february 8 - 15, 2025
GRAZ / AUSTRIA
Published by:
University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG)
International Competition Franz Schubert und die Musik der Moderne (FS&MM)
Responsible for content: Werner Strenger, Vice-Rector for Art
Editors: Stefanie Nöst & Britta Reininghaus
Layout: Anna Kleindinst
Proofreading: Forrest Moody
Photo Credits: See page 94
APPLICATION
DEADLINE COMPOSITION COMPETITION
March 27, 2024
206 composers from 54 nations applied
ANNOUNCEMENT OF COMPOSITION COMPETITION PRIZEWINNERS
June 2024
APPLICATION
DEADLINE FS&MM COMPETITION
September 24, 2024
325 musicians from 44 nations applied
66 Lied Duos
49 Piano Trios
23 Piano Duos
PRE-SELECTION PHASE
October 2024 followed by an invitation of 20 ensembles per category
PRESS CONFERENCE & OPENING CONCERT
“Seite an Seite”
January 31, 2025
Franz Schubert‘s Birthday
#CAREER
February 14, 2025 feedback and career day for all participants
3 LIVE ROUNDS per category in Graz
February 8-13, 2025
PRIZEWINNERS’ ANNOUNCEMENT
February 13, 2025
FESTIVE CLOSING CEREMONY
February 15, 2025
Meet & Greet with Prizewinners, Awarding of Certificates & Gala Concert
» Participating in a competition like this teaches you a lot. Whether you win or not, the experience itself is enriching. «
Ellen Margrete Flesjø, Piano Trio juror
» I think there is a very high level – and these auditions were also ´concerts´ that were open to the public – that was definitely of a concert standard. «
Rico Gulda, Piano Duo juror
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
The International Chamber Music Competition “Franz Schubert and Modern Music” (FS&MM 2025) took place successfully for the 12 th time this year, and we were truly delighted and honored by your interest in it.
The large number of participants from all over the world shows the importance of the competition, its specific focus in terms of repertoire and composition competition fits perfectly with the profile of the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG). Once again, this competition has demonstrated that ensembles could succeed artistically by engaging with both the music of Franz Schubert and modern music at an equally outstanding level.
Future-orientated and career-oriented, this competition – founded in 1989 – is looking for creative, imaginative, curious and at the same time highly accomplished musical personalities who can reach and move their audience in diverse ways through chamber music interaction.
We hope the artists were able to do just that for you, dear audience, regardless of whether you joined us in person in Graz or participated online. You can now listen back to and read about the highlights and results of the competition in this documentation, thoughtfully compiled — as always — by the Competition Department: schubert.kug.ac.at.
May this documentation delight and enrich you.
Georg SCHULZ Rector
University of Music and Performing Arts Graz
Alexander VAN DER BELLEN
Federal President of the Republic of Austria
We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Federal President of the Republic of Austria for his patronage.
Moreover, our heartfelt thanks go to the Province of Styria and the City of Graz for the financial support of the FS&MM competition, particularly to:
Mario KUNASEK Governor of Styria
Karlheinz KORNHÄUSL Councillor for Culture of Styria
Elke KAHR Mayor of Graz
Günter RIEGLER Graz City Councillor
» The competition in Graz was an intense and enriching experience. From the very beginning, we felt a special atmosphere, a combination of concentration, challenge, and respect for music. «
Duo Dallagnese, 3rd prize
The Artistic Committee – comprised by personalities from the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG) – is responsible for developing and shaping the competition categories offered in the competition and consists of Werner Strenger (chairman, Vice-Rector for Art), Joseph Breinl (responsible for the category Lied Duo), Chia Chou (responsible for the category Piano Trio), Sivan Silver and Gil Garburg (responsible for the category Piano Duo).
Werner STRENGER, Vice-Rector for Art
»The atmosphere of the competition was, at its core, that of a festival. It was an atmosphere of coming together. Of listening to one another. Of encountering one another. Of discovery. Of learning from and with one another. The composition of the competition categories was entirely new. Piano Duo was back after many years, Lied Duo opened up to performance and Piano Trio, in its tried-and-tested style, completed the competition categories. This provided a whole chamber music universe for participants and audiences. There was the atmosphere of a shared journey. That was essential and of great importance to me: the spirit of shared striving. Of competition in the best sense.«
»The supposed contrasts, in particular, contributed to making the 12th edition of the ‘Franz Schubert and Modern Music’ competition an unforgettable experience. The repertoire requirements combined the familiar with the new, while the inclusion of Anselm Hüttenbrenner’s works anchored the competition in a regional context, forming an antithesis to the international focus of many foreign-language poetry settings. Both Schubert and the contemporary repertoire featured known and unknown songs. The finalists particularly enjoyed the opportunity to work with Annette Schlünz on her commissioned piece, which they had to learn in just 36 hours. The Lied LABoratory in the semi-final encouraged the participants to contribute their own creative, cross-border ideas, and produced some astonishing and encouraging results. The art of song is livelier and more colourful than ever. The ‘Franz Schubert and Modern Music’ competition is an important source of inspiration and a trendsetter for this development.«
»Although every competition is unique, we experienced this year a noticeable shift in the expertise that the young Piano Trios showed in their interpretations of contemporary music. In past competitions, contemporary music was sometimes presented with some insecurity, being an aspect that ‘fulfilled‘ competition requirements. This year, many young Piano Trios showed great ease in their technical implementations as well as a willingness to reach for extremes in their interpretations. This was especially clear in the many truly impressive performances of the mandatory work, the prizewinning piece of the International Composition Competition 2024. Again, this edition reflected the original idea of the Schubert Competition, high-lighting the immensely difficult task for young Piano Trios to perform the two great Piano Trios of Franz Schubert: these masterpieces of the Piano Trio literature will always present, also for future generations, the almost insurmountable challenges for the genre, making these works ideal for scrutinizing the artistry of any Piano Trio. I look forward to following how this development will continue in the near future.«
This was the first piano duo competition in Graz in more than thirty years, and the first we had the pleasure of curating. It was therefore especially exciting to hear how young duos would rise to the challenge of playing a large repertoire of Schubert’s Oeuvre for piano, four hands and contemporary works in a variety of styles and eras. The competition exceeded our expectations. We have witnessed some fantastic duos, wonderful music making and many inspiring moments. The competitors also explored repertoire for two pianists written by female composers, for which we awarded a special prize. It was rewarding to hear many interesting works and to contribute to the lesser-known part of our ensemble’s repertoire. We are especially proud to have prizewinners from the KUG and we look forward to both following the winners’ careers and to the next FS&MM Piano Duo competition.
1ST PRIZE € 9.000 plus 1 year of career consulting and guidance donated by the City of Graz & SPECIAL PRIZE € 1.000 for the best interpretation of the commissioned work by Annette Schlünz donated by the City of Graz
DUO FELSBERGA & ECKHAUT
Katrīna Paula Felsberga (Soprano, Latvia) & Justine Eckhaut (Piano, France)
2ND PRIZE € 6.500 donated by the City of Graz &
STACEY BARTSCH MEMORIAL PRIZE € 1.000
for the best interpretation of a Lied by Franz Schubert or Anselm Hüttenbrenner donated by the relatives of Stacey Bartsch
DUO NOH & PFAHLER
Annemarie Pfahler (Soprano, Germany) & Suryeon Noh (Piano, South Korea)
3RD PRIZE € 4.500 donated by the City of Graz
DUO ARDEA
Laure-Catherine Beyers (Soprano, Belgium) & Ana Ostojić (Piano, Serbia)
1ST PRIZE € 13.500 plus 1 year of career consulting and guidance donated by the Province of Styria &
SPECIAL PRIZE CD PRODUCTION & PROMOTION worth ~ € 11.000 donated by the Kunstuniversität Graz
Lili Bogdanova (Piano, Bulgaria), Chiara Sannicandro (Violin, Germany/Italy) & Annie Jacobs-Perkins (Violoncello, USA)
2ND PRIZE € 9.750 donated by the Province of Styria
SPECIAL PRIZE € 1.500 for the best interpretation of the prizewinning work of the International Composition Competition Piano Trio 2024 donated by the Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft m.b.H.
Berniya Hamie (Piano, Great Britain), Maja Horvat (Violin, Slovenia), Riya Hamie (Violoncello, Great Britain)
3RD PRIZE € 6.750 donated by the Province of Styria
BERNSTEIN TRIO
Julia Stephan (Piano, Germany), Roman Tulchynsky (Violin, Germany), Marei Schibilsky (Violoncello, Germany)
1ST PRIZE € 9.000 plus 1 year of career consulting and guidance donated by the Kunstuniversität Graz
Tereza Gugg-Kalábová (Czech Republic) & Johannes Gugg (Austria)
2ND PRIZE € 6.500 donated by the Kunstuniversität Graz
Agnieszka Zahaczewska-Książek & Krzysztof Książek (Poland)
3RD PRIZE € 4.500 donated by the Kunstuniversität Graz
Beatrice Dallagnese & Eleonora Dallagnese (Italy)
SPECIAL PRIZE €1.000 for the best interpretation of a composition by a female composer donated by the Kunstuniversität Graz
Marina Panova & Matteo Gobbini (Italy)
Ana: » Privately we are able to have so much fun. So, it was very natural to have fun on stage as well and do this kind of performance. We didn’t want to cut this part of our personalities. We see this connection between us as a plus to somehow more classical artistic work. «
Laure: » I also think that we know that we don’t fit into the box of a classic Lied Duo. That it would be stupid to try to hide that fact – so let’s highlight it! «
Duo Ardea, 3rd prize
For the first time as part of the FS&MM competition, a special prize of a professional CD production and promotion was announced. An extended jury group specially engaged for this prize was invited to attend the finals of each competition category.
Annett Baumeister (Germany) | Cultural Manager City of Staufen, former Program Director of Heidelberger Frühling GmbH
Inna Davidova (Latvia) | Director of the Herman Braun Foundation
Birgit Hinterholzer (Austria) | Secretary General of Jeunesse - Musikalische Jugend Österreichs
Ulf Werner (Germany) | Program Director at the Konzerthaus Berlin
Trio Brontë was selected by this Extended Jury from all the finalists in the three categories to receive this special prize. The total value of the production amounts to around €11,000.
In October 2025, the CD will be released physically and digitally on the Solo Musica label and marketed by the PR agency NO.TE.
In addition to the prize money, the first prizewinners receive individual career advice and support for a period of one year from the three renowned artist coaches Marc van der Heijde, Aimée Paret and Andreas Vierziger, starting right after the competition. The aim is to use the momentum gained from the success of the competition to determine the next steps. A key issue for the competition is ensuring that the winners receive immediate support following their success.
The three coaches provide individual support on a rotational basis in various subject areas:
COMMUNICATION TRAINING
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SELF-MANAGEMENT
WAYS TO FIND AN AGENCY BRANDING
The first prizewinners Duo Felsberga & Eckhaut, Trio Brontë and Piano Duo Kalabova & Gugg were introduced to the three coaches during the competition and began their online sessions in rotation right afterwards.
» This experience has inspired us more than ever, and we are already preparing our upcoming concerts with great enthusiasm, supported by the career coachings that will help us shape the next steps of our journey. «
Duo Felsberga
& Eckhaut, 1st prize
Katrīna Paula Felsberga, Soprano
Justine Eckhaut, Piano
1st Prize & Special Prize for the best interpretation of the commissioned work by Annette Schlünz see page 65
Katrīna Paula Felsberga (soprano) and Justine Eckhaut (piano) met in 2021 at the Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK). Both are passionate lovers of Lieder and mélodies, as well as scholarship holders of the Lied Academy of the Heidelberger Frühling Festival, of which Thomas Hampson is Artistic Director. They both took part in Axel Bauni’s contemporary song classes in Berlin. They first performed together as a duo in Berlin in June 2024 and are currently preparing new projects for 2025, including a song masterclass and a concert at the berlied festival. Both artists love to explore and experiment with new concert repertoires and formats together.
Latvian soprano Katrīna Paula Felsberga made her debut as Adina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at the Latvian National Opera at the beginning of the 2024/25 season. She has previously appeared at the Latvian National Opera in roles including Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Giannetta in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore. In 2024, she was honoured with the Latvian Great Music Award as ‘Young Artist of the Year’. Born in Riga, Latvia, she studied at the Riga Cathedral Choir School, where she earned a diploma in classical singing and choral conducting, and completed her bachelor’s degree at the Universität der Künste Berlin.
The French pianist Justine Eckhaut studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Lyon with Florent Boffard (piano) and David Selig (Lied interpretation, opera and chamber music) and at the Universität der Künste Berlin with Björn Lehmann (piano) and Eric Schneider (Lied interpretation). Since 2019, she has been a lecturer at the vocal faculty of the Universität der Künste Berlin. Since 2022, she has also been the pianist and coach of the children’s choir of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin under the direction of Vinzenz Weissenburger. Passionately committed to ensemble work and contemporary music, she regularly works with the Kammerensemble Neue Musik (KNM) Berlin. She is a prizewinner at the Collioure International Piano Competition and is supported by the Adami (French organisation for the support of artists).
Annemarie Pfahler, Soprano Suryeon Noh, Piano
2nd Prize & Stacey Bartsch Memorial Prize for the best interpretation of a Lied by Franz Schubert or Anselm Hüttenbrenner see page 76
The musicians Annemarie Pfahler (soprano) and Suryeon Noh (piano) met during their master’s studies at the Musikhochschule Hannover, where they soon developed a diverse and intensive musical and personal exchange. After taking masterclasses together with Benjamin Scheuer, Claudia Barainsky and Anne Le Bozec, as well as intensive lessons with Jan Philip Schulze, they formed a permanent duo. The strength of the ensemble lies in the combination of two versatile, strong personalities, who share a love of detail as well as the unconditional will to convey emotions to the listener.
The young soprano Annemarie Pfahler studied concert and opera singing with Thilo Dahlmann at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt from 2018 to 2022. She then completed a master’s degree in opera at the Musikhochschule Hannover, where she is now continuing her studies in the solo class with Marina Sandel. Since 2022, she
has been studying Lied interpretation with Jan Philip Schulze and is being tutored in the field of new music by Claudia Barainsky. From the coming season, she will be a soloist and part of the ensemble at the Gärtnerplatztheater in Munich. She is a prizewinner at various international competitions, including the International Haydn Competition (3rd prize).
Suryeon Noh studied music at Kyunghee University in Seoul, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in piano performance in 2016. She then continued her studies at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden, where she obtained a master’s degree in piano and an artistic graduate degree in the master class of Winfried Apel. Since autumn 2022, she has been studying chamber music and Lied interpretation in the master’s programme with Jan Philip Schulze at the Musikhochschule Hannover. She is the winner of various international competitions and has already performed as a soloist on numerous occasions.
3rd Prize
Laure-Catherine Beyers (soprano) and Ana Ostojić (piano) form the dynamic Duo Ardea, that seamlessly blends contemporary and classical music, as well as traditional and more experimental and performative repertoire. Their partnership began in Graz during their master’s studies in Performance Practice in Contemporary Music at the Kunstuniversität Graz. In January 2024, they collaborated on a landmark project where they workshopped and performed Helmut Lachenmann’s demanding piece “Got Lost,” under the direct guidance of the composer himself. This experience highlighted their exceptional musical synergy and shared passion for making complex music accessible and communicative.
The duo is dedicated to exploring a wide range of genres and periods, as well as bringing a fresh interpretation to the standard Lied repertoire. Their background in contemporary music allows them to approach traditional scores with creativity and freedom, infusing each piece with their unique artistic voices, all the while
with a great respect to the great tradition of the exquisite Art Song repertoire.
At the heart of the duo’s mission lies a desire to avoid being confined by tradition. They seek to honor the rich history of the Lied while also bringing a modern, innovative approach to their performances, for example by combining more standard and contemporary Lied repertoire with performative pieces. This includes reimagining the standard repertoire through the lens of their contemporary experiences, and infusing each piece with the duos own identities and artistic voices. Their goal is to tell compelling stories that resonate with today’s audiences while maintaining the integrity and beauty of the original works.
In August 2024, they were featured at the Kultursommer Wien festival, where they performed their recital ‘Got Lost, Traveling through Soundscapes’. Their performances are marked by a strong commitment to storytelling and communication, making them a compelling presence on stage.
» We are very impressed how supportive the competition organization has been in terms of career development, which is probably the most important prize for winning a competition. We are lucky to have received several invitations for concerts at great venues for the next three seasons. «
Trio Brontë, 1st
prize
Lili Bogdanova, Piano
Chiara Sannicandro, Violin
Annie Jacobs-Perkins, Violoncello
1st Prize & Special Prize CD production and promotion see page 18
Trio Brontë was founded in Berlin in 2022 and consists of German-Italian violinist Chiara Sannicandro, Bulgarian pianist Lili Bogdanova, and American cellist Annie Jacobs-Perkins. After playing together for only a few months, the Trio Brontë won 1st prize at the 2023 Ilmari Hannikainen International Piano Chamber Music Competition in Finland. 2025 has brought them more success, including 1st prize and the special prize of a CD production at the “Franz Schubert und die Musik der Moderne” Competition in Graz, Austria, and 2nd prize at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Hochschulwettbewerb in Berlin, Germany.
Highlights of their recent seasons include performances at the Konzerthaus Berlin, Stefaniensaal Graz, Mendelssohn-Haus Leipzig, and Aldeburgh’s Jubilee Hall, as well as being a 2024-2025 Britten Pears Young Artist. Further performances have brought them to Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK.
In March of 2023, Trio Brontë appeared as the soloist for Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Jyväskylä Sinfonia under the baton of Jan Söderblom. Their performance from this concert was featured on the Areena Broadcasting Company of Finland. After winning a grant from the Bulgarian “Culture Perspectives” Foundation, they collaborated to present their program “Un Jour,” focusing on works by Germaine Tailleferre, Mel Bonis, Kaija Saariaho, and Lili Boulanger in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Annie, Lili, and Chiara met while studying at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin where they are currently coached by Jonathan Aner. They have received additional coaching from Eldar Nebolsin, Troels Svane, Frans Helmerson, and David Waterman.
Berniya Hamie, Piano
Maja Horvat, Violin
Riya Hamie, Violoncello
2nd Prize & Special Prize for the best interpretation of the prizewinning work of the International Composition Competition Piano Trio see page 70
The award-winning Astatine Trio – consisting of Berniya Hamie (piano), Maja Horvat (violin) and Riya Hamie (violoncello) – was formed at the Royal College of Music in London in 2021 and has since become one of the UK’s most exciting young ensembles. Their achievements include first prizes at the Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Competition, the Virtuoso&Belcanto International Chamber Competition (Lucca, Italy) and the UK Senior Intercollegiate Piano Trio Competition in 2022. The trio has performed extensively at home and abroad. As Britten Pears Young Artists for the 2023/24 season, they made their first appearance on BBC Radio 3’s “In Tune” programme in February 2024. Since 2022, the trio has been mentored by Alfred Brendel. Other mentors include Richard Ireland, John Myerscough and Prach Boondiskulchok.
The trio has worked with Alasdair Beatson, Alina Ibragimova, David Waterman, the Gould Trio and the Busch Trio, among others, and has
performed at Snape Maltings, the Musique à Flaine Festival and at the University of Cambridge as part of ChamberStudio’s first Hans Keller Forum. From 2024, they will take part in masterclasses across Europe as part of the European Chamber Music Academy.
Passionate about New Music, the trio was awarded the SEAM Prize for Contemporary Music at the 2023 International Chamber Music Competition in Lyon, where they were the youngest finalists. Upcoming projects include the world premiere of a new piano trio by Tim Salter, written especially for the trio.
They are grateful for the support of ChamberStudio, the Piano Trio Society, Maggie Grimsdell (Music at Longhill Road), Philip Carne and the Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust.
Shortly after the competition concluded, the Astatine Trio was selected as one of the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists for the 2025–27 period.
» We had an intense and productive time preparing for the competition in Graz. We feel so grateful that we were able to share all the repertoire we prepared with the wonderful audience, and so much enjoyed performing in the beautiful Florentinersaal! «
Julia Stephan, Piano
Roman Tulchynsky, Violin
Marei Schibilsky, Violoncello
3rd Prize
The Bernstein Trio was founded in 2022 and consists of Roman Tulchynsky (violin), Marei Schibilsky (cello) and Julia Stephan (piano). The musicians met at the Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Musikgymnasium in Berlin and are now studying at the Universität der Künste Berlin and the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin. Their joint lessons are led by Jonathan Aner. The trio has taken part in masterclasses in Germany, France and Switzerland and has worked with artists such as Antoine Tamestit, Valentin Erben, Dirk Mommertz and the Artemis and Vogler Quartets. It is sponsored by Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland and made its debut at the Rheingau Music Festival in 2023, where it received the HA Hessen Agentur GmbH sponsorship award. At the German Music Competition 2024, the trio was included in the German Music Competition concert sponsorship programme along with a scholarship and was awarded a special prize by the Friends of Young Musicians Meerbusch Düsseldorf e.V. At the Felix MendelssohnBartholdy University Competition 2025, the
trio won 1st prize, the special prize for the interpretation of the commissioned work and the prize of the Friends of Young Musicians Meerbusch-Düsseldorf. The Bernstein Trio has been a member of the Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Berlin association since 2022. All members are scholarship holders of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes.
Julia Stephan has been studying at the Universität der Künste Berlin in Lucas Blondeel’s piano class since 2021. She has already won several competitions, including the 8th International Béla Bartók Piano Competition 2024.
Roman Tulchynsky began his career in 2011 as a young student in Würzburg. He won several prizes at competitions, including 1st prize at the Märkische Musiktage 2016. His studies took him to the Universität der Künste Berlin, where he began in 2020.
Marei Schibilsky has been studying at Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin since 2021. Marei has won numerous national and international competitions, including the 2nd International Music Competition musica goritiensis in 2022.
» Ultimately, true authenticity comes from our own understanding of the music. While recordings offer insight into different interpretations, our goal is to make the music our own – bringing out what we believe the composer intended while staying true to our artistic instincts. «
Duo Kalabova & Gugg, 1st prize
Tereza Gugg-Kalábová
1st Prize
Ever since winning a special prize at the 2021 ARD International Music Competition, the piano duo has regularly performed at major concert halls. In the 2023/24 season, they played at the Wiener Konzerthaus and the Brahms Hall of the Wiener Musikverein. Furthermore, they performed for the first time at the Athenaeum in Bucharest - as a replacement for Martha Argerich.
Born in the Czech Republic in 1998, Tereza Gugg-Kalábová and Johannes Gugg, an Austrian, have been a piano duo since their youth. Thanks to their early collaboration, they experienced a large part of their musical development together, which is evident in their deep mutual understanding and absolute musical synchronisation.
The ambitious duo has been awarded first prize many times, for example at the Austrian music competition Prima la musica, the Franz Schubert Competition in Jesenik (Czech Republic), the Music and Earth Competition in Sofia, the Vlastimil Lejsek Piano Duo Competition in Brno, the Suzana Szörenyi Duo Competition in
Bucharest (including the audience award), the International Summer Academy of the mdw, the Martha Debelli Scholarship of Kunstuniversität Graz and the ArtePiano Competition in Castelnuovo di Farfa. They also won second prizes at the 14th International Piano Competition in Rome and at the Duettissimo Piano Duo Competition in Krakow, where they were also awarded the Mozart Prize.
They have already performed several times with various orchestras such as the Krakow Philharmonic, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Webern Chamber Philharmonic and the Brno Conservatory Orchestra. Their performance of Carl Czerny’s piano concerto for four hands with the Webern Chamber Philharmonic was broadcast on ORF as part of a benefit concert for ‘Licht ins Dunkel’.
Both graduated with distinction from their solo studies at the Kunstuniversität Graz with Ayami Ikeba in June 2022 and are currently continuing their musical education in the class of the Piano Duo Silver-Garburg.
The duo has been selected for the NASOM funding programme of the Austrian Foreign Ministry for the years 2025-2026.
Agnieszka Zahaczewska-Książek
Krzysztof Książek
2nd Prize
The Książek Piano Duo was founded in Krakow in 2012 by Agnieszka Zahaczewska-Książek and Krzysztof Książek. Together they have performed in many places in Poland and abroadSwitzerland, France, Germany, Great Britain, South Africa, Thailand, both in recitals and with orchestras. The duo has a wide repertoire, both for four hands and for two pianos, in which Polish music has a special place.
The ensemble has won prizes at various competitions. Among others, they won the 1st prize at the 2nd International Stanislaw Moniuszko Competition for Polish Music in Rzeszow (2021). The duo was also nominated for the “Koryfeusz Muzyki Polskiej” award in the “Discovery of the Year” category. The ensemble has released two CDs so far.
Agnieszka Zahaczewska-Książek graduated from the Piano School of Stefan Wojtas and Wojciech Świtała and the Chamber Music School of Maria Szwajger-Kułakowska and Chia Chou. She currently teaches at the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Krakow.
Krzysztof Książek is a graduate of the Music Academies in Krakow and Bydgoszcz in the class of Stefan Wojtas. From 2016 to 2022 he studied in the class of Arie Vardi at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover as part of his postgraduate studies. He was a scholarship holder of the “Młoda Polska” scholarship program. In March 2014 he was awarded the Krystian Zimerman Scholarship. Krzysztof Książek is represented by the Ludwig van Beethoven Society.
3rd
Beatrice and Eleonora Dallagnese are 24-year-old twin sisters from Treviso (Italy) who have been taking piano lessons since they were four years old. In 2015 they were accepted to the prestigious International Piano Academy “Incontri col Maestro” in Imola and graduated in 2023 both as soloists under the direction of masters Fliter, Petrushansky and Fiuzzi and as piano duo with masters Zuccarini and Carusi. In 2018 they graduated from the “C. Pollini” Conservatory in Padua with the highest grades cum laude and honorable mention.
In addition to various master classes, they have participated in numerous national and international piano competitions, both as soloists and as a piano duo. They have won 45 absolute first prizes, including the “Piano talents” International Piano Competition in Milan. In 2022 they were appointed Yamaha Artists and recorded their first album “Iter”. They regularly give concerts and have performed in some of the most prestigious concert series and festivals, such as the Accademia Filarmonica di Verona and the Società del Quartetto di Milano.
» We believe that the aim of this competition is to discover musicians who are able to perform the classical repertoire masterfully, while also demonstrating a strong understanding of contemporary musical language. «
Marina Panova
Matteo Gobbini
Special Prize for the best interpretation of a work by a female composer
see page 78
We would particularly like to highlight two ensembles that qualified for the final alongside the main prizewinners thanks to their exceptional performances. The high-calibre jury invited a fourth ensemble per category to the final from
the large number of entries — 66 in the Lied Duo category and 49 in the Piano Trio category — demonstrating their high level of performance. These ensembles were the Duo Feldmann & Domanski and the Trio Goldmund.
» The music and the performers are at the centre, […] it’s particularly true here. Nowadays, much more thought is given to how I can provide support afterwards […]. And I have the impression that a lot is really being done here at the competition in Graz. «
Götz Schumacher, Piano Duo jury
» The audience has been very supportive, and the groups have supported each other. I really have the impression that they all care about each other! Of course, somebody may be disappointed and maybe feel a bit let down, but my impression has been of a warm and constructive atmosphere. «
Ellen Margrete Flesjø, Piano Trio juror
» I think Schubert is maybe the most fascinating composer for four hands and so much is revealed when these musicians play his music. We can really understand their personality, their touch, the way they listen, the way they do the pedaling and this is really, really interesting to me. «
Shani Diluka, Piano Duo juror
Our “A Lied in 36 hours” challenge was once again a central component of the competition. For the FS&MM 2025, renowned German composer Annette Schlünz was invited to create a piece of music for the final round of the competition. “Spätlicht“ was kept strictly under lock and key until it was handed over to all finalists on February 11, 2025 by the composer herself.
The four Lied Duos – Duo Ardea, Feldmann & Domanski, Felsberga & Eckhaut and Noh & Pfahler –who had qualified for the finals, had less than 36 hours to study the commissioned work, including a short coaching session with Annette Schlünz. The world premiere of “Spätlicht“ could then be followed live, on site in Graz or via live streaming. Each version (for low/middle/high voice) was premier-performed during the finals.
The jury awarded a special prize for the best interpretation of “Spätlicht“ to the Duo Felsberga & Eckhaut.
» It’s a great idea to offer this challenge to practice a piece in such a short time. But it’s also a challenge to write a piece for it […]. With the composition for the competition, I tried to give the performers as wide a range of expression and dynamics as possible. This is certainly more fun than a piece with a constant mood. «
Annette Schlünz
Biography Annette Schlünz
Born in Dessau in 1964, she now lives and works as a freelance composer in southern Germany and France.
She studied composition, piano and conducting at the Dresden University of Music (under Udo Zimmermann) and the Berlin University of the Arts (under Paul-Heinz Dittrich) until 1991. She then worked as an artistic adviser for the contemporary music festival in Dresden until 2006. Her works have been performed all over the world. She has written chamber and orchestral music, five operas, and electronic music, and has realised some performances involving piano and video. Her latest opera, Tre volti (commissioned by SWR and the Siemens Foundation), premiered at the Schwetzinger Festspiele in 2017.
She teaches composition masterclasses in various European countries, Vietnam, and North and South America, and has been the director of the Impuls Festival Saxony-Anhalt‘s composition campus since 2015. Since 2013, she has taught composition at the Academy-Conservatory in Strasbourg, where she has also organised composition workshops for young composers. She is also part of the teaching team at the Komponistenklasse Dresden and has served as a judge in international composition competitions.
Her honours include the Hanns Eisler Prize (1990) and the Heidelberg Artists‘ Prize (1998). She has also received scholarships for the German Academy Villa Massimo in Rome (1999), the Schloss Solitude Academy in Stuttgart (2000), the GRAME electronic studio in Lyon, the Schreyahn Artistic Residence in Germany (2006 and 2017), and the Centro Tedesco di Studi Veneziani (2014). She is a member of the Academies of Arts in Dresden (since 2010), Hamburg (since 2011) and Berlin (since 2021), as well as the artistic advisory council of the HEAR in Strasbourg-Mulhouse (2014–17). Since 2021, she has also been a member of the faculty at the Lübeck University of Music.
www.ricordi.com/de-DE/Composers/S/Schlunz-Annette.aspx www.boosey.com/schlunz
Read the interview with Annette Schlünz conducted by Christa Brüstle here:
» We have learned an incredible amount –musically, but also on a personal level. The intensive examination of our program has brought us even closer together. I have the feeling that we have grown as a duo and taken a lot from it for the future. That’s why we’re all the more excited to create new projects! «
Duo Noh & Pfahler, 2nd prize
The semifinals offered space to creativity of the participants. At least one work had to be presented as a sort of “Lied laboratory”, i.e. a field of experimentation in which the performers incorporate their own creative ideas. The ideas could include performative as well as visual, musical and other elements and were meant to reduce the increasingly perceived distance between art song performers and the audience. It was up to the creativity of the performers to decide how these elements complement the work, make it more accessible, or add an extra layer of depth and meaning to it.
» We absolutely loved preparing the LiedLab – a true playground where we could explore, experiment, and improvise. This research process helped us shape our very personal approach and build a stronger musical identity. «
Duo Felsberga & Eckhaut, 1st prize
» The piece always sounds different and it’s a dream for us [composers] when the performers play the piece several times and grow with it and also give the audience the opportunity to compare. «
Annette Schlünz
In the context of the FS&MM 2025, contemporary compositions for Piano Trio (piano, violin and cello) were sought. This composition competition, conducted for the first time as part of the World Federation of International Music Competitions, aims to encourage the creation of new works in this chamber music category.
NACHTMANN, Miroslav SRNKA, Hilda PAREDES
The following works were awarded among 206 entries of 54 nations: Raum der Natur composed by Sergi PUIG (Spain) Fields, Cities, Skies, and Ruins composed by Xiaowen LEI (China)
Each composer received a prize money in the amount of € 2.500, donated by the GRAWE –Grazer Wechselseitige Versicherung AG.
All participants of the FS&MM competition in the Piano Trio category were asked to choose one of the two prizewinning compositions, to be premiered as part of the second-round program of the competition.
The best interpretation of the piece „Fields, Cities, Skies, and Ruins“ went to the Astatine Trio.
» It was an honour for us to be recognised with two prizes, including the special prize for best performance of Xiaowen Lei’s trio, which we had lots of fun exploring and bringing to life! «
Astatine Trio, 2nd prize
In addition to the competition itself, one of the main aims of the competition is to offer a wide range of career development opportunities so that every participant can take something away with them for the future. Under the motto #career, individual feedback sessions with all jurors and individual career counselling with the career coaches Marc van der Heijde, Krystian Nowakowski, Aimée Paret and Andreas Vierziger were therefore held for all participants during the competition period. The programme was rounded off with keynotes and workshops on various topics with invited guests:
Keynote & Workshop by Elitsa Desseva (1st prizewinner together with Mikhail Timoshenko, baritone, FS&MM 2018) on Programming Art Song in a Concert Context
Workshop by Lina Maria Åkerlund on Nonverbal Lied Art – Consciously Embodying the Art Song in Performance
Keynote by Marc van der Heijde (Green Room Creatives) on Branding for Musicians – Introduction to the Topic of Public Profile Development
Keynote by Krystian Nowakowski (NO.TE) on Ecosystem of an Artist Career – Players, Gatekeepers & Supporters
Stage Presence Training 5 Rhythms with Stefania Kregel
» I personally find it very interesting that today it is much more about the conception of the programme. […] I hope that there will be future participants who will feel this and hopefully also inspire them. «
Samuel Hasselhorn, Lied Duo jury
Stacey Bartsch, Associate Professor of Piano Accompaniment and long-time accompanist in the vocal department, worked at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz for over a quarter of a century. As a musician and human being, she left a lasting mark on the university and especially on the vocal department, where she was deputy director.
Her numerous successes in international competitions include a main prize in the Lied Duo category at the 6th International Franz Schubert and Modern Music Competition in 2006, which she won together with baritone Peter McGillivray.
She was particularly interested in the largely unknown songs of Anselm Hüttenbrenner, a close friend of Franz Schubert who was born in Graz. Hüttenbrenner‘s extensive estate was loaned to the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz by his heirs.
Out of a deep connection to the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and the „Franz Schubert and Modern Music“ Competition, her family donated a special prize in the current competition edition for the outstanding interpretation of a Lied by Franz Schubert or Anselm Hüttenbrenner: according to the rules, a Lied by Schubert could be replaced by a work by Hüttenbrenner. The prize was awarded to the Duo Noh & Pfahler for their moving interpretation of Schubert‘s Die Gebüsche D 646 (Friedrich Schlegel).
The FS&MM pays great attention to updating & creating its repertoire lists. Before a new competition edition is announced, publishers are contacted in order to review new publications and add them to the repertoire after they have been reviewed by the Artistic Committee members from each category. The following statistical analyses are intended to highlight some interesting aspects; the complete repertoire requirements can be found online at schubert.kug.ac.at.
The repertoire of the 20 Lied Duos invited after the pre-selection included a total of 138 Schubert Lieder, 100 of which were different, representing a pleasingly wide variety. Only two songs were chosen four times each: An mein Herz D 860 (Schulze) and Auf der Bruck op. 93/2 D 853 (Schulze),
while all others were chosen only two or three times. Seventy-five songs appeared only once on the participants‘ repertoire lists. Among the large number of Schubert Lieder selected, there are fortunately also some that are very rarely performed, including, for example: Lob des Tokayers D 248 (Baumberg), Rückweg D 476 (Mayrhofer), Täglich zu singen D 533 (Claudius), Luisens Antwort D 319 (Kosegarten) and Der Unglückliche D 713 (Pichler).
The option to exchange a Schubert Lied for a Lied by Anselm Hüttenbrenner was taken up four times: three different Hüttenbrenner Lieder were found in the programs: Der Wanderer twice, Der Erlkönig and Die beiden Zecher once each.
The selection of Lieder from the field of modern and contemporary music by the invited participants also revealed a great variety. A total of 219 Lieder by 91 composers, including 14 female composers, were selected for the three rounds of the competition repertoire, of which only eleven songs were identical: only one song – Olivier Messiaen‘s Résurrection from Chants de Terre et de Ciel op. 23 – was chosen by three Lied Duos, and only ten other songs were chosen twice.
Berg, Alban 4 Gesänge op. 2: 4. Warm, die Lüfte
Bernstein, Leonard La bonne cuisine: 4. Rabbit at Top Speed
Britten, Benjamin On this Island op. 11: 1. Let the Florid Music Praise
Messiaen, Olivier Poèmes pour Mi: 4. Épouvante
Mundry, Isabel Anagramm Wer?: 3. Lass mich doch!
Rihm, Wolfgang Wölfli-Liederbuch: 1. Ich habe dich geliebet
Seither, Charlotte Dir, mir zu
Strawinsky, Igor Trois poésies de la lyrique japonaise K016: 2. Mazatsumi von Webern, Anton Vier Lieder op. 12: 3. Schien mir‘s, als ich sah die Sonne
Among the selected works were five that had not yet been performed and were scheduled to premiere during the competition. However, due to early elimination, only one of these works –Yentl Tijssens‘ Au repos (2023) – could be premiered by the semifinalists Duo Bæk & Dragomir.
The participants‘ selection in the Piano Trio category was very diverse in the field of contemporary music. Of the 20 trios invited to Graz, the following 13 different works, composed after 1978, were chosen for the final.
Auerbach, Lera
Carter, Elliott
Françaix, Jean
Górecki, Mikołaj
Trio Nr. 1 (1992/93)
Epigrams (2012)
Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1986)
Sechs Bagatellen für Klavier, Violine und Violoncello op. 5 (2014/16)
Grime, Helen Three Whistler Miniatures (2011)
Hersant, Philippe
Variations sur la „Sonneries de Sainte-Geneviève-du-Mont” de Marin Marais (1998)
Iannotta, Clara Il colore dell’ ombra (2010)
Murphy, Kelly-Marie
Müller-Hornbach, Gerhard
Rihm, Wolfgang
Saariaho, Kaija
Takemitsu, Tōru
Winkelman, Helena
Give Me Phoenix Wings To Fly (1997)
Klaviertrio (1978)
Fremde Szene I für Klaviertrio (1982)
Light and Matter (2014)
Between Tides (1993)
Diurne – ein Klaviertrio (2018)
After more than 30 years of competition history, the category Piano Duo found its way back to become one of the competition categories in 2025. The members of the Artistic Committee responsible for the Piano Duo category were particularly keen to focus on music by female composers, which is rarely heard.
To reinforce the importance of these works, a special prize was awarded for the best interpretation of a work by a female composer. Participants were encouraged to perform several works from the
so-called repertoire list 3 (one work was compulsory), which is made up exclusively of works by female composers, or of their own choice, all of which were considered for the prize. The special prize was awarded to the Duo Panova & Gobbini (see page 44) for their interpretation of VAN… (2014) by Hanna Kulenty. This piece was one of the most chosen pieces.
» It is impossible to cover everything, but I hope we did find a selection that is both interesting, versatile and that showcases the competitor’s different abilities. «
Gil Garburg, Artistic Committee
Take a look at the statistics on the chosen works by female composers and how often they were chosen, based on the 20 invited Piano Duos.
Kulenty, Hanna
Tailleferre, Germaine
Chen, Yi
VAN… for Piano, Four Hands 6x
Toccata pour deux pianos 6x
Deux Valses 6x
Sonate pour deux pianos 4x
China West Suite for Two Pianos 2x
Trimble, Joan Sonatina 2x
Markiewiczówna, Władysława Suite for Two Pianos 2x
Bofill Leví, Anna
Tailleferre, Germaine
Wallen, Errollyn
Sis per quatre per a piano a quatre mans 1x
1x
The Girl in My Alphabet for Two Pianos 1x
Bofill Leví, Anna Sis per quatre per a piano a quatre mans (2008)
Chen, Yi China West Suite for Two Pianos (2008)
Fontyn, Jacqueline
Spirales pour 2 pianos (1974)
Frank, Gabriela Lena Sonata Serrana No. 1 for Piano, Four Hands (2012)
Gideon, Miriam Hommage à ma jeunesse Sonatina for Two Pianos (1935)
Gubaidulina, Sofia
Fantasie über das Thema S-H-E-A, für zwei Klaviere (2008)
Kulenty, Hanna VAN... for Piano, Four Hands (2014)
Larsen, Libby
Lomon, Ruth
79 Fossil Gestures of Antonio Alberto De Biedma (2011) Gavel Patter (2004/2013)
24 Soundings for Piano, Four Hands (1975)
Markiewiczówna, Władysława Suite for Two Pianos (1936)
Mazzoli, Missy
Musgrave, Thea
Pentland, Barbara
Ptaszynska, Marta
Ran, Shulamit
Richter, Marga
Tailleferre, Germaine
Tann, Hilary
Trimble, Joan
Wallen, Errollyn
The Night Ahead and No Real Fate for Piano, Four Hands and Electronics (2020)
Excursions: 8 Pieces for Piano Duet (1965)
Three Piano Duets after Pictures by Paul Klee (1958)
Three Interludes (1969)
Ten Children‘s Scenes (1970)
Variations on a Theme by Latimer, for Piano, Four Hands (1969)
Sonate pour deux pianos (1974)
Jeux de plein air (1918) and Image (1918)
Intermezzo (1946) and Larghetto (1946)
Toccata pour deux pianos (1957) and Deux Valses (1962)
Water‘s Edge for Two Pianos (1993)
Sonatina (1940)
The Girl in My Alphabet for Two Pianos (1990)
» There are two logics for the choice of repertoire. One is that the contestants will be able to show different facets, different abilities to play in different genres. And the other is really in an educational way, to make the duos be aware of the variety of repertoire. «
Sivan Silver, Artistic Committee
As the organiser of the International Chamber Music Competition “Franz Schubert and Modern Music”, the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz is committed to discovering young talents and making them visible and audible – in particular by enabling performances and concerts. In addition to numerous offers for career development, from which all participants can benefit directly on site in Graz (e.g. feedback offer, #career day, individual career counselling, etc.), the FS&MM competition cooperates with numerous national and international organisations in order to bring finalists and prizewinners into contact with them.
We are delighted that the FS&MM competition is endorsed by many renowned festivals, concert organisers and educational institutions – onsite or via live stream. Some of our longstanding partnerships are based on the exceptional caliber of our prizewinners and the captivating artistic performances that can be experienced at the competition. We would like to thank our longstanding partners for repeatedly inviting prizewinners to their festivals and concerts.
» It’s not only a competition, it’s not just about having a winner; the pianists deserve to be heard. They deserve this opportunity to perform at the top level. «
The 12th International Competition “Franz Schubert and Modern Music” was certified by the federal ministry with the Austrian eco-label for green events.
Britta Reininghaus | Secretary General
Tobias Hoffmann & Stefanie Nöst | Production
Ana Jović | Administration & Website
Sabine Laller | Office Management
Daniela Eder | Coordination student employees & Catering
Special thanks go to
• Sabine Göritzer for the team of the Event Management Department
• Kathrin Rosenberger for the Event Centre team, especially Alexandra Vogl & Tamara Nikitser
• Ursula Rosian for the team of the Finance and Personnel Management Department
• Silvia Sonnleitner for the team of the Service Facilities Department, especially piano tuners
Gerhard Milalkovits and Walter Wiedner
• Robert Schiller for the team of the Library, Archive and Collection of musical instruments, especially Carl-Ulrich Friederici and Ingrid Naftz
• Christina Antensteiner for the Finance and Taxes team
• Peter Fischer for the Stage Technology team, especially Daria Urdl
• Hermann Götz for the Public Relations team, especially Anna Kleindinst & Alice Müller
• Philipp Rammer for the Central IT Service team
• Judith Rössl for the Marketing team
• Fabienne Schachner for the Legal team
• Fabian Spörlein for the Sound/Video team and Alisa Kobzar
• Marija Breitfuss-Loidl & Benjamin Hrdina
Equally heartfelt thanks go to all the student employees
Nadine Reinbacher, Nina Smrekar, Tobias Kochseder
Ebi Çokü, Kejsi Çoku, Burcu Melis Demiray, Mykhailo Dioridiev, Helga Gräff, Victoria Trood Grilz, Marija-Katarina Jukić, Anna Klichtyska, Forrest Moody, Nazar Mykytiuk, Veronika Nurijeva, Anna Pankina, Larisa Rojnić, Ilia Smirnov, Fruzsina Szűcs, Kateryna Telina, Nicola Vitale, Elisa Weiß
… and many other KUG employees, without whom the realisation of the competition would not have been possible.
Jelena WIDMANN
Jury Assistant Category Lied Duo
Irina VATERL
Jury Assistant Category Piano Trio
Thilo SEEVERS
Jury Assistant Category Piano Duo
Constanze WIMMER, KUG Vice-Rector
Final rounds in co-moderation with the jury assistants for the respective category
Festive Closing Ceremony
Reflections on the events of the competition can be found in the form of interviews with jurors, prizewinners and guests, conducted by academic staff and KUG professors. This kind of documentation serves as work in progress for further developing the competition, shedding comprehensive and critical light on it. It is relevant to the subject of the Development and Exploration of the Arts (EEK). Following the QR Code you will find all interviews in full length:
Harald Haslmayr & Piano Duo juror Rico Gulda
Gregor Kokorz & Piano Trio juror Ellen Margrete Flesjø
Klaus Aringer and student Clara Nithack with Lied Duo juror Samuel Hasselhorn
Marlene Heiß (see photo) with all three Lied Duo prizewinners:
Duo Felsberga & Eckhaut, Duo Noh & Pfahler, Duo Ardea
Virginia Maia Bernardoni with 1st prizewinners Piano Duo: Duo Kalabova & Gugg
Jennifer Ronyak with 1st prizewinners Piano Trio: Trio Brontë
Christa Brüstle with composer Annette Schlünz
All performances of the FS&MM competition can be found online on our YouTube channel and are organised in ensemble playlists.
Listen in and enjoy the fantastic performances:
YouTube
You can also gain more insight from photos, atmospheric videos and videos on specific competition-related topics with interviews on both the YouTube channel and our website. schubert.kug.ac.at
Special thanks go to Clemens Nestroy, Lucija Novak & Alexander Wenzel | photographers Simon Reithofer www.simon-reithofer.com The Schubidu Quartet www.schubiduquartet.com
The CD presenting our prizewinning ensemble Trio Brontë (see page 18) will be released in October 2025. Please contact the Competition Office (competitions@kug.ac.at) for more information.
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Kronen Zeitung – February 17, 2025
University of Music and Performing Arts Graz: Prizewinners’ concert of the Schubert Competition in Graz In the Stefaniensaal
What a sound! It comes out of nowhere, solidifies into a melody full of sweetness, and then –as delicate as a breath – is gone again. The Berlin based Trio Brontë has just played Schubert’s Allegro from the Piano Trio in B flat major. The winners of the 12th Schubert Competition perform this music with such finesse at the Gala concert in the Stefaniensaal in Graz that it is almost impossible to hear it like this anywhere else.
Delicate nuances and razor-sharp precision are a leitmotif of the evening, which honors all the prizewinning ensembles in the three categories (Lied Duo, Piano Trio and Piano Duo). In the competition organized by the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Schubert meets modern music – resulting in a soundscape as light as perfume. In “Fields, Cities, Skies and Ruins” by composer Xiaowen Lei, born in 1994, the Astatine Trio, second prizewinners, conjure up a whole jewel box of silvery sparkling tones. Or in “Figures de Résonances” by Henri Dutilleux, the two grand pianos of the first prizewinners Piano Duo Kalabova & Gugg sing like glockenspiels.
The vocal contributions broaden the spectrum even further: the Duo Ardea comically imitates a singing fly before the winning duo in the Lied Duo category, Duo Felsberga & Eckhaut, bathe in the moonlit high notes of Annette Schlünz’s “Spätlicht”.
Kleine Zeitung – February 15, 2025
Music week for “young personalities”
Many international winners at the Schubert Competition at the University of Performing Arts in Graz.
For a week, the works of Franz Schubert and Modern Music were explored behind wideopen doors (with free admission) at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz. At the award ceremony in the Ligeti Hall, KUG Vice-Rector Werner Strenger emphasized the impressive experiences that this week-long competition marathon provided at all levels. He highlighted the “precise, heartfelt feedback” from the three high-caliber juries, but also mentioned the “exceptional chamber music presented by young artistic personalities.”
Piano Duos, Lied Duos, and Piano Trios competed this year, with a total of 49 ensembles performing in the three venues on campus. The Berlin-based Brontë Trio, for example, impressed in the final with sparkling piano runs and enormous expressive range in Schubert’s Piano Trio No. 1, even relegating the highly emotional Astatine Trio from London to second place. [...] Third prize in this category went to the Bernstein Trio (also from Berlin).
In the Piano Duo category, which was awarded for the first time, the jury emphasized the completely different artistic approaches of the participants, with first prize remaining in-house, so to speak: both musicians of the Czech-Austrian Piano Duo Kalabova & Gugg graduated with honors from the KUG. Second and third place went to the Ksiazek Piano Duo and the Duo Beatrice & Eleonora Dallagnese. Soprano Laure-Catherine Beyers and pianist Ana Ostojic also studied at the KUG – they met while studying contemporary music in the PPCM study program. As Duo Ardea, they were delighted to win third prize in their category.
The victory in the Lied Duo category went once again to Berlin, to Katrīna Paula Felsberga and Justine Eckhaut. Second prize went to the Duo Noh Pfahler.
Achtzig – February 8, 2025
Every year, February gives universities a break from teaching. The usually bustling campus becomes quiet, and even at music universities there is less rehearsing and practicing. Not so at KUG, where from February 8, 2025, the Franz Schubert International Chamber Music Competition will enliven the buildings, halls, and classrooms. Young musicians from all over the world will come to Graz to take part. After a preliminary selection, 20 duos for voice and piano, 20 trios for piano, violin, and cello, and 20 piano duos will compete in several rounds for the coveted awards. In the halls of the KUG – in the magnificent Florentinersaal of the Palais Meran, on the stage of the Theater im Palais and in the impressive György Ligeti Hall of the MUMUTH – chamber music can be enjoyed every day for a week: at the highest international level and with free admission. And as a final highlight, the winners’ festival will take place as part of the KUG’s main subscription series on February 15, 2025, in the Stefaniensaal of the Graz Congress.
Translation: Competition Office
6 Alexander Wenzel
7 Lucija Novak
8 Wolfgang Zajc
9 Alexander Wenzel
10 Caius Hiticas
12 Alexander Wenzel
13 Lucija Novak
17-18 Lucija Novak
19 from left to right: Bob Bruyn, Thomas Müller, Petra Benovsky
20-45 Lucija Novak
46 top left Alexander Wenzel, all others Lucija Novak
47 Alexander Wenzel
48-59 Lucija Novak
60 top Alexander Wenzel, bottom Lucija Novak
61 Lucija Novak
62 Clemens Nestroy
64-65 Lucija Novak
67 Alexander Wenzel, bottom left Clemens Nestroy
68-71 Lucija Novak
72-73 Alexander Wenzel
74 top right Clemens Nestroy, all others Alexander Wenzel
75 Alexander Wenzel
79 Alexander Wenzel
81 Lucija Novak
85 top and bottom left Lucija Novak, top and bottom right Clemens Nestroy, middle left Alexander Wenzel, middle right Lucija Novak
87 Lucija Novak
88 top and middle left Clemens Nestroy, middle right and bottom Alexander Wenzel
89 Lucija Novak
90 Clemens Nestroy
95 Alexander Wenzel
Current information
All performances on YouTube
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