Sivan Albo Ben-Hur
Luc Anthonis
Pablo Boggiano
Christoph Ehrenfellner
Alexandre Grandé
Kenneth Griffith
Andy Icochea Icochea
Katharina Müllner
Carolin Nordmeyer
Hermann Pallhuber
Philipp Pointner
Agnes Schnabl
Pearl Shangkuan
David Slater
Saul Zaks
Sivan Albo Ben-Hur
Born in 1982, Sivan Albo Ben-Hur earned her Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance and conducting from the Jerusalem Academy of Music, and her Master of Music degree in conducting from the Buchman – Mehta School of Music at the Tel Aviv University, under the tutelage of Maestro Mendi Rodan.
Mrs. Albo Ben-Hur has worked with many orchestras around the world, including the Israel Chamber Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Porto Symphony Orchestra, Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon Le’Tsion, Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Israel Stage Orchestra, the Jerusalem Academy Orchestra, Israel Sinfonietta Beer Sheva, Ashdod Symphony Orchestra, and the St. Petersburg Royal Orchestra “Classica” as a representative of the Jerusalem Academy of Music. She was invited to conduct the Buchman – Mehta School of Music Orchestra celebrating the 60th birthday of world renowned violinist and Professor Zakhar Bron.
As the associate conductor of the Ra’anana Symphonette Orchestra from 2006 until 2009, Sivan presented educational concerts of “The Nutcracker” in many venues throughout Israel, and in 2009 she conducted the orchestra in a tour of Poland.
Mrs. Albo Ben-Hur is the chief conductor and the Music Director of the Israel Andalous Orchestra.
In summer of 2011, Sivan was one of seven conductors worldwide (out of 120) who received an invitation to be an active participant in the prestigious conducting workshop with Maestro Jorma Panula (Finland) and the Porto Symphony Orchestra. For this international endeavor, she won a scholarship granted by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation.
As a finalist of the Yuri Aharonovich “Aviv” Competition for Young Conductors (both in 2008 and 2011), Mrs. Albo Ben-Hur has won the audience choice prize in the competition, given by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, dedicated to Meira Gera.
In the last few years, Sivan has been a frequent guest in a variety of conducting masterclasses and workshops, nurturing the next generation of conductors and musicians.
Luc Anthonis
At the Royal Flemish Music Conservatory of Antwerp Luc Anthonis received qualifications for solfeggio, flute, chambermusic, harmony, choral conducting.
He rounded out his knowledge on choral conducting in master classes with Eric Ericson, Simon Halsey, Péter Erdei, Jan Eelkema, Michael Scheck and others.
In 1980 Luc Anthonis took over the choir Cantilene from its founder Jozef Cleymans and in 1989 he himself founded the Vocal Ensemble Cantando. He still is the conductor of both choirs. The latter has won a great number of prizes in (inter)national competitions.
He conducts the Flemish Radio Choir on a regular basis and has been choirmaster of an international choir in Italy for four years. He gave choralconducting masterclasses in Bludenz (Austria).
Luc Anthonis is a standard member of the jury for the international youth choir competition in Neerpelt (EMJ-Belgium). In September 2007 Luc Anthonis became professor of choral conducting at the Royal Flemish Music Conservatory in Antwerp. Since 1982 Luc Anthonis has taught flute and instrumental ensemble at the Ekeren music academie (Antwerp-Belgium).
Over the years his “Strings Ensemble” has grown to become the “Symphonic Ensemble of Ekeren” (SEE), one of the few “School Symphonic Orchestras” in Belgium.
Pablo Boggiano
Pablo Boggiano was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He studied conducting at the national conservatory “Lopez Buchado” with Mario Benzecry and at the Argentinean Catholic University. At the age of 18 he made his debut at the cathedral of Buenos Aires with the Requiem of Faurè and became assistant of the National Youth Symphony Orchestra.
In Europe he studied with Prof. Scott Sandmeier Conservatory of Paris, with Thomas Doss Konservatorium Wien, Erwin Accel as well as with Jorma Panula in Helsinki. Prof. Berau, a former student of Olivier Messiaen, grants him the prize as winner of international competitions and conducted the Orchestra Boréal in Paris.
In 2003 he was invited by Ivan Fischer to work with the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Pablo Boggiano works regularly in Eastern Europe in Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Slovakia with Orchestras such as Sofia Philharmonic, Kiev and Kharkov Philharmonic, Bratislava Philharmonic, Budapest Philharmonic, and others.
In Argentina he works also regularly with the Sinfónica Nacional and Orquesta Filarmónica del Teatro Colón, and was second conductor at the production of “Der Rosenkavallier” from New Yorok Metropolitan at Teatro Colón in 2017.
After ten performances of “The Magic Flute” in Niederösterreich with the support of Austrian government, he produced the World Opera-Tango premier in Theater Akzent Wien, with “Maria de Buenos Aires” from Piazzolla and “Mateo” from Martin Palmeri.
In 2013 he worked with the Royal Philharmonic orchestra of London in CADOGAN HALL.
During the season 2018-2019 he will work with the Tonkünstler-Ochester in Wiener Musikverein und Sankt Pölten and in 2020 will start his collaboration as a conductor with the Wiener Concert Verein, in Musikverein and Villach.
In May 2019 he will record a CD for Naxos Europe with music of the composer Esteban Benzecry and the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Lviv- Ukraine.
Pablo Boggiano has been invited to work with the Tonkünstler Orchestra and pianist Rudolf Buchbinder at the Grafenegg Festival in 2021.
In February 2022 he worked with the Wiener Concert Verein (Chamber Orchestra of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra) on tours of Switzerland and Austria and in 2023 France, Germany and Austria, culminating in a concert at the Musikverein Vienna.
Pablo Boggiano was invited by Maestro Gustavo Dudamel to collaborate with the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar.
Christoph Ehrenfellner
Salzburg-born violinist-conductor-composer Christoph Ehrenfellner combines the Viennese traditional art of composing, conducting and violin playing in unique style. After finishing his studies in singing, violin, chamber music, conducting and composition in Vienna and Salzburg he started as a violinist at the Wiener Symphoniker, and then worked as Chef Assistant at the National Opera Nancy in France. He was composer in residence at the Orchestre Symphonique Mulhouse, the Seiji Ozawa Academy Geneva, the Theatre Nordhausen and at various European festivals. Today he works worldwide in the classic genres of music-theatre, ballet, symphonic, concert, Lieder and chamber music.
The successful premiere of Karl&Anna at Mainfranken Theater Würzburg 2024 marked already the 4th opera-sensation in a row. Likewise his 3 Symphonies had acclaimed success, No.3 at Wiener Konzerthaus in 2023. His ballet on Schillers Ibykus 2018 earned enthusiasm just like the Chamber Music Theatre on Kafkas Verwandlung 2017. Christoph Ehrenfellner is awarded the European ICMA Composers Award 2025.
Ehrenfellner conducts repertoire from Baroque to Modern music. Strawinski’s Le Sacre and Xenakis Metastaseis at Carinthian Summer Festival 2022 were just as successful as Kalevi Aho and Tan Dun’s percussion concertos with Martin Grubinger on the drums. He conducted the passwort:Klassik series of the Vienna Philharmonic and their Youth Opera Project Les Contes d’Hoffmann at Salzburg Festival 2024, or rthe premiere of his latest Orchestra Fantasy with the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker at the ICMA Gala-Concert 2025 in Düsseldorf.
Special cooperations with the violinists Beni Schmid, Emmanuel Tjeknavorian and Tomo Keller mark successful projects with The Academy St.Martin i.t.Fields, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Musica Vitae Sweden, Salzburg Soloists, RSO Wien, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, where his compositions and arrangements are performed and recorded.
From Salzburg Festival, Wiener Festwochen, Grafenegg, Styriarte, Carinthian Summer to Liszt Biennale Weimar and Viola Space Tokyo, from Mainfranken Theatre Würzburg, Theatre Nordhausen und Teatro Carrena Caracas to State Opera Ruse, from Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Mexico City Phil, Turku Phil, Philharmonic Orchestras Würzburg, Wuppertal, Mulhouse, Nancy, Praha to Tonkünstler Orchestra NÖ, Loh-Orchestra Sondershausen up to Academy St.Martin i.t.Fields, Cremerata Baltica, Camerata Salzburg, Wiener Kammerorchester, Krasnojarsk Chamber Orchestra, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester etc he enjoys his partners.
Musicians like Martin Grubinger, Vivi Vassileva and Christoph Sietzen, Leif Segerstam, Daniel Klajner, Erwin Ortner, Enrico Calesso and Yutaka Sado, Gidon Kremer, Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, Pekka Kuusisto, Tomo Keller, Sacha Soumm, Sergey Malov and Beni Schmid, Enrico Pace, Denes Varjon, Gottlieb Wallisch and Hyung-Ki Joo – all of them enthusiastic partners for his music.
Great reviews about his music come from NY Times, Spiegel online, Die Bühne, via German Feulleton Fränkische Nachrichten, MainPost, Frankfurter Rundschau, Thüringer Allgemeine to Austrian papers Presse, Salzburger Nachrichten, Kurier, Krone, Wiener Zeitung. The Tjeknavorian-CD-recording of Ehrenfellners Suite des Alpes at SONY-Classical won the prestigious OPUS-classic-prize 2018 in Germany. Elbphilharmonie, Royal Albert Hall, Cité de la Musique, Concertgebouw or Vienna Musikverein: in nearly all the leading European Concert Halls the music of Christoph Ehrenfellner has won enthusiastic audience.
His music is edited by Doblinger Edition Vienna and the Universal Edition.
Since more than 10 years Christoph Ehrenfellner is a devoted coach and jury member at SCL Festival in Vienna Musikverein. His broad background of violin, singing, chamber music, orchestral and opera life has proven a rich source of inspiration for young musicians and Youth Orchestras. Since 2021 he is tutor at the prestigious Grafenegg Academy in the team of Hakkan Hardenberger. He was teaching string-orchestra at the KUG University Graz, guest-lecturing Composition at the Manhattan Scool of Music (with Prof.Edward Green) and guest-teaching at the Tohou Gakuen University Tokyo. The encounters with many of the leading Youth Orchestras worldwide resulted in cooperations from USA to Bangkok. 4 times already he went on tour with the Vienna Jeunesse Orcherstra.
He has been Chef assistant at Opéra National de Lorraine/Nancy 2010-2013, Chef and artistic director at Beethoven Philharmonie Baden 2011-2016, and Chef at the seasonal Wallersee Philharmonic Orchestra 2008 – 2018.
Ehrenfellner is honorary member of the Japan Austria Cultural Association. His thesis Art&Money is edited at the Akademic Edition Saarbrücken.
Find more about Christoph Ehrenfellner at www.christophehrenfellner.at
Alexandre Grandé
Born in Russia (1972), Alexandre Grandé began studying music at the age of seven at the prestigious School of Choral Art in Moscow. Eleven years later, he graduated with a diploma in choir conducting and music pedagogy. He also studied conducting at the Moscow Conservatory, graduated from the Paris Regional Conservatory in composition and orchestration, and received an Excellency Prize in orchestra conducting at the Rueil-Malmaison Conservatory.
To improve his conducting level, Alexandre Grandé went to Israel to study at Rubin Academy of Music of Jerusalem with maestro Mendi Rodan.
Upon his return to Paris in 1999, where he lives now, he was named as the assistant conductor of the Polyphorum Orchestra and conducted Mascagni’s «Cavalleria Ruscticana». In 2000, he created the Calli-Phonia Orchestra which he conducted until 2003.
In August 2005, he conducted the first performance in Holland of Chostakovitch’s «Story of a silly baby mouse» (for the Orlando Festival).
In 2006, he conducted a production «Comme des Bêtes» at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées (Paris), a musical show including his own music and music of Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Stravinsky...
Since then, Alexandre Grandé has been invited to conduct the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra (Russia), Bielorussia Philharmonic Orchestra, Minsk Opera Bolchoï, Orchestre National d’Ile-de-France, Orchestre de Massy, Opéra de Toulon, Opéra d’Avignon, Beethoven Orchester in Bonn, Vinteuil Ensemble, Académie de St. Louis Orchestra (Paris), Carpe Diem Ensemble in a program of contemporary music, etc. Furthermore, he participated in musical projects of the Chostakovitch International Association in Paris.
Today he is one of artistic directors of the Ensemble Orchestral Integral, which he formed in 2006.
With this orchestra, among the most importants projects, he created the «Songe dune nuit d’été. Variation printanière », which he performed with Ensemble Orchestral Integral in the theater of Fontainebleau. In the same theater, he conducted 2 operas buffa «Rayon de Soieries and La Poule Noire» by Manuel Rosenthal.
The repertoire of Alexandre Grandé consists of contemporary music as well. He gave the premiere «Noctifer» by Vincent Manac’h for choir, orgel and percussions group, «Qui sème le vent» by Xavier le Masne for flutes orchestra, and the French premiere of «Crossing II» by Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, «New York song» by Christine Massetti…
Professor of orchestra conducting, he is today a director of the Conservatoire Régional d’Aubervilliers - La Courneuve, an spécial music / dance / theatre school (about 1500 students).
Kenneth Griffith
Kenneth Griffith is the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Boston Children’s Chorus (BCC) Premier Choir. He leads artistic programs and coaches the conducting and teaching staff. Kenneth’s warm but demanding approach and distinctive ability to connect with young people have created demand from choruses across the region, from the elementary to the collegiate level.
During his time with BCC, Kenneth has led the chorus in major performances at some of the city’s most prestigious venues, including Boston’s Symphony Hall, TD Garden, and Calderwood Hall. Kenneth’s choirs have performed in the debut of a new musical, WILD, with the American Repertory Theater featuring Idina Menzel, the WGBH Holiday Celebration with operatic tenor Lawrence Brownlee, the American Choral Directors Association Eastern Region Conference, and civic performances for the Earthshot Prize with the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the investiture of a US Attorney. Most recently, he led a regional tour in the United States and Canada.
Kenneth has experience with K-12 public and private schools and collegiate levels at institutions like Bard College, Wellesley College, and Boston University. Over the years, he has assisted in preparing ensembles heard at the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, American Repertory Theater, and the Verbier Music Festival in Switzerland.
Kenneth is passionate about the role of music in cultivating community and positive social change. His dynamic programming and ability to unify singers across differences have resulted in an active career on stage, in schools, and in communities around New England, sharing the songs and stories of underrepresented peoples. He is a frequent adjudicator and clinician for state Music Educators Associations and has recently led several honor choirs in the States.
On the professional stage, Kenneth recently prepared the chorus and ensemble for Anthony Davis’ Pulitzer Prize-winning opera X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. This project’s recording was GRAMMY-nominated in 2023. Kenneth holds a BM in Vocal Performance from Capital University and an MM in Choral Conducting from Bard College.
Andy Icochea Icochea
Andy Icochea Icochea is a multi-faceted musician who regularly appears as an orchestral and opera conductor, choral conductor and accompanist, and whose compositions and arrangements are performed internationally. He has appeared in over 500 concerts in 29 countries and four continents, in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Suntory Hall, Wiener Musikverein, Tonhalle Zürich and Berliner Konzerthaus. As a guest conductor, he has led the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Filarmónica de Ciudad de México, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Perú and the Brookline Symphony, among others.
Icochea Icochea has collaborated as choral conductor and rehearsal accompanist with Riccardo Muti, Georges Prêtre, Adam Fischer, Franz Welser-Möst, Bertrand de Billy and Bernard Haitink. His choruses have performed with the Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony, the Royal Stockholm Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Symphony. He has conducted world premieres of operas in Austria, Italy and the United States. Additionally, he has served as guest clinician for the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s education programs.
He served as Music Director of Superar, a non-profit organization that provides high quality music instruction free of charge to 2000 children in six countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Previously, he has served as Kapellmeister of the Vienna Boys Choir and Artistic Director of Voices Boston and Harvard Pro Musica.
Katharina Müllner
Katharina Müllner studied conducting, music education and psychology/philosophy in her hometown of Vienna.
After three years at the Landestheater Linz, she has been working as a freelance conductor since the 2020/21 season.
At the age of five she began her musical education on the piano, violin and other instruments followed. During her school days she experienced what music can do for a community. Supported by her music teacher Heinz Knaus, she took her first steps in conducting choirs and ensembles. After graduating from high school, she decided to study music education (majoring in choral conducting with Alois Glaßner and Johannes Hiemetsberger) and psychology/philosophy. She directed choirs, and was also able to experience large choral/orchestral works with renowned conductors, soloists and orchestras as a singer in the Wiener Singverein (directed by Johannes Prinz). In addition, she studied conducting with Andreas Stoehr at the Music and Arts Private University in Vienna, as well as directing student and amateur orchestras, with which she conducted concerts in the Berio Hall of the Wiener Konzerthaus and in the Kuppelsaal of the Vienna University of Technology.
While still a student, Katharina Müllner made her debut at the TAG Theater in Vienna in 2016 with Gasparone (Millöcker), and also conducted a work by B.R. German in the Glass Hall of the Wiener Musikverein. She completed her conducting studies with a concert at the RadioKulturhaus in Vienna with the Bratislava Symphoniker and works by Beethoven and Johann Strauss. At the Langenlois Castle Festival in 2017, she conducted several performances of Lehár’s operetta The Merry Widow.
Katharina Müllner made her debut at the Chemnitz Theater in October 2019 with Mozart’s Magic Flute. In January 2019 she conducted a performance of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at the Theater Aachen.
In the 2019/20 season she took over the direction of Mozart’s Entführung aus dem Seraglio, and Il matrimonio segreto (Cimarosa). She also conducted performances of Millöcker’s beggar student.
Previously, Katharina Müllner was engaged at the Landestheater Linz in the 2017/18 season immediately after completing her studies. Here she made her debut with the operetta Eine Nacht in Venedig by Johann Strauss. She also conducted Carl Zeller’s Vogelhändler at the Linz Music Theater, as well as family and school concerts with the Bruckner Orchestra Linz.
Since the 2020/21 season she has become one of the up and coming young conductors, making her debut at the Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar with Elisabeth Naske’s Der Wunschpunsch and the following year (inbetween lockdowns) at the Theater St. Gallen with a new production of Mozart’s Magic Flute. Even before her planned debut at the Vienna Volksoper with Suppès Der Teufel auf Erden, she stepped in at short notice for a performance of Britten’s death in Venice. She also stood in for the premiere of Carmen at the German National Theater in Weimar.
Katharina Müllner has also conducted at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf (Magic Flute), the Vienna Chamber Opera, the German National Theater in Weimar (Norma 2.0) and the Robert Schumann Philharmonic in Chemnitz. She also took on a concert at the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra.
The 2022/23 season took her to the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf (Ballet Krabat), the Theater St. Gallen (Magic Flute), the Theater Essen (Carmen), as well as to the Philharmonic Orchestra Landestheater Coburg, the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra and the Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra.
Carolin Nordmeyer
Carolin Nordmeyer was born in 1975 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. Having grown up “under the grand piano”, she became interested in scores and developed an eye for the big picture alongside playing piano, violin, viola and french horn.
After graduating from high school, she began studying french horn in Detmold (Germany), followed by conducting studies with a major in piano, although her focus clearly shifted towards conducting. Her contact with various conductors during her academic year as a scholarship holder at the Conservatoire National de Musique in Paris gave her important inspiration. Carolin Nordmeyer was appointed conductor and répétiteur at the Theater Bielefeld whilst still a student. She built up a broad repertoire and, in addition to her own opera productions such as Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice” or Scarlatti’s “Griselda”, she conducted performances of Verdi’s “Un ballo in maschera”, Rossini’s “Il viaggio a Reims”, Mozart’s “Die Entführung aus dem Serail”, Weber’s “Freischütz”, Humperdinck’s “Hänsel und Gretel”, Stravinsky’s “Le Sacre du Printemps” or Lehár’s “Lustige Witwe”. In addition, she regularly planned and conducted youth and family concerts.
From 2009-2017 Carolin Nordmeyer was engaged as second Kapellmeister and assistant of the general music director at the Theater Augsburg. Carolin Nordmeyer conducted the premieres of Verdi’s “La Traviata”, Mozart’s “La Finta giardiniera”, Chabrier’s “Etoile” and the ballet productions “Romeo and Juliet” and “Cinderella”, the gala concerts on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (2011/12), as well as various youth and family concerts. She expanded her conducting repertoire with numerous revivals, including Berg’s “Lulu”, Verdi’s “Aida” and “Il Trovatore”, Wagner’s “Der Fliegende Holländer” and Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” and “Die Zauberflöte”. Carolin Nordmeyer is a lecturer in Conducting, Ensemble Direction and Opera Studies at the Leopold Mozart Conservatory Augsburg.
In November 2006, Carolin Nordmeyer was accepted as a scholar into Deutsche Bank’s “Akademie Musiktheater heute” Scholarship Program.
In addition to her professional activities, Carolin Nordmeyer has a great passion for music education and musical work with amateurs and young people.
Carolin Nordmeyer is chief conductor of the Schwäbisches Jugendsinfonieorchester. Since 2013 she is chief conductor of the Academic Symphony Orchestra Munich. She has also conducted projects and performances with the Saarland Youth Orchestra, the Young Orchestra Academy of the Moselle Music Festival, the Rheinische Orchesterakademie Mainz, the Märkisches Jugendsinfonieorchester, of which she was chief conductor from 2004 to 2011, and the Freie Sinfonie Orchester Bielefeld founded by her in 2003.
Hermann Pallhuber
Hermann Pallhuber completed his musical education at conservatories in Innsbruck and Vienna (piano, trombone and ensemble direction), after which he went on to further studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and then again in Innsbruck (musical pedagogy with special emphasis on ensemble and choir conduction, trombone and piano). At the same time, he also completed his studies in classical philology (Latin).
From 1994-2004, he focused mainly on conducting and teaching at various high schools and musical academies. He also deepened his interest in conducting and composition at the Pedagogical University Tyrol, the University of Innsbruck and the Musical Universities of Zürich and Augsburg respectively, after which he obtained an artistic diploma in “Conducting, Wind Band Direction and Instrumentation” from the Musical Academy of Nüremberg-Augsburg. For many years, Hermann Pallhuber led professional and semi-professional wind ensembles and orchestras (Wind Music Project of the State University of Music and the Performing Arts in Stuttgart, Three Lions Brass Band Stuttgart, Brass Band Tirol, The Symphonic Wind Orchestra Innsbruck, and many more), with which he achieved numerous impressive musical successes. Furthermore, he was in charge of running and moderating factual programmes on wind music for the Austrian national television broadcasting service (ORF) from 2001- 2016. Internationally, Hermann Pallhuber, functions as a guest conductor, juror, composer and lecturer in wind orchestration.
His compositions were published by Faber Music London and Beriato (De Haske/Hal Leonard).
Since 2009, he has been teaching at the State University of Music and the Performing Arts in Stuttgart, where he was awarded the title of Honorary Professor for wind orchestra conduction in 2013. He has also been leading a class in wind orchestra direction at the Tyrolean State Conservatory.
In October 2016, Hermann Pallhuber was awarded the professorship for conducting and direction of wind orchestras at the State University of Music and the Performing Arts in Mannheim.
Philipp Pointner
Viennese-born conductor Philipp Pointner started his career at Cape Town Opera/South Africa. There and at Gauteng Opera Johannesburg he is still a regular guest.
He continued his way in Germany, where he was Erster Kapellmeister at the Staatstheater Nürnberg for many years. He is guest at many European opera houses such as Staatsoper Hamburg, Oper Köln, Staatstheater Mannheim, Staatstheater Braunschweig, Opera Vlaanderen Antwerp/Belgium, just to name a few. In Austria he conducted at the Volksoper Vienna and the Oper Graz.
In concert Philipp Pointner is working with orchestras like WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln, Tonkünstler Orchester Nieder-österreich, Staatsphilharmonie Braunschweig, Brandenburgisches Staats-orchester Frankfurt, Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg and Oviedo Philharmonic/Spain. He is regular guest conductor at the Filarmonia de Stat Transilvania Cluj/Romania. In 2017 he debuted with the RSO Vienna.
Agnes Schnabl
Agnes Schnabl from Austria completed her studies of conducting and choral conducting pedagogy at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. There, she studied under Johannes Prinz. Prior to that, she received conducting lessons at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna under Alois Glaßner as part of her study of music pedagogy. She completed a postgraduate study in choral conducting at the University Mozarteum Salzburg with Jörn Hinnerk Andresen.
Since 2021, Agnes is teaching at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. She is working as a jury member at choral competitions and as instructor at various choral and conducting courses all around Austria. She is the conductor of the Austrian Youth Choir, the Tyrolean Youth Choir, coro siamo (Vienna), ensemble kanti (Graz) and has repeatedly worked with the Wiener Singverein.
From 2021 to 2023 Agnes has been a scholarship holder of the Dirigentenforum/German Music Council. As part of this program, she has worked with Florian Helgath, Yuval Weinberg, Bernhard Schmidt and conducted the MDR Radio Choir, the SWR Vokalensemble, the Philharmonic Choir Berlin and Canta Nova Saar. In 2022, she assisted Justin Doyle at the project Klangkomsos Schütz 22, which was a cooperation of four German youth choirs and the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin. In 2018, she was a guest conductor for vocalconsort initium in Tokyo.
As part of her university education, she has worked with the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir, the Saxon State Opera Chorus Dresden, the Stadttheaterchor Klagenfurt, the Orchestra for New Music and the Filmmusic Orchestra of the Music University Graz, the University Orchestra of the Mozarteum Salzburg and has conducted in opera productions. Agnes was an assistant teacher for the conducting classes at the Music Pedagogy department at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. Agnes took part in master classes with Florian Helgath, Zürcher Singakademie, Vokalensemble consonus, Hans-Christoph Rademann, Steven Sametz, Johann Van der Sandt, Vokalforum Graz, Robert Sund, Morten Schuldt-Jensen, Josep Vila i Casanas, Maria Goundorina, Erwin Ortner and Thomas Caplin.
As a singer, she was a member of the two vocal trios Lerchenschnabl and 3 Schnablinge. They were performing in Austria as well as neighboring countries and have won prizes at the Alpine Folkmusic Competition in Innsbruck, Prima la Musica, and at the Austrian Landes- and Bundesjugendsingen. Several albums were released throughout 2011 to 2018. Besides classical music, Agnes is very passionate about folk music. Due to her ancestry, she feels particularly connected to Carinthian-Slovene folk songs.
Pearl Shangkuan
Dr. Pearl Shangkuan is a highly sought-after conductor, lecturer and clinician who has led performances and workshops on six continents. She is the National President-elect of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), having previously served on the Board of Directors of Chorus America, as well as ACDA central division president and ACDA Michigan state president. Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Music at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she is also the chorus director of the Grand Rapids Symphony, a Grammy-nominated professional orchestra.
Appointed in 2022 as the Editor of Hinshaw Music, a major choral music publisher in North America, she also has a signature choral series with earthsongs and is the music editor of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Choral series published by GIA. She has conducted several times at Carnegie Hall and other major concert halls in the US and was an invited guest lecturer at the World Symposium for Choral Music held in Seoul, South Korea. Her guest engagements regularly take her to Europe, Asia, and across the United States.
Dr. Shangkuan has served on the jury of several international choral competitions in Europe and Asia and has led conducting masterclasses for the ACDA national conference, Chorus America conferences, the University of Michigan and the University of Illinois Choral Conducting Symposium among many prominent programs, institutions and organizations in the US. She has conducted numerous All State choirs, ACDA national and division honor choirs, and choral festivals nationally and internationally and has headlined several ACDA state and other professional conferences. She has commissioned and premiered numerous choral works and her choirs have performed at ACDA national, division and state conferences.
The Michigan YWCA honored her with its Arts Tribute Award in 2007. In 2013, Michigan ACDA honored her with the Maynard Klein Choral Award for “artistic excellence and lifetime leadership in choral music.” In 2023, the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) gave her its Honorary Life Member Award for “distinguished leadership and extraordinary service to the choral community, both nationally and internationally.”
David Slater
David Slater is an Australian composer, conductor and music educator. After completing studies at the University of Sydney with legendary Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe, he received scholarships to study in Europe with Helmut Lachenmann, Cristobal Hallfter and Brian Ferneyhough. His work encompasses many genres from the concert hall to TV, film and advertising, and includes solo, chamber, choral and orchestral music. His compositions have received numerous awards over many years. He receives regular commissions and is performed throughout Australia and the world.
Mr Slater is an experienced conductor with an extensive repertoire spanning from the Baroque to the present day. He began his studies in conducting in Germany, and on return to Australia was mentored by the Chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Stuart Challender. He founded and directed a number of award-winning ensembles which include contemporary music groups, orchestras, choirs, youth orchestras and musical theatre companies. In recent years he has conducted student and professional orchestras and choirs from more than 20 countries: Australia, Asia and the USA to all parts of Europe, from Italy and Spain to Scandinavia, the Baltic Region and Russia.
He is a regular guest at international music festivals, where he sits on international juries, conducts masterclasses and gives lectures. His regular schedule includes engagements in Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy and Slovakia, with notable events in Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and Russia. For 40 years Mr Slater has been teaching and lecturing in music. He is passionate about the role of music in society and in education, and has promoted the creation, study and performance of great music throughout his career. He has been a consultant on music curriculum and final year examiner in three Australian states.
He has won many major awards for composition, conducting and service to music, including the Symphony Australia Prize, the National Award of the Orchestras of Australia Network and Australia Day awards for service to music in the community. He has published articles on music and music education and represents Australia on the World Choir Council.
Saul Zaks
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1961 and living in Denmark, Saul Zaks is an international conductor and mediator who connects people from different cultures and provides a cross-cultural communication through music and the arts.
He has been the conductor of The Musicology Students Choir at the University of Aarhus, and of The University of Southern Denmark Chamber Choir and Symphony Orchestra.
Saul Zaks is a guest professor in choral and orchestral conducting at the University of Buenos Aires, Universidad Católica de Asunción del Paraguay, Conservatorio Nacional de Bolivia, Universidad Federal de Rio de Janeiro and Universidad de Oriente, Santiago de Cuba.
He studied at The Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music & Dance, Israel, with Prof. Mendi Rodán, and at The Royal Danish Academy of Music Aarhus.
Saul Zaks is specialized in the music from Latin America and has performed and recorded with, amongst others, the composer Ariel Ramirez, the singer Mercedes Sosa, the composer & pianist Pablo Ziegler and the bandoneón players Daniel Binelli, Pablo Mainetti, César Stroscio and Rodolfo Marcelo Zanetti.
As Chorus Master, Saul Zaks has gained a nomination for the Danish Grammy Award 2006 - Best Classical Album - together with the Danish National Choir & Symphony Orchestra for recordings of “Choral Symphony & Requiem” by Asger Hamerik.
Additionally he has gained a nomination for the Latin Grammy Award 2016 in the category Best Tango Album - “Sax to Tango” - together with Pablo Ziegler, Julio Botti, Franco Pinna & The University of Southern Denmark Symphony Orchestra.
Together with Argentinean composer Martin Palmeri, Saul Zaks performed the Scandinavian premiere of “Misatango”, and the World Premiere of the “Tango Credo” at Lincoln Center, New York in 2017.
Today Saul Zaks is the Artistic Director & Conductor of the Misatango Festival Vienna (www.misatango.com).
In 2018 Saul Zaks was appointed Artistic Director for the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna.
Appointments in 2019 include the World Premiere of Martin Palmeri´s “Gran Misa” in Carnegie Hall, New York City, The International Music Festival in Bratislava and workshops and concerts at Hanover University of Music, Theatre and Media.
www.saulzaks.com