STEFANO SORRENTINO, Tenor
AMELIE HOIS, Soprano
CESÁR SAMPSON, Soul Singer
The Neapolitan tenor Stefano Sorrentino graduated from the "San Pietro a Majella" Conservatory in Naples, where he studied with teachers Passaro, Ratta, Gagiotti, and Praticò. He is currently studying with M° Luca Canonici and M° Simonetta Tancredi. He attended the Opera Studio of the Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome under M° Renata Scotto. He has performed in important operas such as "L'italiana in Algeri," "Il barbiere di Siviglia," "L'elisir d'amore," "La Bohème," "Tosca," "La traviata," "Pagliacci," "Rigoletto," and "Carmen." As a winner of national and international competitions, he maintains an intensive concert schedule and collaborates with various orchestras in Italy and abroad.
The Austrian soprano Amélie Hois began her career in the children's choir of the Vienna State Opera. She studied solo singing with Michele Crider and acting at the Mozarteum University Salzburg, graduating in 2019 with summa cum laude and also studied double bass as well as musical singing and dance. She made her debut in the USA in 2014 as Gretel in "Hansel and Gretel" and sang in Milan as Zerlina in "Don Giovanni" and Susanna in "Le nozze di Figaro". In 2019/2020 she appeared in "Falstaff" and "Werther" in Slovakia and made her debut as Pamina in "The Magic Flute" in Vienna. She won the Nico Dostal Prize in 2018 and was a finalist in competitions such as the "Concorso Aslico". In 2021 she sang Pamina at the "Mozart at Angkor" festival in Cambodia. From December 2022 to March 2024 she was a member of the ensemble at the Teatro Regio di Torino, where she performed in "The Magic Flute" and "La Rondine". At the beginning of 2024 she sang in "Il piccolo Principe" and "Don Pasquale" and made her debut with the Fondazione Arena di Verona in February 2024.
The 40-year-old Linzer ventured into the music business at an early age - as a small boy, he played a role in a music video by LaToya Jackson. Cesár comes from a family of musicians; his mother worked as a pianist and choreographer, and he grew up in studios and rehearsal rooms. At the age of 17, he began touring the world with prominent names in the Vienna alternative scene (Kruder & Dorfmeister, Sofa Surfers, Louie Austen), mostly working behind the scenes of the music business as a songwriter, lyricist, and producer for international productions. Cesár Sampson represented Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018 with "Nobody But You," finishing in a sensational third place. In 2021, he began composing Christmas songs. For a sample, click here.
ISABELLA SCHIEFERER,Saxophon
RAFAEL BLEUSE, Violin
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INES SCHÜTTENGRUBER, Organ
SONA TAMURA, Piano
JOHANNES DOPPLER, Trumpet
ZSOFIA KISS, Harpist
Isabella Schieferer, 18 years old, from Innsbruck/Tyrol, attends the Innsbruck Music High School and was accepted into the saxophone class of Univ. Prof. Michael Krenn, MA at the Tyrolean State Conservatory at the age of 12. She had her first contact with music at the age of 4 with the violin and now also actively plays the viola and baroque viola. She has already taken part in the prima la musica competition with both instruments and is a multiple prize winner. At the 2023 competition, she won the national title in her age group. In 2024, she received the audience award at the Austrian talent show “Goldene Note”.
Raphaél started at 4 ½ years old and is from Mallorca, Spain, and is French. His first, nearly 95-year-old professor is named Gaíane Pogossova. He comes from a large family: his parents and all 8 siblings are musicians. At home, French was spoken, in school Spanish and Catalan, English… and he is now learning German (which I find quite difficult). Since the age of 14, he has been studying at the MUK with Lidia Baich. He lives alone in Vienna with his older brother Liam, who is a pianist and studies at the MDW, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.
In 2020, I was a finalist in the television competition "Prodiges" in France, where my brother won. Since 2021, he has been playing on a loaned instrument (a violin by Gunter Siefert) from the FONDS INSTRUMENTAL DU CLOS VOUGEOT foundation. For part of his studies in Vienna, he receives support from the "Fera Palma Restaurant" in Mallorca.
Raphaél was a finalist in the "Golden Note" in 2024.
She is the internationally renowned organist and teaches at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna / mdw at the Institute for Piano, Organ and Historical Keyboard Instruments. She completed her studies in piano, organ and harpsichord in Vienna and Amsterdam with distinction. The artist has already given numerous solo concerts at home and abroad, world premieres and orchestral projects with the Tonkünstler and the Wiener Konzertverein. Since 2013 she has been the artistic director of the summer concerts in the baroque Melk Abbey. Ines Schüttengruber was a Bösendorfer scholarship holder in 2004 and in 2017 received the Recognition Prize of the State of Lower Austria for music.
Winner of the ORF young talent competition "die goldene Note" by Leona König. Sona was born in 2011 in Kagoshima, Japan. She has lived in Vienna since she was almost three years old. At the age of seven, Sona began taking piano lessons with Dr. Mag. Gabriele Teufert at the Josef Matthias Hauer Music School in Wiener Neustadt. From the winter semester 2021/2022 she will be the gifted students course at the University of Music and Performing Arts. For a look at her work click here.
Johannes Doppler comes from Anif and, at 16, is a versatile musician. His main instrument is the trumpet, which has accompanied him since the first grade of elementary school. He had 5 years of lessons on the wooden flutes, and he also learned the dulcimer, accompanying trombone and piano. Johannes is an enthusiastic musician, feels at home on stage and finds himself in all genres. Even at elementary school age, he played in various formations such as wind ensembles, youth wind orchestras, bands, dance music, family music, etc. At the Salzburg Advent Singing in the Festspielhaus, he was allowed to go on the big stage for the first time as a shepherd.
He has also had a taste of composition. Johannes composed 14 pieces for family music, with which a CD was produced in 2022. With the trumpet, he takes part in prima la musica every year with great success as a solo musician or in an ensemble. He was the national winner at last year's national competition. He also made it to the finals of the Golden Note in 2023.
Johannes is taught at the Mozarteum Salzburg by Mag. Patrick Hofer. The trumpeter is currently attending the Mozart Music Gymnasium Salzburg and plays in the Anthering music band, in the school orchestra, in a chamber music ensemble at the Mozarteum, in a big band, and in one or two project orchestras or brass ensembles.
Zsofia Kiss was born in Salgotarjan, Hungary. At the age of eight she received her first lessons at the state music school in her home town. She has won prizes at several national and international harp competitions. Since 2010 she has been studying at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna under the direction of Adelheid Blovksy-Miller and Mirjam Schröder, where she graduated in 2017 with distinction. In 2013 she made her debut at the Wiener Musikverein with Mozart's double concerto for flute and harp. Her concert activities have taken her to Austria, China, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania. She is a committed orchestral musician, plays regularly in various orchestras such as B.: Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Stadttheater Baden and the Orchestra of the Vienna Boys' Choir. She is solo harpist at the Lehár Festival in Bad Ischl and at the Herbsttage Blindenmarkt. Their performance can be heard on numerous CD and video recordings. More information is available at: www.harfemusik.com
John Arman, Guitarist
Amelie Jade Knapp,Musician
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YUKA TAMURA,Pianist
Amelie Jade Knapp, 16 years old, is at the beginning of her music career. Despite her young age, she has already achieved success and accepted engagements. She focuses on playing the harp, which she has been learning since the age of five with Mag. Andrea Hampl, but she also plays the flute and piano. She has participated successfully in many competitions, winning numerous first prizes, including at the international harp competition in Slovenia and as the national winner in 2024 at Prima la Musica. Additionally, she is the winner of the Goldene Note 2024.
She has had important performances with orchestras such as the Young Masters, Orchester Lyra of Camerata Carnuntum, and the Gumpoldskirchner Spatzen, sometimes as a soloist, sometimes as an orchestra musician. She especially enjoys captivating her audience and bringing them closer to her music.
Yuka Tamura was born in Kagoshima, Japan. In Japan she performed as a soloist and accompanist and taught piano and won prizes in various competitions. She has lived in Vienna since 2014.
As a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist she has participated in numerous concerts and recordings in Austria.
Today she gives numerous concerts with her husband Akihito Tamura, a violinist, and her daughter Sona Tamura, a pianist who attends the highly gifted course at the mdw.
Originally from the Alps, John gained early experience as an aspiring young guitarist in Austria and England, learning from greats such as Pat Martino, Peter O’Mara, and Dave Stryker. During his university years, John toured with piano legend Richie Beirach and has since had the fortune to collaborate with artists such as Vincent Herring, Jeremy Pelt, Joris Dudli, Harry Sokal, and Jesse Davis, among many others. Over the years, John has developed into one of the most talented young guitarists in Austria and Europe, regularly touring and recording as a sideman in various groups, as well as leading his own organ trio. The trio released their debut album in April 2016, which received great acclaim from critics far and wide. In 2015, the "John Arman Organ Trio" made a milestone appearance at the Luzern Theater, performing a concert written for the trio and the Luzern Symphony Orchestra in a sold-out show. John currently lives in Vienna and teaches guitar at the Conservatory in Innsbruck.