The Pannon Youth Orchestra was founded in 2015 in Burgenland as an intercultural orchestra. Under the project name „EINKLANG – an orchestral peace project of the European youth“, the project team, headed by Katarina Budimaier, promotes artistic and musical development, interculturality, cultural identification and self-development for all participants with the „ARTist & interCULTURAL Development Program“.
The Project
The Pannon Youth Orchestra, initiated by Andreas Richter, Artistic Director of the Esterhazy Foundation was founded in 2015. Since the project was successful in the first three years, the orchestra will continue to exist for another five years.
Today´s world consists of social transformations. Next to teaching musical skills, we want to convey the value of treating each other in a considerate and respectful way to young musicians. For this purpose, extensive cooperations with partner music institutions in neighboring EU countries were established. Burgenland forms a special link, since it is Austria´s youngest federal state and closely related to the Hungarian and Slavic culture.
Katarina Budimaier, the project manager, works with all participants on the topics interculturality, personality and conformity individually as well as in teams since the first year of the project. The objective is to develop a healthy mental attitude for oneself, so that one can also notice and appreciate it in others as well as to perceive similarities and differences and to ethically deal with them. Apart from the diverse artistic program, the following topics in the area of interculturality and personal development were addressed in the first three years of the project:
EINKLANG 2015
“Interculturality – what does that have to do with me?”; group and single exercises on the topics European identity, value systems and environment, cooperation and team dynamics, different education systems
EINKLANG 2016
Visions and further development of the project, cooperations with partner institutions
Mutual appreciation and distribution of roles in the team
EINKLANG 2017
“Cultural change – I as a musician and cultural medium in my home country”
From 2018 until 2020 the Pannon Youth Orchestra covered a wide (inter)cultural range: Slavic, Hungarian and Austrian culture and music, Roma culture and music as well as non-European traditions.
EINKLANG 2018
“The individual and the intercultural cooperation”
Cultural change with team building and vocation, commonalities and differences, Slavic soul vs. Austrian soul
EINKLANG 2019
Austrian, Hungarian and Roma Music, interculturality
ARTist Development Program & interCULTURAL Competence: cooperation and communication | self and stress management
EINKLANG 2020
Interviews with musicians and instrumental coaches about the project in the last 5 years, value of music and personal development and handling with Covid-19
Members of the EINKLANG orchestra are attending higher musical schools, music academies and music universities and come from Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Croatia and Austria. The adolescents are expected to act as an ambassador of musical peace culture and pass on the musical and character-forming findings they obtained in their home countries. Music as transnational language is the ideal medium to deal with cultural identity and tradition.
Project 2022
Diversity, Unity and Harmony in the heart of Europe
„100 years Burgenland“ was celebrated in 2021. Since its founding, Burgenland, as a border region, has acted as a cultural bridge in the heart of Europe. Similarly, the Pannon Youth Orchestra aims to integrate and connect as many European cultures as possible.
A new composition has been specially commissioned for this year’s program to honour Burgenland with a world premiere: an orchestral suite consisting of four movements, each originating in a different cultural area – Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia – all connected by the international language of music. The diversity of cultures characterized Burgenland in the past and it is still presently rooted in the Pannonian region. Haydn’s idea of music as the most universal language in the world for unity and harmony cannot find a better expression in Burgenland’s anniversary year.
The music program for further concerts planned in the Pannonian region, with the celebratory concert in the Haydn Hall of the Esterházy Palace as the highlight of this year’s project, cannot do without the two most well-known Burgenland composers, Joseph Haydn and Franz Liszt. A contemporary reference is brought by Burgenland’s artist Ferry Janoska with his wonderful work Pannobis for bandoneon and orchestra.
The cultural association Quintessenz, as the sponsor of this unique orchestra, is again supported in the implementation of this intercultural project by the Esterházy Private Foundation, VisFontis and the state of Burgenland. Felix Hornbachner, new to the project team, will be the artistic director and conductor. With this young Austrian musician, choirmaster and orchestra conductor the musical development of the musicians is guaranteed.
Felix Hornbachner
Photo: Jakob Hornbachner
The young austrian conductor Felix Hornbachner won the 3rd Prize at the Arturo Toscanini Conducting Competition in Parma 2021 and has been invited to conduct the Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra Giovanile Filarmonici Friulani in the upcoming season. In the last season he made his debut with the Wiener Concert-Verein and was directly reinvited to conduct other concerts with them. In 2019, Felix Hornbachner was selected as active participant for the Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy Ravenna. Furthermore, he was selected to conduct two Opera productions with the Summer Academy of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Mozart´s „Le nozze Figaro“ 2017 & „La clemenza di Tito“ 2018), where he accompanied the recitatives on the fortepiano while conducting. Further engagements brought him to work with the Grazer Philharmoniker, Orquesta Sinfónica Cuidad de Elche, Philharmonie Salzburg, Beethoven Philharmonie Baden, Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini and Filarmonica Toscanini.
Besides his activity as a conductor, Felix Hornbachner is highly esteemed as a Lied-accompanist, appearing with singers such as Michael Schade, Daniel Johannsen, Wolfgang Bankl, Michael Nowak and Johannes Bamberger. Felix Hornbachner studied conducting in Vienna at the „MUK – Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien“ and with Prof. Sophie Rachlin, on recommendation of Maestro Mariss Jansons.
Katarina Budimaier
Photo: Frank Turetzek
With her company KuLT Consulting and as Managing Director of the Kulturverein Quintessenz Katarina Budimaier is focused on the unfolding of inner potential of people with the help of culture and artistic expressions. Accordingly, she created with “ARTist Development” a program for the cultural and educational sector as well as for the area of economy.
In doing so, she is able to revert to her exceptionally diverse and international background of studies and experience in Croatia, Germany and Austria: An early specialized musical education in Zagreb was followed by studies respectively leading positions in the areas of financial economics, intercultural competence, human resources development and music pedagogy with the main instrument bassoon.
Soprano Elisabeth Pratscher was born in Austria and began her vocal studies at the University of Music and performing Arts Vienna and was a student of Julia Bauer-Huppmann. Since 2017 she is continuously advised and trained by Prof. Heidrun Franz-Vetter in Berlin. Additionally, she has attended masterclasses with Edith Lienbacher, Kurt Widmer, Paul Hamburger and Gerd Uecker.
Elisabeth Pratscher has been an award winner in renowned competitions, including the famous „Smola Forderpreis 2015“ (1. prize, TV—channel SMR), “Pico- Dostal operetta competition”, „Competizione dell’ Opera” (Linz) and „Accademia Belcanto” (Mozart-prize, Graz). She is scholarship holder of the „Hajek—Boss—Wagner Price 2016” (Haydnfestpiele Eisenstadt), the „Yehudi Nenuhin- Foundation” and the “ Concorso lirico Hartinelli—Pertile” (Italy).
After her debut as Papagena at the „Opernfestspiele St. Margarethen”, one of the biggest European openair festivals for opera, she was engaged there for additional seasons (2006- 2014). Moreover, Elisabeth Pratscher succeeds at different Opera and Operetta Festivals like „jOPERA Festival“ (under Sebastian Weigle), „Oper Klosterneuburg“, „Herbsttage Blindenmarkt”, „Kammeroper Munich”, „Frankenfestspiele Röttingen” and so on.
She is a well-known concert singer and has performed as a soloist at the capital cities of Europe and China like the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein, the Esterhazy palace (Haydn Hall), Konzerthaus Vienna, Brucknerfestival Linz, Bach- Festival Zürich, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Grandmaster Palace Rhodes (Greek), Opera Halmo and the Shanghai Grand Theatre. She worked with renowned conductors as Adam Fischer (Mahler 4th Symphony), Emil Tabakov (Mahler 8th Symphony), Ernst Märzendorfer, Sebastian Weigle and Koen Schoots in collaboration with Österr. – Ungar. Haydn Philharmonic, Deutsche Radiophilharmonie (SPR), Bruckner Orchester Linz, Orchester Corso Vienna, (Czech National Symphony Orchestra and the Janoska Ensemble. Additionally, the young soprano sings chamber music in different ensembles.
Recently she made her debut at the Opera Graz in “Eine Yacht in Venedig” (J. Strauss) where she will sing Kate Pinkteron in future production „Madame Butterlfy“. www.elisabeth—pratscher.at
Ivan Graziani (1997) started playing violin at the age of 7 at the Music School Ivana Matetića Ronjgova in Rijeka with prof. Vilko Jutt, and continued with prof. Maja Veljak. At the same time, he was working under the mentorship of Professors Marina Sorokowa and Leonid Sorokow, with whom he later studied at the University for Music and Applied Arts in Vienna, in the program for highly gifted children. Working with the same Professor, in 2020 he achieved his Master’s degree at the Music Academy of Zagreb. Throughout these years, he has attended numerous Masterclasses held by eminent Professors, such as Pavel Vernikov, Svetlana Makarova, Maria Solozobova, Evgenia Epshtein, Igor Volochin, Goran Končar, Violeta Smailović-Huart, Ericha Höbarth, Günther Pichler, Heim Müller, and others.
Since 2012, he has been performing at various festivals and venues in many towns in Croatia, such as the Osor cathedral, the Rector’s Palace in Dubrovnik, the Vatroslav Lisinski Hall, and the Croatian Music Institute in Zagreb. He has performed as a soloist with the Rijeka Chamber ensemble, the Rijeka Symphony Orchestra, and the Music Academy Symphony Orchestra. As a member of the ensemble, he performed with the Zadar Chamber Orchestra, the Zagreb Soloists, the Split Virtuosi, and the Acoustic Project, and he has been a Concertmaster in the Rijeka Symphony Orchestra since 2021.
Ivan has won many prizes in various national and international competitions such as the First Prize in HDGPP National Competition (2008, 2010, 2012, 2014) as well as the First Prize with his Piano Trio under the mentorship of prof. Mauro Šestan in 2014. Later on, he won the First Prize at the Istria Nobilissima Competition in 2015 in the Junior division and the First prize “Luigi Dallapiccola” in the Senior division in 2018. Last year he was a laureate at the Boris Papandopulo Competition and the International Competition Vaclav Huml held in Zagreb.
Jakub started to learn violin from a very young age. Thanks to the hard work and support of his family in 2006 he moves to Bratislava where he continues studying in the Bratislava Conservatoire in the class of František Török. In 2012 he finishes his studies and starts studying viola in the class of Jozef Hošek at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava.
In 2014 he is invited to study viola at Guildhall School with Matthew Jones. During his studies as a violinist and viola player in London Jakub was awarded with various scholarships and fundings by English institutions.
Jakub has worked with Corina Belcea, Caroline Palmer, Matthew Jones, Andrew Watkinson, Ralph da Souza, David Waterman, Mathé Szücz, Gordan Nikolić, Simon Rowland-Jones, Suyeon Kang, Krzysztof Śmietana as well as he participated with London Symphony Orchestra and Academy of Ancient Music. In 2015 Jakub joins the Historical Performance department in the Guildhall School of Music, London, where he studied in class the of Pavlo Beznosiuk and Oliver Webber.
In 2020 joined Slovakian National Opera. Currently is Jakub’s main focus teaching in state and private schools. As a freelancer and performer he participates in projects for contemporary music EnsambleSpectrum and chamber orchestra Sinfonietta dell’Arte. Jakub also closely co-operate with Pannon Youth Orchestra as a viola tutor.
Cellist Előd KOSTYÁK was born in a Hungarian musician family in the capital of Transylvania, the city of Kolozsvár/Klausenburg/Cluj /Claudiopolis (Romania). He started to play cello from the age of 6. After graduating the Highschool of Music in his hometown, he continued his studies at the Bucharest Music Academy and the Cluj Music Academy and by participating at masterclasses held by Miklós Perényi, Csaba Onczay and Mirel Iancovici.
As founder of the Bartha String Quartet, he won First Prizes at the Wilhelm Georg Berger String Quartet Competition in Brasov and at the Gheorghe Dima International Chamber Music Competition in his hometown. With this ensemble he has participated to a one-semester scholarship for string quartet at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, under the tuition of Maestro Sándor Devich and other members of the Bartók String Quartet.
Between 1995-2008, Kostyák played Solo Cello in the following orchestras : the Hungarian Army’s Symphony in Budapest, Győr Philharmonic, Camerata Transsylvanica Budapest and Miskolc National Theatre.
From 2009 to 2015 he was the Solo Cellist of the Romanian National Opera in Cluj.
Since 2008, he is member and from 2010, he is Solo Cellist of the Hungarian Opera in his hometown.
A n t a l S u h a was born in 1981 into a family of musicians. In 1993 he started his musical studies in Budapest at the Budafok Nádasdi Kálman School of Music in the double bass class of Gábor Horti. The next years led Antal to Oberschützen (Austria) where he was a student of Professor Johannes Auersperg in the Graz Acadmy of Music for more than two years. During this time, he was invited to play in the “Grazer Symphony Ochrestra” several times as a tutti substitute in the bass group. Later he was admitted to the “Royal Academy of Music” in London (England) to study with Professor Duncan McTier.
In 1999 Antal graduated with high honours in solo double bass playing from the “Guidhall School of Music” in London (Barbican). Soon after that he was invited to an audition for the role of the principal position at the “Budapest Festival Orchestra”, (age 18) which he successfully won – he already could make some experience as a tutti double bass player in this orchestra in the season 2000-2001. From 2001 to 2007 he played in the “Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra” and also could make further orchestral experiences with the “Budafoki Dohnáyi Ernő Orchestra” in the years 2005 and 2007. In 2009 Antal moved to Pécs (Hungary) where he worked in the “Pannon Filharmonic Orchestra” as a principal and solo bassist until 2019. He played several solo concerts during these years, and attended many courses.
Antal consistently was invited to play in various orchestras, like “The European Soloists of Luxembourg Orchestra”, “Bruno Walter Symphony Orchestra” (Budapest-Bratislava-Wien), “Aura Musicale” (an Baroque Chamber Orchestra / Budapest and Austria), as a solo or tutti player. From 2019 on he has been invited to join the “Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo” as a solo bass player and in the Ensemble-Mattheus Chamber Orchestra Paris .
Antal likes to teach people of any age and experience, who have a passion for music. He also works as a luthier. Antal has his own workshop where he has made and repaired violins, violas, cellos, basses and also bows for over 20 years. A lot of musicians around the world are proud to play on his instruments.
Viktor Andriichenko wurde 1986 in Kiew geboren. Seine Ausbildung hat er an der Nationalen Musikakademie der Ukraine Peter Tschaikowski im Fach Geige abgeschlossen.
2013-2015: Erster Geiger im Nationalen Symphonieorchester in Kiew.
Parallel arbeitet er an seiner Stimmausbildung als Countertenor. Er absolvierte Meisterkurse in der Schweiz und in Deutschland.
Juli 2015: Finalist im Gesangswettbewerb Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg und Solist in drei Projekten: „Galaopera“, „Farfallino“,“Rock Barok“
Seit März 2016: Privatunterricht bei Prof. Gabriella Fuchs und Elisabeth Wilke.
Seit Mai 2016: Stipendiat vom Münchner Musikverein.
August 2016: Teilnahme an der Produktion des Theaterwerk München in „Oper der Verwandlung“ in der Rolle des Ruggiero. Regie – Kristina Wuss, Musik von Händel.
Im Dezember 2016: Mehrere Konzerte, unter anderem Solist als Geiger und Countertenor im Konzert mit dem Kammerorchester „Ukraina“ in München, mit Werken und Erstaufführungen von ukrainischen zeitgenössischen Komponisten, Solist im Eröffnungskonzert beim neugegründeten LvivMozArt Festival in Lemberg (Ukraine) – Werke von Händel, Bortnianskyy, Humperdink.
Im März 2017: Erfolgreiches Debüt an Kiewer Philharmonie mit dem Kammerorchester “Kiewer Solisten“ mit Werken von Porpora, Dowland und Almashi. Live-Mitschnitt vom Nationalen Rundfunk der Ukraine.
Juni 2017: Solist als Geiger und Countertenor beim Konzert zur Kiewer Tage in München in Gasteig.
August 2017: Zwei Auftritte beim ersten internationalen LvivMozArt Festival 2017.
„Die Splitter des Barock“ – Arien und Duette von Händel, Vivaldi, Porpora, Bach, Almashi, Frolyak, Sehin mit Lviver Barockensemble.
„Die Flucht“, ein szenisch-choreografisches Projekt mit Werken von Lyabava Sydorenko „Desire“ für Violine und Elektronik, mit Werken von Mozart und Kantate für Countertenor und Orchester „Der Piero macht eine Todeskurve“ vom Oleksandr Kozarenko.
Oktober 2017: Beginn des Gesangsstudiums an der Kunstuniversität Graz.
Januar 2018: Vier Konzerte mit Stavanger Symphonie Orchester (Norwegen) mit werken von Stravinsky, Händel, Purcell, Vivaldi, Rimsky-Korsakov.
Juni 2018: Opera Gala bei OperaFest Tulchyn.
Konzert Klassik am See «In die Tiefe der Herzen» mit Saarbrücken Philharmonie – mit Werken von slawischen Komponisten. Arien von Rimsky-Korsakov und Bortnjansky.
Juli 2018 – Festspielproduktion Dmitry Bortnjansky «Alcide» beim LvivMozArt Festival mit der Titelrolle Alcide.
Dezember 2018: Galakonzert am 5. Dezember an der Lemberger Nationaloper zum 20. Jahrestag der Aufnahme des historischen Zentrums von Lemberg in die UNESCO-Liste des Weltkulturerbes statt.
Konzert als Countertenor und Barockgeiger mit Yofin Barockorchestra, im Rahmen der Westspiele Konzerte in Zürich.
Februar 2019: Duett-Konzert mit der thailändischen Sopranistin Lalit Worathepnitinan im Spiegelsaal des Opernhauses von Lviv. Im Konzert erklang Musik verschiedener Epochen und Komponisten wie Monteverdi, Bononcini, Händel, Haydn, Bach, Vivaldi und Rossini.
März 2019: Solist in der Johannespassion von J. S. Bach innerhalb der Konzertreihe der Kirchenmusik an der Stadtpfarrkirche in Graz.
April 2019: Interpretation der Rolle von Aronne im Oratorium „Il faraone sommerso“ von Nicola Fago unter Leitung von Dario Luisi, Dreifaltigkeitskirche Graz.
Mai 2019: 4HeartS im Schloss Bukovje, Slowenien – erfolgreiches erste Konzert mit frühbarocken Liedern und Arien vom neu gegründeten Duo 4HeartS mit der slowenischen Mezzosopranistin und Harfenistin Tanja Vogrin. https://baroque4hearts.com
Konzert in Schloss Gleinstätten als Barockgeiger und Countertenor mit Akademia Novantik XXI.
Mehrere Konzertauftritte im Rahmen der „Langen Nacht der Kirchen“ in Graz, unter anderem mit der Organistin Sr. Vera Rónai und im orientalischen Duo mit Juan Carlos Sungurlian.
August 2019: Besuch der Masterclass der Austria Barock Akademie mit Christian Hilz und Marina Bartoli Compostella in Gmunden.
September 2019: Internationale Sommerakademie für Alte Musik im Stift Vorau, Masterclass Barockgesang mit Emma Kirkby.
Oktober 2019: „Messiah“ (G.F. Händel) als Solist (Alt) mit der Capella „Ars Musica“ (Ltg. Maria-Magdalena Nödl) – Konzerte in Pfarrkirche Langenlois und Klosterkirche Eggenburg.
- Dezember 2019: G.G. Kapsberger: „I Pastori di Bettelemme“, als Secondo Pastore im Rahmen des Konzerts des Johann-Joseph-Fux- Konservatoriums, Dreifaltigkeitskirche, Graz
Juli 2020: Solist und künstlerischer Leiter des Grazer Barockensembles
Oktober 2020: Solovioline im Next Liberty Musiktheater der Grazer Oper.
Dezember 2020: „Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno“ (G.F. Händel), in der Rolle des Piacere, Musikalische Leitung: Claudio Osele, Inszenierung: Jos Groenier, Mumuth Graz
- September 2021: Musikverein Wien. Konzert mit Programm „The Fairy Queen“. Semi-Opera. Alt stimme mit Arnold Schoenberg Chor. Dirigent – Stefan Gottfried. Orchester – Concentus Musicus Wien.
- September 2021: Herkulessaal in München. Solist im Konzert mit Berlin Metropolitan Orchester.
Mai 2022: Substitut als 2 Geige an der Oper Graz. Parlament Österreich: Gedenktag gegen Gewalt und Rassismus im Gedenken an die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus. Solovioline mit Musik von John Williams “Schindler’s List”.
Sommer 2022: Teilnehmer am Opernprojekt “Aida” bei den Salzburger Festspielen als Bariton
“Hymnisch“. Das Jugendkammerorchester “Ukraine“ im Gasteig: “Was für eine Überraschung: Da legt der erste Geiger des erst im Dezember gegründeten ukrainischen Jugendkammerorchesters „Ukraina“ aus München im Kleinen Konzertsaal des Gasteig sein Instrument beiseite und fängt an zu singen – als feiner Altus! Das klingt fast so fremd vertraut und verführerisch wie der Sopran in Igor Strawinskys „Nachtigall“, denn Zoltán Almásis Kammerkantate ist vor allem für die Singstimme raffiniert gesetzt. Viktor Andriichenko, der trotz seiner 29 Jahre aussieht wie Anfang 20, ist später noch mehrfach als Geiger solistisch zu hören, etwa in Myroslav Skoryks «Melodie».“ Süddeutsche Zeitung ( 19. Juni 2017 )
Referenzen:
Regisseure: Andreas Weirich, Michael Sturm, Olivier Tambosi
DirigentInnen: Oksana Lyniv, Kirill Karabits, Vitali Alekseenok, David Marlow, Mark Mast.
Project participation
Welcome to our Pannon Youth Orchestra!
Join us in 2023 and complete the registration form.
- Immediately after your application you will get up-to-date information.
- If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us: office@kulturwandel.at.
We are looking forward to seeing you this summer!
Patrons & Sponsors
Our interdisciplinary cultural project cannot go well without patrons and sponsors.
Therefore, our special thanks and recognition go to our institutional, private and voluntary supporters.
Contact
Kulturverein Quintessenz
Katarina Budimaier, MA
e-mail: office@kulturverein-quintessenz.at
phone: +43 650 742 7025