The Gaulitana: A Festival of Music has now moved into its second week and the venue has changed to the Exhibition Hall in St. Francis Square. During the first concert of this weekend the performers were the 1st prize winners of the Austrian music Competition: “Prima La Musicaâ€.
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This lovely and thoroughly enjoyable musical evening was divided in two sections: in the first part the Amadé String Quartet regaled the audience with the String quartet Op. 77/2 by Joseph Haydn. The second part of their performance consisted of Alexander Müllenbach’s Andante from the String quartet No.2 . Although the performers were quite young – all under fifteen years of age – they performed both demanding pieces impeccably and all received thundering applause by the audience attending this concert.
The Amadé String Quartet was founded in 2004. Since 2005 its members have been Harald Stefanitsch (violin), Magdalena Niklas (violin), Angelika Widl (Viola) and Gudrun Stefanitsch (Cello), all members of the chamber music course run by Hanna Widl at the Beethoven Music School in Mödling. Both Harald and Angelika are students of Alexandra Rappitsch who has created a class to teach exceptionally gifted students, in the region of Styria, Austria. Magdalena studies with Regina Brandstätter at the Music University of Graz while Gudrun studies with Prof. Michael Dallinger at the University of Linz, in the region of Upper Austria.
Since their inception, the quartet have already participated in many concerts and festivals in Austria, Hungary and Holland where they won third prize in the Charles Hennen International Chamber Music Competition in Harlem. Last year this quartet was awarded the 1st prize – with distinction – in the “Prima La Musica†competition.
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After the short interval it was the turn of the Pianoflauti Trio and their guest artists – Regina Holak and Stephen Attard. This trio is a group of three girls the youngest of which is barely twelve years of age and the other two in their teens. They regaled the audience with works by Galway, Beethoven, Kreisler, Godard, Mouquet, Aigner, Mower Krebs, Genzmer and Kronke.
The trio originally started as a duo with Julia Ruckelshausen (flute) and Sophie Schollum (flute and piano) playing together for the past four years and also winning the 1st Prize in the Prima La Musica competition. Both study under Regina Hollak (who joined them as their guest for this concert) at the Beethoven Music School in Mödling. Julia attends a specialized sports high school studies piano with Ingrid Semmelrock whilst Sophie studies piano under Ingrid Reznicek in Vienna and perciussion under Andreas Siman. It is interesting to note that she also finds time to ride a unicycle and plays in the local Hockey team!
The youngest member of the trio is Veronika Weber who is twelve and is a student of Dan Kajetanovicz also at the Beethoven Music School and at this tender age has already won several awards in music competitions! She joined the other girls to form a trio last year and will compete as a trio in the Prima La Musica Competition next May.
As guests, the trio had their teacher Regina Holak who performed on the flute, and Stephen Attard on the piano.
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Regina Holak was born in Vienna and studied flute under Barbara Gisler-Haase at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna. She completed her studies with the highest honours. She won first prize at numerous Austrian music competitions, formed her own trio the Lehol trio (flute, piano and cello) which performed on Austrian TV. She is also an accomplished jazz flautist. In 1997 she won two major fellowships reflecting her outstanding success as a performer. She is also very much interested in psychotherapy and in 2003 completed a fist degree in this subject. She has taught the flute at several music schools since 1999 and has been a lecturer at the University of Music in Vienna. No wonder that she played so well in this concert!
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Stephen Attard needs no introduction here in Gozo. He hails from a family where both sides have musical connections. Stephen was born in Victoria in 1966 and started his piano studies at 5 years of age. He obtained the ATCL, LRSM and FTCl in 1981, 1982 and 1984 respectively. He has always been keen on composition and is interested in both classical and pop music. He obtained his B.Ed(Hons) in 1990 and is presently teaching at the Gozo School of Music. He also directs his own mini music-studio.Stephen is also the resident accompanist of the Gaulitanus Choir – with whom he has toured extensively in Europe and of the Chosus Eclesiae Cathedralis.
The Gaulitana Festival of Music continues today with a Vocal Galore performed by the soloists of the Gaulitanus Choir at the Exhibition Hall in St. Francis Square at 8.00 p.m.
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