Teachers 2024
Marc Engelhardt
Bassoon
Marc Engelhardt works at the academy from 13/09 - 22/09/2024
He studied in Cologne and in Hanover with K. Thunemann. In 1986 he became 1st solo bassoonist of the RSO Saarbrücken and has also played in this position with the BR, NDR, WDR, SWR and HR, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the Hamburg State Opera. He has close chamber music ties with the Stuttgart Academy, trumpeter Matthias Höfs, saxophonist Daniel Schnyder and Fagottissimo Stuttgart. Masterclasses and work as a juror at international competitions have taken him to France, Russia and Poland, Canada, Japan, China and Korea as well as Switzerland and the USA. His students hold leading positions in many European, Asian and South American orchestras.
Eberhard Feltz
Violin
Eberhard Feltz works at the academy from 14/09/ - 22/09/2024
He studied in Berlin with Werner Scholz and in St. Petersburg with Michael Waiman. Since 1963 he teaches chamber music at the University of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin. Additionally, he has an excellent reputation as a teacher for masterclasses in Europe and in the USA. He was longtime mentor of string quartets like Vogler, Kuss, Faust, Atrium, Calder, Ebène and soloists like the cellist Nicolas Altstaedt.
Konstantin Heidrich
Cello
Konstantin Heidrich works at the academy from 04/09/ - 22/09/2024. In 2024 he is artistic director of the academy.
He is the cellist of the Faure Quartet and studied with M. Ostertag and F. Helmerson. As a soloist he played with renown orchestras. The Fauré Quartet, one of the leading chambermusic ensembles since 20 years with concerts all over the world, is one of his main musical activities. He is professor at the University of Arts in Berlin and since 2017 artistic director of the festival “crescendo”.
Thomas Hoppe
piano
Thomas Hoppe works at the academy from 4/09/–13/09/2024
Thomas Hoppe studied with Lee Luvisi in the USA and completed his training at the Juilliard School in New York. As the pianist of the ATOS Trio, he has won prizes and awards such as the German Music Competition 2004, Melbourne 2007, BBC New Generation Artists 2009 and the Borletti-Buitoni Ensemble Award 2012. He has taught masterclasses in piano accompaniment and chamber music in Europe, Australia, China, South America and the USA. As a piano partner, he supervises competitions such as the Concours Reine Elisabeth (Brussels), Joseph Joachim (Hanover) and the Violin Competition (Indianapolis) and Singapore.
Norbert Kaiser
Clarinet
Norbert Kaiser works at the academy from 04/09/ - 13/09/2024
Norbert studied at the University of Music in Detmold with Jost Michaels and Hans Klaus. He was a clarinetist in the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Frankfurt and hereafter employed as solo clarinet for twelve years in the Staatsoper Stuttgart. There he worked with many of the renowned conductors. He studied conducting at the University of Music in Weimar and he has worked as assistant conductor at the Staatsoper Stuttgart and at the opera in Ulm and he was chief conductor of the youth orchestra in Thüringen. Since 2000 he is professor for clarinet and chamber music at the University of music in Stuttgart and guest-professor in Shenyang. He regularly teaches numerous masterclasses such as the “Oberstdorfer Musiksommer”. He works as a juror at international competitions such as the Marktneukirchen competition or at the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb. Many of his students are in famous orchestras or are teachers or professors at Universities around the world.
Valentin Keogh
Valentin Keogh works at the academy from September 10th to 17th 2024
Alexander Keogh is a Flute player, orchestra musician, music pedagogue and teacher of the F.M. Alexander Technique. He was born in Dublin, Ireland and studied at the Royal College of Music London and at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg with Aurèle Nicolet. After many years of orchestral work, he completed a three-year training course as a teacher of the Alexander Technique. Since 1994 he has successfully taught the Alexander Technique at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt, in private practice and at music seminars in Germany and abroad. Since 2008 he has been professor for Life-Skills at Kronberg Academy.
Elisabeth Kufferath
Violin
Elisabeth Kufferath works at the academy from 04/09/ - 13/09/2024
She has been a member of the Tetzlaff Quartet ever since it’s been established and has performed on international stages such as the Berlin Philharmonie, the Vienna Musikverein, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Wigmore Hall in London and the Carnegie Hall in New York. Elisabeth Kufferath has been a guest as a violinist and violist at the Berliner Festwochen, the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, the Schwetzinger Festspiele, the Helsinki Festival, the Lucerne Festival, the Heidelberger Frühling and the Norwegian Rosendal Festival. She played the world premiere of the viola version of Peter Eötvös' "Adventures of the Dominant Seventh Chord" and the German premiere of "A Call" and works intensively with composers such as Jörg Widmann, Zeynep Gedizlioglu, Helen Grime, Libby Larsen, Georges Lentz, Manfred Trojahn and Jeffrey Mumford.
Johannes Meissl
Violin
Johannes Meissl works at the Academy from 13/09 - 17/09/2024.
Meissl studied at mdw with W. Schneiderhan, G. Hetzel, and Hatto Beyerle, and with the LaSalle Quartet in the US. With the Artis Quartet he has been enjoying a longstanding international career, performing at prestigious series and festivals worldwide. Multiple awards for over 40 recordings and the “Artis Series” at the Musikverein in Vienna bear witness to the rank of the ensemble. He also performs in solo recitals and in mixed chamber projects, and he has achieved success as a conductor. Meissl headed mdw’s J. Haydn Department for Chamber Music for many years, and he is artistic director of isa – International Summer Academy of mdw as well as artistic director of ECMA (European Chamber Music Academy).
Angelika Merkle
Piano
Angelika Merkle works at the academy from 14/09 - 22/09/2024.
She studied with Klaus Schilde, Leonard Hokanson (Indiana University) and lied interpretation with Helmut Deutsch and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. She has won many first prizes in international and national competitions and is a much demanded chamber music pianist and teacher. Her CD recordings have received top honours from both Fanfare and Fono Forum. Angelika Merkle has been Professor of Piano Chamber Music at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts since 2003. She is also the artistic director of numerous projects such as the renowned chamber music series "Festeburgkonzerte", the International Schumann Chamber Music Prize and the music education format "COMM!T". Her students have won prizes in international and national competitions.
Frederik Oland
Violin
Frederik Oland works at the academy from 17/09 - 22/09/2024.
He studied violin under Professor Serguei Azizian at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, and under Professor Ulf Wallin at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. At the age of 23, he won the position of leader of the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra. He left the Copenhagen Phil in 2017 to focus on the Danish String Quartet. Frederik is one-quarter of the Danish String Quartet, with whom he has received many awards and accolades, most recently as Musical America Ensemble of the Year in 2020. The quartet tours all over the world, and in 2020 they completed a concert cycle of all Beethoven’s string quartets at the Lincoln Center in New York. Their CD series ‘Prism’ was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2019. The Danish String Quartet are the organisers of both the DSQ Festival and the ‘Series of Four’ concert series.
Erik Schumann
Violin
Erik Schumann works at the Academy from 4/09 - 13/09/2024.
Erik Schumann was born in Cologne to German/Romanian-Japanese parents. Since 2008 he has been the primarius of the Schumann Quartet, winner of the Schubert Competition Graz 2012, the 1er Grand Prix in the competition "Quatuors a Bordeaux" 2013, winner of the Jürgen Ponto Prize 2014 and from 2016-2019 quartet in residence of the Lincoln Center New York. Regular appearances as a soloist with renowned orchestras in Europe, Asia and the USA are also part of his career. He studied with Zakhar Bron and completed his music education with masterclasses with Pinchas Zuckermann and Shlomo Mintz.
Teachers of the past years
Markus Becker
Piano
studied with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and performs internationally. Becker is a regular guest at the Ruhr Piano Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and Kissinger Sommer, and others. His chamber music partners include Albrecht Mayer, Nils Mönkemeyer, Adrian Brendel, Igor Levit, Sharon Kam and Alban Gerhardt. He has been a professor at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media since 1993. Becker's CD recordings have received the 'ECHO-Klassik' as well as the German Record Critics' Award three times and the Opus Klassik in 2019.
Markus Becker works at the academy from September 7th to 18th 2022.
Anna Dina Björn-Larsen
Flute
studied with Paul Meisen in Munich, Jeanne Baxtresser in New York and Jean-Claude Gérard in Stuttgart. She played as a scholarship holder of the Münchner Orchesterakademie in the Symphony Orchestra of Bayrischer Rundfunk and in the Orchestra of the Bayerische Staatsoper. From 1998 she was principal flute of the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen for almost 20 years. Björn-Jansen is a founding member of the Diamant Ensemble Copenhagen and was a longtime member of the Danish Radio Wind Quintet. In 2013, she was awarded the Order of Dannebrog by the Queen of Denmark for her artistic work and commitment to Danish cultural life.
Anna Dina Björn-Larsen works at the academy from August 23rd to September 1st 2023.
Adrien Boisseau
Viola
studied with Jean Sulem and Tabea Zimmermann and won several international prizes. From 2015 to 2017 he was member of the famous Quatour Ebène that had concerts i.a. in the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and in the Carnegie Hall. In 2014 Boisseau was elected as „Young Artist of the Year“ by the „International Classical Music Awards“.
Adrien Boisseau works at the academy from September, 9th to 20th 2020.
Krzysztof Chorzelski
Viola
is the violist of the Belcea Quartet which has already performed in concert halls such as the London Wigmore Hall, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Carnegie Hall in New York. For its CD recordings the Belcea Quartet received several prizes i.a. the Diapason d’Or and the Echo Klassik. Chorzelski is viola and chamber music professor at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Krzysztof Chorzelski works at the academy from August 30th to September 9th 2020.
Kai Frömbgen
Oboe
is a member of the Linos Ensemble and has played in various other formations such as the wind ensemble Sabine Meyer, with Frank-Peter Zimmermann, Christian Zacharias and Christoph Eschenbach. He was solo oboist of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra under the direction of Claudio Abbado. Frömbgen was also professor for oboe at the University of Music in Saarbrücken and at the Robert Schumann University of Music Düsseldorf. Since 2018 he holds a professorship at the University of Music, Theatre and Media in Hannover.
Kai Frömbgen works at the academy from August 30th to September 8th 2021.
Martin Funda
Violin
is the leader and founding member of the Armida Quartet, which has established itself as one of the most successful young quartets in the world by winning the Concours de Genève in 2011 and the ARD International Music Competition in 2012, where the ensemble was awarded First Prize, the Audience Prize, and six other special prizes. Since October 2018, Funda has been professor of chamber music at the University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart. Previously, he taught at the University of the Arts Berlin and at the Franz Liszt University of Music Weimar.
Martin Funda works at the academy from August 23rd to September 10th 2023.
Wally Hase
Flute
played with several orchestras such as the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Symphonic Orchestras SWR Freiburg-BadenBaden and the Royal Orchestra Antwerpen. She played chamber music i.a. with the guitarist Thomas Müller-Pering and the Mandelring Quartet. She started teaching as a professor for flute at the Hochschule für Musik Weimar in 2000. From 2014 to 2018 she was visiting professor at the University of Music in Cracow. Sind 2018 she es professor for flute at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.
Wally Hase works at the academy from September 9th to 19th 2021.
Jan Ickert
Cello
studied with Susanne Müller-Hornbach, Andreas Greger, Michael Sanderling and Joseph Schwab. In 2002 he founded the Chagall Quartet Berlin, which won prizes at international competitions and has performed at international festivals such as the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Mozartfest Würzburg and the Rheingau Music Festival. 2008-2018 Jan Ickert was artistic director and lecturer for Cello at the Emanuel Feuermann Conservatory of Kronberg Academy. Since 2017 he is professor of cello at the University of Music in Frankfurt.
Jan Ickert works at the academy from September 1st to 10th 2023.
Volker Jacobsen
Viola
is one of the founding members of the Artemis Quartett. He studied in Lübeck with Barbara Westphal and won several competitions with his quartet such as the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb (1995), ARD Musikwettbewerb (1996) and the Premio Paolo Borciani in Reggio Emilia (1997). Jacobsen was professor at the University of Arts in Berlin and Visiting Professor at the Chapelle Reine Elisabeth in Brussels. In 2007 he quit his work with the Artemis Quartett and worked ever since as a professor for viola at the University of Music Hannover.
Volker Jacobsen works at the academy from September, 12th to 22nd 2019.
Diethelm Jonas
Oboe
studied in Essen, in London at the Royal Academy of Music and in Freiburg by Heinz Holliger. He was solo oboist in orchestras in Essen, Stuttgart and Munich and worked with Claudio Abbado in the lucerne festival orchestra. He founded the Aulos quintet and is member of the Sabine Meyer woodwind ensemble. Since 2001 he is professor at the University of Music in Lübeck and visiting professor at the Gedai-University, Tokio.
Diethelm Jonas works at the academy from August 28th to September 7th 2022.
Georg Klütsch
Bassoon
studied in Mainz and Detmold and with Herman Jung at the Nordwestdeutsche Musikakademie. He was solo bassoonist of the Bamberger Symphoniker and member of the Sabine Meyer wood wind ensemble. Klütsch was a professor at the University of Music Weimar, the University of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin and the University of Music and Dance Köln.
Georg Klütsch works at the academy from September 7th to 18th 2022.
Sybille Mahni
Horn
studied with Marie-Luise Neunecker and is prize winner of several international competitions such as the Internationaler Musikwettbewerb ARD. As a soloist she had concerts i.a. with the SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart and the Symphony Orchestra Munich. After teaching at the University of Music in Frankfurt a.M., the University of Music in Mainz and the University of Music in Saarbrücken she started working as professor for horn at the University of Music Würzburg in 2017. Since 2014 Mahni is member of the Ma’alot Wind Quintet.
Sybille Mahni works at the academy from August 30th to September 09th 2020.
Dirk Mommertz
Piano
is the pianist of the Fauré Quartet. He studied with André Boainain and Lev Natochenny and had concerts as a soloist i.a. with the Philharmonic Orchestra Hamburg and the MDR Symphony Orchestra. After teaching activities at the University of Music Karlsruhe, the Folkwang University of Arts Essen and the University of Music Nuremberg, he started being professor for chamber music at the University of Music and Theatre Munich in 2015. Until now he has concerts with the well known Fauré Quartet.
Dirk Mommertz works at the academy from August 23rd to September 4th 2023.
Marie-Luise Neunecker
Horn
has appeared as a chamber musician and/or soloist at notable festivals: the Salzburg Festival, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Aldeburgh Festival, the Rheingau Music Festival, the Marlboro Music Festival, the Risör Festival and the Vienna Festival Weeks. György Ligeti wrote his Horn Concerto “Hamburgisches Konzert” for Marie-Luise Neunecker, which she premiered in January 2001. Marie-Luise Neunecker was professor for horn at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin.
Marie-Luise Neunecker works at the academy from September 9th to 19th 2021.
Wolfgang Redik
Violin
studied in Graz and Wien. In 1988 he founded the Wiener Klaviertrio with whom he played concerts all over the world until 2012. From 2012-13 he was Artistic Director of the Orchesterzentrum NRW in Dortmund. Redik designed a new master for string quartets and piano trios that is established at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg since 2014 and which is supported by lecturers such as himself and members of the Hagen Quartett. Since 2019 he is Professor of Chamber Music at the University of Music Hanns Eisler in Berlin.
Wolfgang Redik works at the academy from September 9th to 20th 2020.
Anatol Riemer
Musicology
studied composition/electronic composition, music theory and musicology at the University of Music Essen. At the University of Music in Frankfurt, he received his doctorate in musicology with a thesis on Jacques Offenbach's compositional technique. His studies focus on chamber music, opera in the 19th century, and music of the 20th century. His compositional work includes solo, ensemble, orchestral and choral pieces as well as numerous Lieder. The starting point of his pieces is often the study of literary texts and of works by other composers.
Anatol Riemer works at the academy from September 4th to 10th 2023.
Vineta Sareika
Violin
studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris with Gérard Poulet and at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel with Augustin Dumay. Since she won the Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition in 2009, she performs regularly as a soloist with numerous European orchestras. She was concertmaster of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic, has been primaria of the Artemis Quartet since 2012, and joined the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2022. Her recordings with the Artemis Quartet, as well as with the Dali Piano Trio and her long-time stage partner, pianist Amandine Savary, have been highly praised by critics.
Vineta Sareika works at the academy from August 28th to September 1st 2023.
Ulf Schneider
Violin
teaches at numerous master classes and is a member of the jury at national and international competitions. He regularly performs with the Trio Jean Paul, the Bartholdy Quintet and with the pianists Stephan Imorde and Jan Philip Schulze. Schneider also arranges music & word programs in collaboration with actors and actresses (for example with Martina Gedeck, Gudrun Landgrebe, Stephan Kurt and Rufus Beck). His CD productions have been released by Rubicon Classics, Ars Musici, CAvi, Membran and ECM. Schneider holds a professorship at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien in Hannover.
Ulf Schneider works at the academy from September 7th to 18th 2022.
Martin Spangenberg
Clarinet
studied in Hannover with Hans Deinzer and was principal clarinetist from 1988 to 2003 of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. Longtime he was the Artistic Director of the “Jeunesses Musicales” International Chamber Music Course and lecturer for the National Youth Orchestra of Germany. As soloist and chamber musician he is international successful. He was prize winner of the German Music Competition and is the conductor of the ensemble m18. Since 1997 he was professor at the University of Music in Weimar and since 2013 he is professor of clarinet at the University of Music Hanns Eisler in Berlin.
Martin Spangenberg works at the academy from August 28th to September 18th 2022 and is the artistic director of the course of 2022.
Anthony Spiri
Piano
studied in Boston and at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg. As soloist he played with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, with the Camerata Academia Salzburg, the Young German Philharmonic, with the Ensemble Wien Modern, the Chamber Orchestra Basel and many more. From 1987–1993 he was assistant of Nikolaus Harnoncourt in Salzburg. He is professor of piano chamber music at the University of Music in Köln.
Anthony Spiri works at the academy from September, 12th to 22nd 2019.
Tim Vogler
Violin
is primarius of the Vogler-Quartett. He studied at the University of Music Hanns Eisler in Berlin and is laureate of several national and international competitions. Vogler is Artistic Director of the "Internationalen Kammermusiktage Homburg“ and the "Sligo International Chamber Music Festival" in Ireland. He is member of the jury in competitions for string quartet in Bordeaux, Trondheim and Banff. After teaching in Berlin, Detmold and Stuttgart he now is professor for chamber music at the University of Music in Frankfurt.
Tim Vogler works at the academy from September, 1st to 11th 2019.