because of the postponements. Is there any specific framework that you need now? Is there an appeal you would like to give us? As mentioned at the beginning, you really have to be careful with the free videos and streaming. The audience doesn't necessarily respond to it the right way. A lot of them think it's great, but they just stick with that first impression and forget what the current, bitter reality of the art scene is. The musicians are at home doing house concerts or livestreams now anyway, so why even donate to it or risk going back to the concert hall later? It is of course impressive what is possible with technology and online. As a stopgap measure it works, but I would hope that the audience will not adapt to it in the long run. It's all about atmosphere and emotion in a concert, and you can't reproduce that even with the best technical capabilities. Young artists are now finding it particularly difficult to gain a foothold in the professional world. Do you have any tips for young artists on how to proceed so that a planned career as an artist becomes reality? It has to be clear to everyone what he or she is aiming for and within a realistic framework. It's probably important that this happens as early as possible. There are a lot of very good young people. Sometimes very good older musicians are overtaken by younger ones who are just clearer in their planning. For me, being a concertmaster has been a good fit. I enjoy playing in the orchestra, chamber music and also solo. I enjoy working with other musicians. Some responsibility is nice, though; I'm comfortable with it. But of course these auditions are like playing the lottery. Once it works out, but you never know beforehand. You also need luck. The competition is enormous these days. Especially now in the Corona era, you can see how hard it can be if you don't have a permanent job. I always knew that just being self-employed was not for me. I also want time and security for my family. The independence you imagine as a great soloist isn't always there. I have trained solo, but I always knew that I wanted security. Everyone has to come to that on their own. The university teaches us the basics. But it doesn't teach us what real life is like. You have to figure out for yourself how to build your life and what is realistic and what is not. There are also unspoken deadlines for both competitions and auditions. In my case, it wasn't entirely clear where I was going for a long time either. I went from Salzburg to Vienna to study conducting, but not to become a conductor, but as an artistic complement for me. The subjects are completely different, there are many things you don't learn in instrumental studies. My current position stems from both: the earlier instrumental solo studies and the process of studying conducting. You have to figure out early enough what is realistic and set goals and follow them. Is there anything else you would like to leave us with? It would be nice if politics would also think about art. It's actually unbelievable: We play in an empty Musikverein with 100 people sitting at a great distance from each other. But there are planes flying, with people sitting next to each other in seats from A to F. I think everyone is happy. I think everyone is happy that things are moving, but it's a pity that there is still far too little attention paid to culture and clear guidelines are not always made. However, we are still very privileged compared to other countries, like America or the UK. Would more open-air concerts be a possibility? Definitely, if it is safer from a health point of view! The summer night concert in September is planned. We will see. The orchestra is also tested regularly for Covid-19 at the beginning of each project. This, of course, gives some security because we can't keep the minimum distance. It is very good that this is possible. Let's hope that all this will not take too long. Then we look forward to seeing you and the Vienna Philharmonic in the two operas "Cosi fan tutte" and "Elektra" and the concerts with Andris Nelsons at the Salzburg Festival in 2020! I am delighted, because I always enjoy being in Salzburg and have very fond memories of my student days. fedorrudin.com More portraits Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr 6.8.2025 Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr  The versatile and renowned violinist, project manager and lecturer Franziska Strohmayr grew up in Augsburg and came to Salzburg to study, where she still lives today after graduating from the Mozarteum University under Prof. Martin Mumelter and Prof. Wolfgang Gratzer and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko 8.4.2025 Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko  Mariia Tkachenko lived in Kyiv until March 2022, where she received singing and violin lessons as a child and has already appeared in several TV productions. Her acting studies at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television were interrupted by the war in Ukraine. Alumnae & Alumni Stories A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß 17.3.2025 A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß  Alumnus Rupert Pföß has been working as a music teacher at Musikum Salzburg since 1996 and has been head of the folk music and harmonica department since 2012. He is also an extended board member of the Salzburger Volksliedwerk. His busy seminar and jury activities at various music weeks and music competitions enrich his everyday life as a musician time and again.  Alumnae & Alumni Stories From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina 20.11.2024 From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina  The flutist and instrumental music teacher Sofiia Musina came to Salzburg to study at the Mozarteum University in April 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she studied at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine and obtained a Master's degree in ‘Master of Musical Art. Educational and Professional Programme: Musical Art’. She wrote her master's thesis on the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman 5.11.2024 Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman  Meral Guneyman is a versatile classical musician, with numerous releases, who is comfortable in both pop and jazz music, has transcribed many original works and is also an enthusiastic arranger and improviser. Her ability to move between classical and jazz with lightning speed and conviction is a rarity. In 2021, her arrangements of classic David Bowie songs were presented for the first time on ‘Steinway-Spirio’ - a high-resolution self-playing system of the highest quality. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel 29.9.2024 Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel  Judith Valerie Engel is an Austrian pianist, musicologist & feminist. After years of study in Salzburg, Helsinki and Vancouver, she is currently completing a PhD in Historical Musicology at Oxford University. She is a recipient of the Stone-Mallabar Doctoral Scholarship awarded by Oxford College Christ Church. She is also one of the ‘Public Scholars’ in the Public Scholars Initiative of the University of British Columbia. Both academically and artistically, her focus is on historical and contemporary women composers. Alumnae & Alumni Stories More news

News … Home News Anna Stierle Anna Stierle - singer & art mediator 01.08.2020 Alumnae & Alumni Stories Iris Wagner © Privat Skip page navigation Overview Conversation More portraits Alumnae & Alumni Network Return to slider start "Musicians need a stage" — Anna Stierle: Concepts Lichtgrau, singer & art mediator, Salzburg How did you experience the Corona period as an artist? It all came so suddenly and to see that many of my fellow singers, with whom I had sung regularly before, were suddenly faced with nothing, I found shocking. Even before the shutdown, the situation in the industry for freelance singers was extremely difficult. The number of very talented young musicians in Salzburg is enormous thanks to the Mozarteum University and the Salzburg Festival. In addition, there are those who come here from all over the world, because this city has an incredible attraction for artists of all kinds. This puts enormous pressure on wages, and there is no insurance for normal freelancers, or the rates would be much too high anyway. On the other hand, we benefit from a very diverse cultural program. With the mini fairy tale opera, we were forced to cancel all performances. Several performances of "Hansel and Gretel" after E. Humperdinck were planned. It was all the more painful when we learned that we would have played to a sold-out hall in Vienna. Our new production of "The Three Roses" was a commissioned work that I had given to Milan Stojkovic, our pianist, and Julia Ortmann-Radau, the librettist. The money was suddenly gone, because there is no funding without proof of performance, and all the hard work that had gone before was suddenly in ruins. But much worse was the long wait and not knowing when I could start planning events again. Everyone I spoke to was helpless and at a loss. We used this time very intensively to work on the content. An enormous potential of creative ideas emerged and this also gave us the idea of acquiring the Heckentheater in the Mirabellgarten as a venue. I have to say that my incredibly great colleagues also encouraged me a lot during this time to continue working and to find solutions. They were willing to take the risk, earn hardly anything and work a lot. That made us grow together as a team! What conditions do you need as an artist to be able to work "normally" again? More courage in the audience to attend events. A realistic view. Many events are currently with free admission. People also need to think, where is the money coming from for this production? Who is paying for it and what are the artists getting? Would I go to this event if I had to pay admission? What does a production cost anyway? There are people who believe that you can earn millions with entrance fees… We are spoiled in Salzburg when it comes to cultural offerings. The whole city profits from the image of the city of Mozart. But many people forget that it is actually classical music that (before Corona) attracts thousands of visitors here every day. Choirs from all over the world come just to be serenaded on Cathedral Square, and young people pay a lot of money for classical music master classes and workshops and private lessons. Salzburg is the classical music hotspot in the heart of Europe. This is felt by trade and tourism. That's why, for example, the Old Town Association organizes several free concerts for locals and tourists. In addition to the local tax, I could imagine something like an additional tax for tourists as a cultural levy. The money should be used to increase the fees for musicians and a uniform tariff table should be established. Founding a trade union for freelance musicians working in Salzburg would possibly be an additional sensible measure. Long before Corona, I have been in favor of a minimum income or additional tax relief for freelance musicians. Of course, coupled with strict requirements and conditions! I also experience the phenomenon that I am supposed to plan the musical framework for events and explicitly acquire young "cheap" Mozarteum students. I then point out to people that I have standard rates. Unfortunately, others in the industry do not, and many Mozarteum students rely on a sideline and undercut the market rate. As a rule, they do not pay social security contributions as students. This is incredibly troublesome for the honest self-employed in the industry and ultimately hurts everyone. Are there already new perspectives and new projects that you can carry out? Yes, definitely. I've been feverishly looking for opportunities for the mini fairy tale opera. In the end, I was also helped by the incredibly motivating and nice conversations with municipal officials and cultural organizers. Everyone thought the project was great and that motivated me to keep at it and solve problems. Some doors have closed but many new doors have opened. Is there anything else you would like to share with us from an artist's point of view? Musicians need a stage. Right now, artists are almost desperate for opportunities to perform. Many go out on the street or sing out of the window. You have to love practicing with your instrument or voice and consider it a privilege to be paid for it or to perform in front of a full house. Humility, discipline, patience and respect are probably the most important virtues that you need in your toolbox as a musician right now. www.kuenstlerkanzlei.com More portraits Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr 6.8.2025 Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr  The versatile and renowned violinist, project manager and lecturer Franziska Strohmayr grew up in Augsburg and came to Salzburg to study, where she still lives today after graduating from the Mozarteum University under Prof. Martin Mumelter and Prof. Wolfgang Gratzer and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko 8.4.2025 Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko  Mariia Tkachenko lived in Kyiv until March 2022, where she received singing and violin lessons as a child and has already appeared in several TV productions. Her acting studies at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television were interrupted by the war in Ukraine. Alumnae & Alumni Stories A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß 17.3.2025 A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß  Alumnus Rupert Pföß has been working as a music teacher at Musikum Salzburg since 1996 and has been head of the folk music and harmonica department since 2012. He is also an extended board member of the Salzburger Volksliedwerk. His busy seminar and jury activities at various music weeks and music competitions enrich his everyday life as a musician time and again.  Alumnae & Alumni Stories From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina 20.11.2024 From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina  The flutist and instrumental music teacher Sofiia Musina came to Salzburg to study at the Mozarteum University in April 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she studied at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine and obtained a Master's degree in ‘Master of Musical Art. Educational and Professional Programme: Musical Art’. She wrote her master's thesis on the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman 5.11.2024 Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman  Meral Guneyman is a versatile classical musician, with numerous releases, who is comfortable in both pop and jazz music, has transcribed many original works and is also an enthusiastic arranger and improviser. Her ability to move between classical and jazz with lightning speed and conviction is a rarity. In 2021, her arrangements of classic David Bowie songs were presented for the first time on ‘Steinway-Spirio’ - a high-resolution self-playing system of the highest quality. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel 29.9.2024 Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel  Judith Valerie Engel is an Austrian pianist, musicologist & feminist. After years of study in Salzburg, Helsinki and Vancouver, she is currently completing a PhD in Historical Musicology at Oxford University. She is a recipient of the Stone-Mallabar Doctoral Scholarship awarded by Oxford College Christ Church. She is also one of the ‘Public Scholars’ in the Public Scholars Initiative of the University of British Columbia. Both academically and artistically, her focus is on historical and contemporary women composers. Alumnae & Alumni Stories More news

News … Home News Memories of my time at the Mozarteum University Memories of my time at the Mozarteum 10.10.2020 Alumnae & Alumni Stories © Christian Schneider " It was great to be able to study at the "Mozarteum", whether "academy" or "college" or "university" was secondary. In my perception, this is still the case today ." - Josef Grain, study period 1968 - 1975 " The study year at the Mozarteum in 1970/71 with the change from academy to university, for which I lack any proof, shaped my further development in any case with its diverse offer. The world that opened up to me in addition to regular classes was later to find a continuation with studies in China and Sinology/Musicology, for which the course was probably set at that time." - Reingard Grübl-Steinbauer, Project Management / Management EditionSteinbauer GmbH "One incident remained wonderfully in my memory: I was still in a "pre-enrollment year" and was accepted into Prof. Heinz Walter's class in piano. One day Prof. Walter invited us to his apartment for a special event: he had a long-playing record of the "St. Luke Passion" by Kryztof Penderecky and an original score to it!!! We were able to follow along and read along with the music! Graphic notation, whispering, shouting, clusters.... It was wonderful, amazing, fantastic, profound! And this in a time of the "Iron Curtain"! I was so fascinated by this work that later I always presented it in excerpts at school. Years later I could experience this Lukaspassion live in the Felsenreitschule at the festival opening! It was of course a highlight! All in all, the time at the Mozarteum was a very wonderful one - very personally shaped with excellent professors: Prof. Doppelbauer, Prof. Bresgen, Prof. Dawidowicz, Prof. Leitner to name but a few." - Ilse Hartl, music teacher " There were always students who were much better than me - before me, Clemens Hagen had cello lessons for a year and in my singing class Barbara Bonney sang as I would have dreamed. Comparing made me small, the Mozarteum can't help that! I learned a lot and absorbed a lot of inspiration, I was well equipped and prepared for my chosen path of musical mediator ." - Renate Burtscher, Ö1 presenter It was not easy for a Colombian oboist to make the leap to Europe, but the time at the Mozarteum Salzburg was the greatest gift. Not everyone has the privilege to study with great personalities like Arthur Jensen or Lothar Koch. The performance practice seminars with the unforgettable Nikolaus Harnoncourt left deep impressions on all of us and shaped us musically. Living in Frohnburg Castle was also a life experience "like something out of a movie". Salzburg, the mountains, the friends, the Camerata....all that remains deep in my heart. And another thing: for 16 years I have been working at the Escuela Reina Sofía in Madrid, with my colleague the composer Fabián Panisello, whom I met at the MOZ in the 90s !" - Juan Mendoza " The study of vocal music, instrumental music and music pedagogy at the Mozarteum Salzburg in the 1970s was essentially determined for me by two factors: on the one hand, I dealt with the genius of W.A. Mozart in a very intense and lasting way (because I was so happy to be able to study here), on the other hand, I was able to experience essential insights into music in general: through the excellent prof essors. They have created and fostered in me a continuing interest in all aspects of music. I owe you a happy life as a music educator. " - Claudia Löscher " The Mozarteum has always made me feel welcome during my PhD studies - whether I was traveling to Salzburg for classes or for organizational matters. I found the university to be very service-oriented and friendly, and still like to drop by when I happen to be in Salzburg. Thank you for the wonderful time! " - Sabine Töfferl

News … Home News Delta Piano Trio Delta Piano Trio 01.12.2020 Alumnae & Alumni Stories Iris Wagner © Max Bosse Since conductor and violinist Anton Kersjes established the Kersjes Foundation in 1994 to support Dutch musical life, this prize has become the largest chamber music prize in the Netherlands. With the prize money of 50,000 euros, the ensemble can record new CDs and videos, build new projects and much more over the next three years. Delta Piano Trio Netherlands   Congratulations on the Kersjesprijs 2020! What does this prize mean to you? The prize came at the perfect time, of course. We didn't earn that much this year through "Corona" and now we can use the 50,000 euros for different projects within three years. They are not fees that we can pay off, but we are planning, for example, a CD recording, maybe videos and new photos. It's a way to relax a bit and realise things that we wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. The financial pressure is gone and at the moment we have more time. CD productions are relatively cost-intensive, aren't they? Yes! It's probably not so well known that even famous musicians have to pay for CD productions. You don't earn much with CD sales, also because of the increasing streaming. It's more promotion than income. Of course it's nice to do something like that and you learn an incredible amount through the process. With our last CD, which we did with ODRA, an American label, we were able to edit everything ourselves with the sound engineer. We recorded for five days and then we were in the studio for another three or four days and worked on the tracks together with the sound engineer. That was great. How have you been in the last few months, which have been particularly difficult for culture? The next performances are planned for January, right? We had some gigs in the summer, it was better then. Now some things have been cancelled at short notice, which is of course difficult. You always have to be prepared and then it doesn't work. In the Netherlands it's a bit more relaxed, up to thirty people are still allowed to go to the concert there. It works well with chamber music, but a symphony orchestra has problems. The January concerts are planned, but of course we're waiting to see what happens next. A lot is still unclear. Concerts in Switzerland are planned for the end of February, but we'll see how that works with the ski season, which is just about to start again. We are definitely prepared and looking forward to it. However, we are realistic and know that this can also be postponed or cancelled again. The livestreams have been exciting, so it's not just a snapshot when it's online forever. A lot of new things develop and you also learn a lot from it. On the other hand, you need time for big projects and we are using that now. We have now received the financial help with the prize and CD recordings can now be made well. What was the path like from the founding of the ensemble to the Kersjes Prize? We founded the trio in Salzburg while studying at the Mozarteum University. Vera Kooper and I had been there for a while and then Gerard Spronk joined. I think in his second week we started rehearsing in the Frohnburg, that was a very intense time. Now, seven years later, we live in different cities but it works well. Wolfgang Redik helped us a lot in the beginning, we were also in Moscow for an exchange programme. By chance, we had rehearsed exactly the right programme for a competition at the right time, which we then won. That was the first common goal. We then took part in even more competitions, because we didn't have so many concerts to show for it, and we won several of them. This in turn led to new concerts. We were really lucky. The competitions helped enormously. On the one hand, because you won concerts, on the other hand, because you were played on the radio and then received another invitation. I then moved to Paris, Gerard went to Zurich after graduating and we spent one or two years in different countries. But we found each other again in Basel and studied chamber music once more. Among others, with Rainer Schmidt, whom we already knew from the Mozarteum, and Anton Kernjak. That was the perfect combination for us. We did many tours, for example in Asia and the USA, and really tried to play as much as possible, even during our studies. Today we have an agency in the Netherlands, which is of course very helpful. How did you get the gigs? We actively wrote to many concert promoters, and some things just happened. But it is a lot of office work. We tried to plan and combine concerts well, after a concert in China we played in South Korea. It's also nicer for us to have a few concerts in a row instead of travelling somewhere for just one gig. During a concert tour, a development takes place and it's just nice to be together longer and play together more often. One often develops out of the other. We were also lucky, of course. It's also important to talk to colleagues about how to get concerts. You don't learn that at university. I am the youngest of the trio and was lucky that Vera already knew her way around. You also have to learn from others and be active. You can't wait and see. We also try to pass this on to younger colleagues. Winning prizes, a good CV, good photos and recordings help enormously. We were also on TV once and subsequently had a professional recording on Youtube, which was also very helpful. There are always tours that don't go so smoothly. In China we once had the situation that the concerts of the first week were cancelled at short notice. There was no contact person and we were stuck in a hotel a few kilometres from Shanghai. I was really happy that there were three of us. We also complement each other's skills very well. The path is not easy but very beautiful! More (Opens in new tab) Weitere Porträts Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr 6.8.2025 Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr  The versatile and renowned violinist, project manager and lecturer Franziska Strohmayr grew up in Augsburg and came to Salzburg to study, where she still lives today after graduating from the Mozarteum University under Prof. Martin Mumelter and Prof. Wolfgang Gratzer and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko 8.4.2025 Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko  Mariia Tkachenko lived in Kyiv until March 2022, where she received singing and violin lessons as a child and has already appeared in several TV productions. Her acting studies at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television were interrupted by the war in Ukraine. Alumnae & Alumni Stories A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß 17.3.2025 A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß  Alumnus Rupert Pföß has been working as a music teacher at Musikum Salzburg since 1996 and has been head of the folk music and harmonica department since 2012. He is also an extended board member of the Salzburger Volksliedwerk. His busy seminar and jury activities at various music weeks and music competitions enrich his everyday life as a musician time and again.  Alumnae & Alumni Stories From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina 20.11.2024 From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina  The flutist and instrumental music teacher Sofiia Musina came to Salzburg to study at the Mozarteum University in April 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she studied at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine and obtained a Master's degree in ‘Master of Musical Art. Educational and Professional Programme: Musical Art’. She wrote her master's thesis on the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman 5.11.2024 Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman  Meral Guneyman is a versatile classical musician, with numerous releases, who is comfortable in both pop and jazz music, has transcribed many original works and is also an enthusiastic arranger and improviser. Her ability to move between classical and jazz with lightning speed and conviction is a rarity. In 2021, her arrangements of classic David Bowie songs were presented for the first time on ‘Steinway-Spirio’ - a high-resolution self-playing system of the highest quality. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel 29.9.2024 Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel  Judith Valerie Engel is an Austrian pianist, musicologist & feminist. After years of study in Salzburg, Helsinki and Vancouver, she is currently completing a PhD in Historical Musicology at Oxford University. She is a recipient of the Stone-Mallabar Doctoral Scholarship awarded by Oxford College Christ Church. She is also one of the ‘Public Scholars’ in the Public Scholars Initiative of the University of British Columbia. Both academically and artistically, her focus is on historical and contemporary women composers. Alumnae & Alumni Stories More news

News … Home News Birgit Marianne Ecker Birgit Marianne Ecker - singer & singing teacher 01.01.2021 Alumnae & Alumni Stories © Privat Skip page navigation Overview Conversation More portraits Alumnae & Alumni Network Return to slider start Online voice coaching: new digital ways of vocal training Birgit Marianne Ecker: singer & Vocal Pedagogue Austria     What is the professional life of a singer and voice teacher like and what has changed in the last year? Before Corona, I taught singing and group voice training at a music school. My two sons were still in kindergarten and I was active as a singer myself, in concert and in church music. That, of course, lies fallow at the moment. When I remember last March, where we gave a big concert at the beginning of the month and suddenly it was said, from now on only 100 concert visitors, it seems like from another world today! I then started teaching online for the first time. We were "thrown in at the deep end", so to speak. I didn't yet know how it would work, whether the "spark" would also jump online. I am a very empathetic person, which is a great advantage when teaching, because I can adapt well to my students and pupils. Blockages, fears or technical difficulties can be quickly identified and resolved through a combination of vocal knowledge, intuition and musicality. It actually worked online as well. Possibly in part because I was working with young adults. With children, it can be more difficult to hold attention. The feedback from my students* has also been very positive as it has worked really well. What age group do you teach at music schools? Mostly from high school to adults of all ages. You started the "Online Coaching Project: fulfilled and successful as female, sensitive, classical singer" out of this situation, right? Yes, the process is still ongoing. I first sought help and took an online course to learn how to do something like this professionally. I opened a Facebook group and have already gained my first "clients" for singing lessons or for the mentoring program. I am now focusing on very sensitive classical female singers in the international field. This means that a digitalization process has taken place in vocal pedagogy, which was not planned in this way, but has developed as a result of the situation. You learn as a teacher yourself and at the same time create a new offering, right? Yes, I also found it very nice that new paths have opened up that I could not have imagined a year ago. I've also learned a lot in this digitization process. I also really enjoy the international work that I experienced myself as a student in master classes. I now also have international students from Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Johannesburg, … and that without traveling and with two small children, one of whom is already school-age and with whom I now have to study at home! Who are the target groups in your "online coaching project"? What are the age groups here? For example, there are women who in some cases already have singing training but had to interrupt it, young women who are about to finish their singing studies or want to take the entrance exams, women with high sensitivity, students with special problems, but also older women who like to sing. Many want to get back in shape now, or stay, for the time after Corona. Some used the coaching to professionalize their German singing repertoire. Women with high sensitivity can learn to use this characteristic for themselves as a strength on stage. The range is wide. I have acquired the methods myself to improve stage presence. Professionally, I am at home in the German art song and its interpretation possibilities, the German opera repertoire, the German operetta and in church music. The coaching, in German or English, can be a preparation for an entrance exam, support a concert or audition or help singers who have often been affected by certain vocal or mental problems for years or who finally want to overcome simple stage fright. The issue of balancing family and career as an artist can also be a topic. Currently, no master classes can be attended in Europe due to Corona. This is a common reason for online continuing education. The dream of studying voice in Europe is very difficult to achieve right now.  How can you think of vocal online classes or "voice coaching"? You offer mentoring, master classes and coaching for singers… It starts with an initial conversation or a short, free "Voice Potential Analysis" to determine if working together is a good fit. After that I offer different packages. These range from short-term optimization of a performance planned in a few weeks, to regular coaching over several months and comprehensive, in-depth lessons, to master classes in which, for example, five female students are coached in a group. In this way, you can also get a taste of the topics, learn from colleagues, and it is less expensive than individual lessons or one-on-one voice coaching. The special thing is that the students are not only coached once a week, but also receive support and feedback during the week so that they can really develop their full vocal potential. Just recently, I was insanely happy with one of my students because she passed the entrance exam for the Pre-College at the Mozarteum University. And this despite the fact that we have only been able to work online since March. This brings us full circle. You, as a Mozarteum graduate, prepare young up-and-coming singers for admission to the Mozarteum University. That is a very nice cycle! For myself, it was a dream to get into the university and to be allowed to do vocal training. The inner urge to sing was there from a very early age. I couldn't help it. I started with school music at the university and later studied instrumental and vocal pedagogy. It wasn't always easy and I also had to grow. In the course of my education, I realized that I can relate very well to others, both to the audience and to music partners. I can take others with me and successfully pass on my knowledge. Thus, I have gradually come to know my strengths and have learned that it makes me very happy to successfully convey musical competence and to help voices and personalities achieve greatness. Are there any special tips and tricks from your experience that you can pass on to young artists? Well, if you have the inner desire, or even urge, to work as an artist*, you can't be discouraged. These times, in which art is so severely restricted, are of course not particularly encouraging. But as I have also experienced, new paths often open up that one could not have imagined before. Success is not just a performance at "La Scala" in Milan. Everyone has to find their own way and follow what they like to do and enjoy doing! Often one gets to hear that one's voice is too small, that one has too little "elbow technique" to survive in this tough business. One should also not take it to heart if one does not pass entrance exams or auditions. This is not a personal weakness. You just can't give up. I know a successful actress who took the entrance exam eight times. There are numerous similar examples. I don't mean that you should put on blinders and not take advice from others at all, but you shouldn't get discouraged if you don't succeed right away. You need perseverance and you can turn supposed weaknesses into strengths. Was there anything missing from your education that you consider important today? When I was a student, courses on artistic self-promotion were just beginning. What I still acquired myself, however, were scenic skills. As an educator, you also need these for teaching. Equally important are offers for mental strength and resilience. premiumvoicecoaching More portraits Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr 6.8.2025 Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr  The versatile and renowned violinist, project manager and lecturer Franziska Strohmayr grew up in Augsburg and came to Salzburg to study, where she still lives today after graduating from the Mozarteum University under Prof. Martin Mumelter and Prof. Wolfgang Gratzer and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko 8.4.2025 Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko  Mariia Tkachenko lived in Kyiv until March 2022, where she received singing and violin lessons as a child and has already appeared in several TV productions. Her acting studies at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television were interrupted by the war in Ukraine. Alumnae & Alumni Stories A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß 17.3.2025 A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß  Alumnus Rupert Pföß has been working as a music teacher at Musikum Salzburg since 1996 and has been head of the folk music and harmonica department since 2012. He is also an extended board member of the Salzburger Volksliedwerk. His busy seminar and jury activities at various music weeks and music competitions enrich his everyday life as a musician time and again.  Alumnae & Alumni Stories From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina 20.11.2024 From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina  The flutist and instrumental music teacher Sofiia Musina came to Salzburg to study at the Mozarteum University in April 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she studied at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine and obtained a Master's degree in ‘Master of Musical Art. Educational and Professional Programme: Musical Art’. She wrote her master's thesis on the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman 5.11.2024 Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman  Meral Guneyman is a versatile classical musician, with numerous releases, who is comfortable in both pop and jazz music, has transcribed many original works and is also an enthusiastic arranger and improviser. Her ability to move between classical and jazz with lightning speed and conviction is a rarity. In 2021, her arrangements of classic David Bowie songs were presented for the first time on ‘Steinway-Spirio’ - a high-resolution self-playing system of the highest quality. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel 29.9.2024 Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel  Judith Valerie Engel is an Austrian pianist, musicologist & feminist. After years of study in Salzburg, Helsinki and Vancouver, she is currently completing a PhD in Historical Musicology at Oxford University. She is a recipient of the Stone-Mallabar Doctoral Scholarship awarded by Oxford College Christ Church. She is also one of the ‘Public Scholars’ in the Public Scholars Initiative of the University of British Columbia. Both academically and artistically, her focus is on historical and contemporary women composers. Alumnae & Alumni Stories More news

News … Home News Sonja F. Glücklich Sonja F. Glücklich - Freelance artist 01.03.2021 Alumnae & Alumni Stories © Lerchlart Skip page navigation Overview Conversation More portraits Alumnae & Alumni Network Return to slider start Sonja F. Glücklich is a freelance artist in the field of textile art and painting. Under the brand name "Stillos", she produces bags made of culture banners from the EmailWerk in Seekirchen: "If bags could talk, stillos bags would tell about culture, art and music. The culture banners inform there - hanging on the facade - about the current program. Every 2 months, the banner has fulfilled its task as an information surface and is sewn into bags by Agathe, the industrial sewing machine, using high voltage current." Sonja F. Happy: studio Stillos freelance artist textile art & painting Obertrum am See   Ms. Glücklich, you work with cultural banners that have already fulfilled their purpose and put them to a new use. In addition, you work with "old materials". You work with existing resources. How did this come about? I started with the cultural banners during my student days. Working with existing materials, on the other hand, has accompanied me since my childhood. I grew up in simple circumstances and was very stubborn, which led me to simply make things I wanted myself from things that were already available. I made furnishings out of vegetable crates and repurposed clothing so that I liked it. I guess that was sustainable, but unconsciously at first. There are just so many materials that are already there, so there's no need to use up new resources. Does the issue of sustainability in painting also play a role for you? In painting, I like to work with people. I process thoughts and feelings in my paintings. But textiles and wood are also important themes here. You have registered a business as an artist. Your business is called "Atelier Stillos". Do you have to register a business as an artist? If you want to sell something, you should already register a business (laughs). I sell my bags, which I create from culture banners, at arts and crafts markets, so of course I need this business registration. Where do you exhibit your artworks and where can they be purchased? For example, at the "FrauenKunstHandwerk" in Ottensheim, at the textile market in Haslach, in Anif at the women's art craft market and I also organize the market at the EmailWerk in Seekirchen in November. What is the importance of materials for you? The tarpaulins from the EmailWerk are very special to me because they convey the cultural so well and that is so important, especially in these times. We realize how important culture and art are for us. But it can also be other materials, you never know what will come. If other "things suddenly fly out at me," I'm sure I'll deal with them, too. I'm quite open about that. Has Corona influenced or changed your work? Not really. It was and is also a valuable time to focus on essentials. You realize again what is important to you, how important other people and cultural events are. A different kind of awareness emerged. Of course, the markets were and are limited. What is the importance of sustainability and upcycling in the art and culture scene from your point of view? It is a very important topic in all areas of life. There is no other way than to use the resources we already have instead of always producing something new. There are also cultural initiatives that no longer print advertising on paper in order to conserve resources, or artists who tour Austria by bicycle. A rethink is already taking place in all areas. The awareness is there and there will certainly be a lot more development. It is also possible that we will fail a time or two. That, too, is important so that something new can emerge. It is a process that is sure to continue and also has hope as a strong theme. In addition to your artistic activities, you also work with young people. You are a specialist trainer in the "Ausbildungsfit STEP4" project. What does your work consist of? In the project, I work with young people in the T-shirt and design workshop. The aim of the project is to help young people become fit for training. There are very different topics that young people have to catch up on or continue working on. I go through work steps with the young people. I show them what they can create when they develop a design themselves. It's important to see and experience the work process, to do something with their hands. To start something, to build self-confidence to be able to go their own way. I currently supervise 15 young people who are with us for an average of one year. Unless they find an apprenticeship sooner. What advice would you give students when you think about your time at university and the work process today? Especially in the creative field, ECTS points should not be the primary goal. Rather, you should put enough time into projects to achieve great results. Calmly try out crazy ideas, allow "not succeeding" because this can give rise to completely new ideas. This is how development can take place. I like to remember very intensive projects in my student days. A project on the topic of "Baroque" almost didn't come to fruition because we already didn't believe in it anymore. Many sleepless nights later there was a very great result. One thing always leads to another, you just have to be persistent and open to new things. facebook.com/atelier.stillos More portraits Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr 6.8.2025 Paths to self-employment - Franziska Strohmayr  The versatile and renowned violinist, project manager and lecturer Franziska Strohmayr grew up in Augsburg and came to Salzburg to study, where she still lives today after graduating from the Mozarteum University under Prof. Martin Mumelter and Prof. Wolfgang Gratzer and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko 8.4.2025 Braver than before - Mariia Tkachenko  Mariia Tkachenko lived in Kyiv until March 2022, where she received singing and violin lessons as a child and has already appeared in several TV productions. Her acting studies at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television were interrupted by the war in Ukraine. Alumnae & Alumni Stories A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß 17.3.2025 A passionate (folk) music educator - Rupert Pföß  Alumnus Rupert Pföß has been working as a music teacher at Musikum Salzburg since 1996 and has been head of the folk music and harmonica department since 2012. He is also an extended board member of the Salzburger Volksliedwerk. His busy seminar and jury activities at various music weeks and music competitions enrich his everyday life as a musician time and again.  Alumnae & Alumni Stories From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina 20.11.2024 From Kiev to Salzburg - Sofiia Musina  The flutist and instrumental music teacher Sofiia Musina came to Salzburg to study at the Mozarteum University in April 2022. From 2017 to 2022, she studied at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine and obtained a Master's degree in ‘Master of Musical Art. Educational and Professional Programme: Musical Art’. She wrote her master's thesis on the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman 5.11.2024 Art will always be there, even in the most difficult times - Meral Guneyman  Meral Guneyman is a versatile classical musician, with numerous releases, who is comfortable in both pop and jazz music, has transcribed many original works and is also an enthusiastic arranger and improviser. Her ability to move between classical and jazz with lightning speed and conviction is a rarity. In 2021, her arrangements of classic David Bowie songs were presented for the first time on ‘Steinway-Spirio’ - a high-resolution self-playing system of the highest quality. Alumnae & Alumni Stories Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel 29.9.2024 Breaking down boundaries and barriers - Judith Valerie Engel  Judith Valerie Engel is an Austrian pianist, musicologist & feminist. After years of study in Salzburg, Helsinki and Vancouver, she is currently completing a PhD in Historical Musicology at Oxford University. She is a recipient of the Stone-Mallabar Doctoral Scholarship awarded by Oxford College Christ Church. She is also one of the ‘Public Scholars’ in the Public Scholars Initiative of the University of British Columbia. Both academically and artistically, her focus is on historical and contemporary women composers. Alumnae & Alumni Stories More news