Led by founder Konstantin Hiller and concertmaster Dimitris Karakantas, the musicians of Orchester 1756 regularly perform Antonio Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” live at Vienna’s Karlskirche (St. Charles Church). The ensemble combines historically informed performance practice with musical precision and is regarded as one of Europe’s renowned Baroque ensembles.
Musicians & Instruments:The People
Behind the Music
The Vivaldi concerts at Vienna’s Karlskirche are brought to life by the musical precision, experience, and passion of the artists of the Viennese baroque ensemble Orchestra 1756. Historically informed performance practice, original instruments, and the unique atmosphere of the Karlskirche come together to create an authentic baroque concert experience in Vienna. Discover the musicians and instruments that bring Antonio Vivaldi’s world-famous Four Seasons to life evening after evening.
Musicians
Alois Mühlbacher
Alois Mühlbacher
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.
Konzerte
Barbara De Menezes Galante
Barbara De Menezes Galante
Barbara de Menezes Galante was born in 1990 in São Paulo, Brazil, into a family of musicians. She began studying the violin at the age of six and, in 2009, she accepted an invitation to pursue a bachelor’s degree at the Mozarteum University Salzburg. Afterwards, she moved to the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW), where she completed her academic training, graduating as Magistra Artium.
Chamber music has always been a central part of Barbara’s musical journey. In the same year she moved to Austria, she became a member of the international ensemble Salzburg Chamber Soloists. With this group, she has performed in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. She was also invited by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to join the Ossiach Orchestra Academy.
In 2014, Barbara received the Eleazar de Carvalho Prize, the most prestigious award for classical musicians in Brazil. Since then, she has been regularly invited as a soloist and lecturer at various institutions, as well as to serve as concertmaster in major Brazilian symphony orchestras.
Barbara is currently a professor of violin and chamber music at the Friedrich Gulda School of Music in Vienna.
Konzerte
Bettina Simon
Bettina Simon
The soprano, Baroque oboist, and recorder player Bettina Simon, born in Hungary, quickly established herself as one of the most versatile artists of her generation.
Bettina Simon made her vocal debut at the Tonhalle Zurich with conductor and recorder player Maurice Steger. She debuted at the Wiener Konzerthaus in N. Porpora’s oratorio David e Bersabea and performed the roles of “Papagena” and “First Lady” in W. A. Mozart’s The Magic Flute at the Herrenchiemsee Festival, at the Konzerthaus Blaibach, and at the Parktheater Augsburg.
Throughout her musical career, she has collaborated with renowned Baroque orchestras on the international stage, including La Cetra Baroque Orchestra, Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Ensemble Matheus, {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna, Capella Cracoviensis, Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra, among others.
Bettina Simon regularly performs as a soloist with the “Orchester 1756,” where she presents programs that combine singing with performances on the Baroque oboe and recorder.
Since 2022, Bettina Simon has been teaching Baroque oboe at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne, Germany.
She is also currently pursuing an artistic-academic doctoral degree at the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Konzerte
Dimitris Karakantas
Dimitris Karakantas
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.
Konzerte
Jenny Lippl
Jenny Lippl
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.
Konzerte
Konstantin Hiller
Konstantin Hiller
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.
Konzerte
Marelize Gerber
Marelize Gerber
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.
Konzerte
Nicholas Spanos
Nicholas Spanos
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.
Konzerte
Our
Instruments
At the concerts performed by Orchester 1756, only historical instruments and carefully reconstructed Baroque instruments are used. These instruments alone make it possible to perform Antonio Vivaldi’s music with an authentic sound true to the Baroque era.
Baroque instruments differ significantly from modern instruments in construction, materials, and playing technique. Especially during the regular performances of “The Four Seasons” at Vienna’s Karlskirche and within its remarkable acoustics, they create a sound remarkably close to the music Antonio Vivaldi originally envisioned.
Historically Informed Performance Practice with Original Instruments
Historically informed performance practice focuses on recreating music of past eras as authentically as possible using historical sources, playing techniques, and instruments. In Baroque music especially, historical original instruments play a central role.
Antonio Vivaldi composed his works for the sound world of the early 18th century. For this reason, Orchester 1756 performs his compositions on historical instruments while consistently following the musical styles and performance practices of his era.
The Baroque violin in particular differs greatly from modern instruments, producing a warmer, softer, and more transparent sound that brings Vivaldi’s virtuosic compositions vividly to life. The harpsichord also plays a key role as a continuo instrument, forming the foundation of the characteristic Baroque sound together with the string instruments.
The combination of historical instruments, authentic performance practice, and the unique atmosphere of Vienna’s Karlskirche creates a concert experience remarkably close to Antonio Vivaldi’s original sound world.
Book Your Concert Experience!
Experience Antonio Vivaldi’s world-famous “Four Seasons” live with Orchester 1756 on historical instruments at Vienna’s Karlskirche (St. Charles Church) — one of Vienna’s most impressive classical concert experiences.
FAQ:Frequently Asked Questions
Historical instruments are original instruments or carefully reconstructed instruments from past musical eras. They differ significantly from modern instruments in construction, materials, and sound. At the Vivaldi concerts performed by Orchester 1756 at Vienna’s Karlskirche, they create an authentic sound remarkably close to the music Antonio Vivaldi originally composed.
Orchester 1756 uses historical instruments to perform Antonio Vivaldi’s music as authentically as possible according to the sound world of the Baroque era. The regular performances of “The Four Seasons” at Vienna’s Karlskirche consistently follow historically informed performance practice and the original musical aesthetics of the 18th century.
Historically informed performance practice aims to recreate Baroque music as authentically as possible using historical sources, playing techniques, and instruments. During the Vivaldi concerts at Vienna’s Karlskirche, Orchester 1756 follows these historical performance practices to recreate the authentic sound of the Baroque era.
Baroque instruments differ from modern instruments in construction, stringing, materials, and playing techniques. This creates a warmer, more transparent, and more natural sound. During Orchester 1756’s performances of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” these instruments create an authentic Baroque sound experience in Vienna’s Karlskirche.
Historical original instruments produce a softer and more natural sound than modern instruments. They reflect the sound world for which Antonio Vivaldi originally composed his music. For this reason, Orchester 1756 performs “The Four Seasons” on historical instruments to recreate Vivaldi’s original sound as authentically as possible.
Together with the string instruments, the harpsichord forms the foundation of the so-called “basso continuo,” the harmonic basis of many Baroque compositions. During the Vivaldi concerts performed by Orchester 1756 at Vienna’s Karlskirche, the harpsichord plays a central role in creating the authentic sound of Baroque music.
The Baroque violin is the historical predecessor of the modern violin and differs significantly in construction, strings, and playing style. Its warmer and more transparent sound is especially suited to Antonio Vivaldi’s virtuosic compositions, which are performed by Orchester 1756 on historical instruments at Vienna’s Karlskirche.
Orchester 1756 is a Baroque ensemble specializing in historically informed performance practice, with its musical home at Vienna’s Karlskirche (St. Charles Church). Led by founder Konstantin Hiller and concertmaster Dimitris Karakantas, the ensemble regularly performs Antonio Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” on historical instruments.
The Vivaldi concerts at Vienna’s Karlskirche are led by founder Konstantin Hiller and concertmaster Dimitris Karakantas. Together with the musicians of Orchester 1756, they perform Antonio Vivaldi’s works with the authentic sound of the Baroque era.
Vienna’s Karlskirche is regarded as one of Europe’s most important Baroque churches and offers remarkable acoustics for classical concerts. The combination of Baroque architecture, historical atmosphere, and proximity to Antonio Vivaldi’s final resting place makes it a unique venue for the Vivaldi concerts performed by Orchester 1756.
The authentic sound of the Baroque era is created through the combination of historical instruments, specialized playing techniques, and historically informed performance practice. Orchester 1756 combines these elements during its regular performances of “The Four Seasons” at Vienna’s Karlskirche to create an exceptionally authentic concert experience.
Antonio Vivaldi composed his works for the instruments and sound aesthetics of his time. Historical instruments therefore make it possible to experience his music in the sound world for which it was originally written. The performances by Orchester 1756 at Vienna’s Karlskirche are closely based on this historical sound ideal.