Ritus
Image Credits: Damián Posse
October 17 | 7 pm
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Join us for a concert by the Austrian string quartet “The Auner Quartett“, compromised of violinists Daniel and Barbara Auner, violist Maximilian Bratt, and cellist Konstantin Zelenin.
About the Event
The concert will take you on a fascinating journey through the concept of rituals and how they have influenced classical music compositions. From ancient religious ceremonies to modern-day social gatherings, rituals have played a significant role in the cultural history of humanity. The composers featured in this program – J. Doderer, K. Gourzi, R. Zahra – have all been inspired by rituals and have created unique musical interpretations of them. The idea for this program was created during a charity concert for pharmacists without borders, which the Auner Quartett initiated after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the Emperors Palace in Vienna, where the ensemble holds a concert residency. This project represents their continued commitment to bringing awareness to important issues through the universal language of music.
This concert is particularly special, as most of the works being performed will be premieres. The Auner Quartett‘s exceptional performances will transport you to different worlds of sound, evoking the atmosphere of these rituals and inviting you to experience their emotional and spiritual dimensions.
The quartet is committed to sharing the beauty of chamber music and engaging with diverse communities through workshops and outreach events, all while maintaining a deep connection to the Viennese musical tradition.
About the Quartet
Winner of the Eugéne Ysaÿe competition in Liége, Belgium and recently as „Auner Quartet – The award winning string quartet: a perfect musical match“ as first Austrian ensemble on the cover of the Performing Arts Yearbook of Europe, the viennese string quartet has firmly established itself in the international world of classical music. Founded in 2013 and appointed by Austria‘s Ministry of European and International Affairs as cultural ambassadors, the quartet regularly performs as part of the NASOM series in cultural forums and embassies worldwide. Praised for its „stylistic confidence and true emotion … for all four, chamber music seems to be the essence of music per se …“ (Radio Ö1, „Intrada“), the ensemble demonstrates „refinement and prowess to both new and established repertoire”. Following an old viennese tradition of salon concerts, the group organises a chambermusic cycle in the city of music, performing and moderating through the program in e.g. the Brahms Saal of the Vienna Musikverein, the Schubert Saal of the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Arnold Schönberg Centre, the Baroque Hall of the Vienna City Hall and the Ehrbar Hall. In season 2021/22 the cycle found a permanent home in the chapel of the emperors palace, the Hofburg.
As passionate chamber musicians the quartet strives to not only explore the extensive repertoire, but also to present their unique rhetorical voice within the music. As the studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna focus strongly on the mastery of the “Wiener Klang” (the Viennese Sound), as well as a sophisticated interpretation of works from the Viennese „Classical“ period; graduates Barbara, Maximilian, Konstantin and Daniel went as individual musicians through one concerted training. Sharing the same educational background they bring the viennese musical patrimony and individual emotional approach into this musical melting pot. The artists use their cultural heritage and consider it as their vocation to convey music as a spontaneous and original experience. Artistic impulses from e.g. Hatto Beyerle and Günter Pichler (Alban Berg Quartett) and Petr Prause (Talich Quartet), Alasdair Tait (Belcea Quartet), Geoffrey Nuttall and Lesley Robertson (St. Lawrence String Quartet, USA) continue to inspire; the Auner Quartet is a selected member of ECMA, the European Chamber Music Academy.
Compromised of violinists Daniel and Barbara Auner, violist Maximilian Bratt, and cellist Konstantin Zelenin, the ensemble is performing regularly in various venues. As strong advocates for outreach events and educational workshops, the Auner Quartett is actively searching to engage various communities in diverse ways. The quartet holds workshops in schools, making the often first approach to classical music for listeners an easy entry. In a time of shrinking audiences, the group considers it a duty to personally address new listeners. Social work, often in collaboration with the Austria‘s Ministry of European and International Affairs, included masterclasses and performances for numerous youth music programs in Peru, Brazil, Belize and South Africa.