Die Menschen
hinter der Musik

Alois Mühlbacher, an internationally successful countertenor, made his debut at the Vienna State Opera at age 15. He has performed worldwide, including at the opening gala of the Vladivostok Opera House and the New Year’s concert with the Mozarteum Orchestra.

He has appeared in significant productions such as Telemann’s Pastorelle en musique and Caldara’s Assalonne. With the Ensemble Ars Antiqua Austria, he has given numerous concerts and recorded several CDs. Recently, he made his debut at the Landestheater Linz and is currently performing in Handel’s Rinaldo.

His CD Urlicht received critical acclaim. Mühlbacher lives in Vienna and London and is pursuing his Master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music.

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Born in Hungary, Bettina Simon completed her Soloist and Pedagogical studies as a Recorder player at the Music and Arts University Vienna (MDW) in 2009. 2010 she discovered her passion for the baroque oboe which brought her to the class of Andreas Helm at the Vienna Conservatory (MUK), where she completed her Bachelor Degree in 2016 with highest distinction. She went on to study with Prof.

Katharina Arfken in the Masters program of the highly esteemed Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (Basel, Switzerland) and graduated in 2018 at the top of her class with highest honours. Later on, Bettina Simon has studied as a postgraduate student at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg with Prof. Alfredo Bernardini.

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Dimitris Karakantas, born in 1987 in Larissa, Greece, graduated from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and currently studies Baroque violin at the Hochschule für Musik “Franz Liszt” in Weimar. He also pursued a sound engineering degree at the University of Music Vienna.

He is a prizewinner of several national competitions in Greece and Cyprus, and won the Grand Prix and Audience Prize at the International Festival for Young Musicians in Chișinău, Moldova.

Karakantas performs extensively in Greece and internationally, including in Austria, France, Germany, and Taiwan. He has played as a soloist and chamber musician in major venues like the Musikverein in Vienna and the Megaron in Thessaloniki.

He was a scholarship recipient from the Greek Society of Music Friends and the Greek National Scholarship Foundation.

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Jenny Lippl, born in Vienna, is a highly versatile violinist. She performs as a chamber musician, soloist, and concertmaster in major venues worldwide, including the Vienna Musikverein, Tonhalle Zurich, and La Seine Musicale Paris.

She is a member of Concentus Musicus and concertmaster of Ensemble Continuum Wien, and frequently leads baroque opera projects. At Orchestra 1756, she has been a long-time concertmaster and soloist.

Her trio Klavis, featuring violin, saxophone, and piano, tours Europe, Asia, and Africa. She also collaborates with silent film narrator Ralph Turnheim for live film scores.

Lippl studied violin with Ernst Kovacic, historical performance with Stefan Gottfried, and baroque violin with Hiro Kurosaki at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

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Konstantin Hiller, born in Bavaria, lives and works in Salzburg. After studying in Salzburg and Vienna with a focus on Baroque and Early Classical music, he has been the artistic director of the Salzburger Konzertgesellschaft since 1992. In 2006, he founded the “Orchester 1756” and in 2012 the choir “Cantus XVII”. Since 2016, he has been leading the “SchlossKonzerteMirabell”.

Hiller is dedicated exclusively to historical performances and has performed operas as well as large oratorios and sacred works. He has released numerous CDs and collaborated with artists such as Giuliano Carmignola and Christophe Coin.

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Marelize Gerber is a renowned interpreter of early music and works by Mozart. She regularly performs at international festivals and in prestigious concert halls such as the Vienna Musikverein and Tokyo City Opera Hall.

In 2023, she made her debut at the Salzburg Festival and the Handel Festival in Halle. She is a co-founder of the baroque ensemble Capella Imperialis and has sung numerous opera and oratorio roles across Europe.

The South African-born soprano lives in Vienna and holds a Master’s degree in Music. Her discography includes recordings for SONY MUSIC and Oehms Classics.

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Nicholas Spanos studied singing with Aris Christofellis in Greece and continued his education at the University of Maryland (USA) with Linda Mabbs. In 2013, he completed a postgraduate degree in Song and Oratorio at mdw and participated in masterclasses with notable teachers.

He has collaborated with ensembles and orchestras such as the Venice Baroque Orchestra, Les Talens Lyriques, Camerata Stuttgart, and Orchestra 1756 Salzburg. Additionally, he has performed with the Greek National Opera, the Megaron in Athens, and various chamber ensembles in Europe and the USA.

Spanos received the “Best Young Artist of the Year” award in 2002 and first prize at the Thessaloniki Artists’ Association TECHNI singing competition in 2006. He has worked for years with Ex Silentio, Latinitas nostra, and the Pandolfis Consort in Vienna and has released several CDs.

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