17th International Johannes Brahms Competition Pörtschach
Jury, Concert Organizers, Repetiteurs

Members of the Jury

Piano | Violin | Viola | Cello | Voice | Chamber Music
Composers | Concert Organizers | Pianists

PIANO

Prof. Noel Flores (Austria)
	Born in Goa, former Portuguese colony in India, studied in Madrid, leaving certificate with distinction. Further studies as scholarship holder of the Gulbenkian donation at the University of Music in Vienna; diploma for concert with distinction, prizes in international competitions. Since 1979 Prof. Noel Flores leads a class for piano at the University in Vienna. He is often member of jury in international competitions for piano in Austria, Germany, Israel and Italy. He holds master classes in Vienna, Finland, Sweden and Japan.
Prof. Alexander Jenner (Austria)
	Since 1950 concerts worldwide. From 1970 until the year 2000 professorship in Vienna at "Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst" (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna).
Prof. Young-Bae Kim (South Korea)
	Winner of Korea's prestigious National Student Music Competition while attending Seoul High School. Studies with Professor Jin Woo Jung at Seoul National University's Graduate School of Music, moved to the U.S. for further studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and Catholic University of America with Landon Bilyeu, and Thomas Mastroianni. In 1985, he returned to Korea and moved into the spotlight as the honorous recipient of "Musician of the Month". Kim has been a faculty member at Chugye University for the Arts since 1990. He has also served as the Vice-President of The Piano Society of Korea and Piano Duo Association of Korea from 2004-2005. Young-Bae Kim is the first artist to be appointed the President of Seoul Arts Center from 2004-2007.
Prof. Johannes Kropfitsch (Austria)
	Johannes Kropfitsch studied at the College for Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna with Prof. Hans Graf and Prof. Hans Petermandl. Further studies followed with Stanislav Neuhaus, Wilhelm Kempff and Alexander Jenner. He graduated with distinction. Laureate of many international competitions, Johannes Kropfitsch also works as soloist, chamber musician and pianist as a member of the JESS–TRIO–WIEN. In September 2008 he was appointed dean of the department of keyboard studies at Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität.
Prof. Maja Weitz (Finland)
	For many years piano tuition at "Sibelius-Akademie" Helsinki, presently giving postgraduate courses for chamber music at Sibelius-Akademie, in Tampere as well as at the Music School Gdánsk/Poland; concurrent concert activity.

VIOLIN

Peter Cossé (Germany)
	Born in Leipzig but spent his formative years in Frankfurt am Main. He studied philosophy and sociology at the university of Salzburg. Research associate for various anthologies, technical periodicals (“Klassik Heute” , “Fono forum”, “Record Geijutsu Tokyo”, “Österreichische Musikzeitschrift“) and newspapers („Neue Zürcher Zeitung“, „Frankfurter Rundschau“, „Standard“/ Vienna). “Critic price” winner of the Grazer „Styrian Autumn“. Numerous radio programmes as well as reporting for international broadcasting corporations. Film projects for the TV-stations “ARD” and “3SAT”. Very sought after as juror at various music contests ; e.g. “Concours Géza Anda”, “Franz Liszt” (Weimar), “Busoni“ (Bolzano), “Van Cliburn” (Texas), “Sviatoslav Richter“/ Moscow, “Arthur Rubinstein“/ Tel Aviv. 1996 to 1998 Art Director of the „Piano Festival Ruhr“. Since autumn 2010 teaching in Salzburg at the university of music “Mozarteum”.
Prof. Walter Daga (Italy)
	Academy of Music "G.B. Pergolesi", Fermo - Italy; musical director of "Festival Musica in Collina di Lapedona" (Marche, Italy)
Prof. Helfried Fister (Austria)
	Helfried Fister was born in Carinthia. He received his training as violinist first at the Carinthian school of music with Gustav Mayer. He subsequently studied under Igor Ozim and Günther Kehr (chamber music) at the academy of music in Cologne. After completing his degree, he was asked to remain there as assistant to Professor Ozim. He left Cologne in 1989 to return to Carinthia where he was in charge of the international grade for violin at the Carinthian conservatoire and worked at the J. J. Fux – music school in Graz. In adition to his extensive teaching activities he enjoys to perform as soloist and chamber musician. As a juror at music competitions he is very much in demand in many parts of the world.
Prof. Harald Herzl (Austria)
	Studied at Salzburg with Sandor Vegh and at Cologne with members of the Amadeus Quartett. Founder of the Pro Arte Quartet Salzburg; successful concert tours took them to the principal European and Asian music centres and festivals. Harald Herzl has appeared as soloist with the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg under Heinz Wallberg; and has made numerous radio and television recordings in the Salzburg Mozart Festival. Since 2000 annual invitations to Japan, Korea and Chian as soloist and sought-after chamber musician. Since 2000 Professor at University Mozarteum Salzburg (since 2004 chairman of the department for string studies).
Prof. Elisabeth Jess-Kropfitsch (Austria)
	The violinist Elisabeth Jess-Kropfitsch has been giving concerts in the world’s main music centres for years. She is first violinist of the world-famous Jess-Trio-Wien and with this ensemble gives numerous concerts all over the world. Her unique way of playing the violine continues Wolfgang Schneiderhan’s famous school of violin-playing. From early youth until her final exam at “Wiener Musikhochschule” which she passed with distinction she was taught by this outstanding violinist and teacher. After her habilitation on this institute she has now the qualification as a university lecturer and teaches therefore on the University of Music Vienna and on the Joseph Haydn Konservatorium Eisenstadt in cooperation with the  Music University Bratislava

VIOLA

Prof. Massimo de Bonfils (Italy)
	Professor for violine and viola at Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome. Mostly teaching master classes in Italy , France, Malta, Paraguay, Spain, Switzerland and Croatia, judge at international competitions in Poland, Austria, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, France and Holland.
Prof. Stefan Kamasa (Poland)
	Taught viola at Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music Warsaw and Cracow. Post graduate lectures in St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Bordeaux, Karlsruhe und Düsseldorf.
Prof. Lubomir Maly (Czech Republic)
	Guest appearances as soloist in nearly every European country, America and Japan. His activities in the world of internatioanl music festivals have taken him to Prag, Santander, Passau, Divonne, Dubrovnik, Vienna, Athens, Wartburg und Milan. Guest appearences with leading Czech and international orchestras.
Prof. Ognjan Stanchev (Bulgaria)
	Viola-professor at the State Academy of Music "Pancho Vladigerov" Sofia, intensive concert activity at home and abroad. Many recordings for chamber music, concert tours within Europe and overseas. Master-classes in Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia and Austria.
Andreas Vierziger (Austria)
	Born in Salzburg, Andreas Vierziger read dramatics, film and media science as well as musicology and management at Vienna University. He also studied abroad at Fudan University of Shanghai, the Beijing University in Peking and Sibelius Akademie in Helsinki. He works for Mark Stephan Buhl Artists Management on an international level as artist manager/agent for chamber ensembles and instrumental soloists. Anreas Vierziger is the youngest member ever of the “Association Européene des Agents Artistiques”. He also frequently gives lectures on the subject of music management at various academies of music.

CELLO

Prof. Valter Dešpalj (Croatia)
	Cello professor at Academy of Music Zagreb (Croatia). Jury member for example at the Tschaikowsky and Bach-competitions and also at the International Music Competition organized by the German TV channel ARD.
Prof. Eberhard Finke (Germany)
	Leading soloist for cello at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for 35 years. Played under Furtwängler und Karajan. From 1965 until 1995 professor at the Berlin University of the Arts.
Prof. Catalin Ilea (Germany)
	Soloist in the Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra, leading solo cellist in the "Philharmonia Hungarica", since 1994 professor at the Berlin University of the Arts.
Prof. Florian Kitt (Austria)
	Professor for violoncello at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts, Graz, Austria, soloist but also playing in chamber ensembles. Dedicatee of many renowned composers.
Prof. Kyung-Ok Park (South Korea)
	Professor at Hanyang University, South Korea. She appears as soloist with major orchestras in Korea, such as the KBS Symphony, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and the Puchon Philharmonic Orchestra. She gave more than 20 solo recitals and has played numerous chamber music concerts. Among those her string Quartet "Quartet 21" is known as one of the most active chamber music ensembles in Korea.

VOICE

Prof. Olaf Bär (Germany)
	In 2004, he was appointed professor for lied at the Hochschule für Musik, Dresden, Germany. Olaf Bär began his musical career at an early age in Dresden's famous Kreuzchor. From 1978 he studied at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden. He soon became internationally renowned as a concert and lied singer, as well as increasingly as an opera singer.
Prof. Gabriele Fontana (Austria)
	Born and raised in Innsbruck, Gabriele Fontana today is a singer very much in demand and one of the most versatile of her generation. Since October 2007 she is teaching a class for lied at the Vienna University for Music and Performing Arts.
Barbara Moser (Austria)
	Concertpianist Barbara Moser tours frequently as soloist, chambermusician and accompanist throughout Europe, the USA and Asia starring at such renowned Festivals as the Summerfestival Salzburg, the Wiener Festwochen and the Schleswig-Holstein Musikfestival. She has worked together with Orchestras such as the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and Dallas Symphony, has accompanied singers Annette Dasch, Natalie Dessay, Placido Domingo, Michael Schade, Mara Zampieri and many more. Her discography comprises 9 recital-CDs, numerous chambermusic- and Lied-recordings. Amongst her teachers were Heinz Medjimorec, Rudolf Buchbinder and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. She has been teaching at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna since 1999, habilitated in 2005 and completed her doctorate-studies with a thesis on embellishments in Bellini’s opera “La Sonnambula” in 2007. This doctorate thesis was in the meantime published by VDM-Verlag.
Brigtte Pinter (Austria)
	Carinthian born Brigitte Pinter, has made a remarkable career as an opera and concert singer, working with some of the most renowned conductors, such as Riccardo Muti, Lorin Maazel, Claudio Abbado, Nikolaus Harnoncourt , Eliahu Inbal, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Franz Welser-Möst, Vladimir Fedoseyev at the „Deutsche Oper Berlin“. She performed at Staatsoper Hamburg, Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Philharmonic Hall Munic, Concert House Vienna and many more. Mrs. Pinter is a Fullbright scholarship holder and studied at the Juilliard School of Music in New York upon the recommendation of Claudio Abbado. Prize winner at the Belvedere Competition Vienna.
Prof. Benno Schollum (Austria)
	After finishing his studies he started teaching at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in 1983. Extensive concert activity with – for example – Yehudi Menuhin, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Manfred Honeck, Mstislav Rostropovich. CDs with Menuhin and Sinfonia Varsovia with Haydn’s "Schöpfung", Händel's "Messiah", the 9th Beethoven and Schubert's Messen. With Fedoseyev and the Tchaikovsky Orchestra Moscow Tchaikovskys "Jolanta", as well as Wilhelm Bush "In Word and Tone" (Russell Ryan/Stephan Paryla) and the "Winterreise" with Graham Johnson. He plays the part of Kuno in the filming of "Der Freischütz" by C.M.Weber (www.huntersbride.com) beside Juliane Banse, Olaf Bär, Franz Grundheber, Renè Pape. He is the author of the book "German for Singers" which was published in New York.
Prof. Helmut Wildhaber (Austria)
	Graduate of Graz University. Since 1980 member of the Vienna State Opera. In 1990 appointed "Kammersänger". Recognized specialist for oratorio and canto.
Prof. Gerhard Zeller (Austria)
	Born 1942 in Ruma, Syrmia. Performances as chamber musician and world wide very sought after as accompanyist for vocalists. Professor for art classes and tutor for "Lied" interpretation at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts, Graz, Austria. Presentation of the opera of Josef Matthias Hauer and Hans Florey. Since 2001: NOMOS. Gerhard Zeller-Institute for integrated harmony structures. Digit - Colour - Sound in connection with the opus of Hans Florey.

CHAMBER MUSIC

Prof. Lehel Both (Hungary)
	Professor at Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Budapest, Dean of the piano faculty. Tutorials and workshops in Japan and Hungary.
Prof. Jiří Hlaváč (Czech Republic) - Clarinet
	Many of his students (clarinet) at the Academy of Music, Prag have won prizes at international competitions. Frequent appearences as soloist on Czech TV and radio recordings. Concerts in more than 46 countries.
Eleanor Hope (Austria) - Arts Management
	For many years manager of Yehudi Menuhin, and Art Director of his festival in Gstaad. Until 1992 she was manager of the prestigious London artist's agency Anglo-Swiss Artists Management which at that time represented more than 100 artists and orchestras. From 1992 to 1994 she was Art Director for the Bath Mozart Festival/England and for twenty years board member of the London International String Quartet Competition. She is a committee member of the festivals in Schleswig-Holstein and Vilnius. As a consultant of IMG she has programmed subscription series for the Jahrhunderthalle Frankfurt. At present she is very successfully working for Interclassica Music Management Vienna which represents – just to mention a few - violinist Vadim Repin and the conductors Vladimir Fedoseyev and Sasha Goetzel.
Prof. Balázs Kakuk (Hungary) - Cello
	Professor at Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Budapest and at the Academy of Music "Béla Bartók" also in Budapest.
Prof. Avedis Kouyoumdjian (Austria) - Piano
	Very much in demand as pianist, chamber musician and judge at international competitions. Since 1997 Professor for piano and for chamber music at University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna - Joseph Haydn Institut für Kammermusik und Spezialensembles (institute for chamber music and special ensembles)
Ernst Lintner (Austria) - Concert Promoter
	President of Neues Künstlerforum, Vienna; Camineum Wien. Curriculum vitae with audio samples

The following promoters will be present in 2010:

Walter Daga (Lapedona Festival)
Eleanor Hope (Interclassica Music Management)
Elisabeth Jess-Kropfitsch (classic muerz)
Ernst Lintner (Neues Künstlerforum Wien)
Elisabeth Sickl (Albecker Schlosskonzerte)
Andreas Vierziger (Mark Stephan Buhl Artists Management)

Répétiteurs (Pianists) 2010

After the closing date of application, each respective répétiteur will automatically receive from us the programme music of all candidates in his/her division. After the first round each répétiteur will be available for those who have passed onto the next. For the category "solo voice" the répétiteurs will be at the candidates disposal from the day of their arrival.
As a matter of fairness we would like to ask you to refrain from establishing any contact with your répétiteur before the beginning of the competition. They have strict instructions to ignore any approaches in this direction.