| Duo :nota bene: |
Eva Steinschaden (violin) and Alexander Vavtar (piano) founded the duo :nota bene: in 1996.
"nota bene" means "take note" or "note well". It could also quite simply mean "good note".
Eva Steinschaden and Alexander Vavtar make music for fine ears from good notes. So: nota bene! Take note: there is new chamber music from Salzburg to listen to.
Engaged in instrumental teaching since the completion of their musical
studies at the Mozarteum University
in Salzburg, they have specialised in the music of the Viennese Classical
school, devoting attention also to modern and in particular contemporary
music.
In 1998, they made their CD debut with works by Mozart,
Schubert, Granados, Webern and Pärt. This was followed in 2000
by the second CD, with works by Mozart, Ravel, Schnittke and Kardeis,
in 2004 by the third CD, with works by Bresgen, Lutoslawski,
Penderecki, Kurtág, Vereno and Nussbichler, and in 2006
by the fourth CD, with works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his son Franz
Xaver Mozart. (All CDs are available on the Viennese "Extraplatte" label.)
In 1999, the duo was the only Austrian ensemble to be accepted
for the master class held by the Trio di Trieste. Since then, they have
collaborated with the world-famous musicians of the Trio di Trieste at
the Scuola Superiore di Musica da Camera in Trieste.
The two musicians have for many years maintained a close artistic partnership with the schauspielhaus salzburg, the largest "free theatre" in Austria. Their collaboration has produced many programmes blending music and text with subtlety and humour.
Special programmes were compiled for the Mozart jubilee year 2006 and the Haydn anniversary in 2009, in collaboration with the Austrian writer Ludwig Laher and the two Salzburg tenors Peter Sonn and Maximilian Kiener.
Over the years, the duo :nota bene: has given the first performance of many works, by distinguished composers including Cesar Bresgen, Charles Camilleri, Helmut Neumann, Laurence Traiger, Klemens Vereno, Ludwig Nussbichler and Christian David Kardeis.
Since its inception, the duo :nota bene: has given some 300 recitals
in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, France, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland,
Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal, England, Ireland,
Denmark, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Lebanon, USA, Mexico,
Belize, Japan, China and New Zealand.
Invitations to perform have been extended by prestigious concert organisers
such as the Salzburg Festival (opening celebrations), International Mozarteum
Foundation/Salzburg, "stART" Festival/Salzburg, ASPEKTE/Salzburg,
Composers' Forum in Mittersill/Austria, Austrian Jeunesse Musicale, Brucknerhaus
Linz, Schubert Society/Vienna, Austrian Music Society Vienna, Mozart Society
in Wiesbaden/Germany, Deutsches Theater/Berlin, Musée de
l'Armée en l'Hôtel National des Invalides in Paris/France, Intrasonus Festival in Mestre/Italy, Teatro "Giuseppe Verdi" in Trieste/Italy, "Schubertiade" Radio Suisse Romande/Switzerland, "Little Maarnach
Festival"/Luxembourg, "Corsham Music Festival"/England,
International Festival Rousse/Bulgaria, Sala Bulgaria in Sofia/Bulgaria,
Ateneul Român Bucharest/Romania, Teatru Manoel in Valletta/Malta,
St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta/Malta, Austrian Cultural
Forum New York/USA, Festival Culturel International d’Assilah/Morocco,
Mozart Society in Kagoshima/Japan, Shanghai Concert Hall/China, Oriental Arts Centre Shanghai/China, Festival
Cultural de Zacatecas/Mexico, Festival Internacional de Puebla/Mexico and the Festival "Joven es Acción"
in Querétaro/Mexico.
| Eva Steinschaden, violin |
|
Eva Steinschaden
received her first violin tuition at the age of four from her
father, Bruno Steinschaden. Later she studied under Helmut Zehetmair
and Ruggiero Ricci at the Mozarteum
University in Salzburg, gaining her teacher's diploma in
1988 and her performer's diploma in 1989.
She attended master classes with various teachers, including
Shmuel Ashkenazy, Ljerko Spiller, Thomas Brandis, Renato Zanettovich
and Enrico Bronzi, and was a frequent first prize-winner in competitions
such as "Jugend Musiziert" (Young Musicians).
She leads the Leopold Mozart Chamber Orchestra, is a member of
various chamber ensembles, and was for some years a regular extra
with the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg. She has travelled widely
as a performer, throughout Europe as well as to Japan, South
America and the USA, and has made numerous recordings for television,
radio and on CD.
Eva Steinschaden is in great demand as a judge for competitions.
Eva Steinschaden has taught violin at the Musikum Salzburg since 1988, and has held a teaching
post for violin at the Mozarteum University since 1992. She is a teacher at
the annual "Austrian Masterclasses" for chamber music
in Schloss Zell an der Pram in Austria.
 |
Alexander Vavtar, piano |
Alexander Vavtar had his
first piano tuition at the age of six, with Gottfried Jaufenthaler at
the Tyrol Landeskonservatorium in Innsbruck. He went on to study piano
and choral conducting with Gereon Kleiner at the Mozarteum
University in Salzburg, and graduated in 1996.
He took part in numerous master classes, with teachers including Brian
Lamport, Bernard Ringeisen, Dario de Rosa and Maurin Jones, and gained
prizes in several competitions such as "Jugend Musiziert" (Young
Musicians).
Alexander Vavtar has performed at home and abroad as a soloist and in
chamber concerts, including concerts with the tenor Peter Sonn, the Bulgarian
Chamber Orchestra Orpheus, the Salzburg Leopold Mozart Chamber Orchestra,
the Sinfonietta St. Johann and the Wilten Male Voice Choir Innsbruck.
He has taught piano at the Musikum Salzburg since 1994, and since 1996 he has been
a teacher at the annual "Austrian Masterclasses" for chamber music
in Schloss Zell an der Pram in Austria.
contact:
notabenesalzburg@aon.at
Duo :nota bene:
Eva Steinschaden/Alexander Vavtar
Haslachweg 1
A-5061 Elsbethen
Telefax: (+43-662) 63 63 81
mobile: (+43-664) 413 83 16
design + production:
Christoph
Rastbichler / d-licious & Renate
Stockreiter