Portrait in English

Sandro Blank

Sandro Blank was born in Lachen in 1986. He was teached the saxophone from the age of 10 by Urs Oettli. In spring 2006, he was awarded a price at the Swiss Competition of Young Musicians. In 2006, Sandro Blank started his saxophone studies in the class of Prof. Beat Hofstetter and Sascha Armbruster at Hochschule Luzern – Musik [Lucerne, CH]. He obtained his diploma of Bachelor of Arts in Music in 2006 and his Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy in 2011. In addition to this, he acquired a Master of Arts in Music Performance [with distinction] after two years of studies with Marcus Weiss at Hochschule für Musik Basel [Basel, CH]. Since summer 2013, he’s continuing his education in a Masters programme for wind band conducting with Prof. Felix Hauswirth at the same school. Throughout his studies, Sandro Blank developed a particular affinity to contemporary music. He has attended several workshops and concerts with well-known artists such as Fred Frith, Ewan Parker, Tim Berne, Michel Godard, Bernhard Lang and others. He has taken part in master classes with Arno Bornkamp, Marie-Bernadette Charier, Vincent David, Claude Delangle, Laurent Estoppey, Masataka Hirano, Lars Mlekusch, Jean-Georges Koerper, Rodrigo Vila, Harry White und Christian Wirth, as well as a chamber music master class with the Habanera Quartet from Paris. Sandro Blank is regularly engaged for orchestra and chamber music concerts and also as soloist. He’s a member of Aulos Blasorchester, sinfonisches Blasorchester des Schweizer Armeespiels and constant substitute of 21th Century Orchestra. He has played with Basel Symphony Orchestra, Zuger Sinfonietta, Collegium Novum Zurich, Kaspar Ewalds Exorbitantem Kabinett and Ensemble Boswil. Together with Soprano Viviane Hasler he forms the Duo voz y madera. In 2007, he played with Junge Philharmonie Zentralschweiz and conductor Perer Eötvos at Lucerne Festival for the first time. Afterwards, he has been member of the Lucerne Festival Academy under the direction of Pierre Boulez. Sandro Blank is conductor and musical director of Jugendmusik Baar ZG, is teaching at the music schools of Oftrigen AG, Lotzwil BE and in private lessons. Regularly, he gets involved as a teacher with music camps and weekend workshops.

Marita Kohler

Marita Kohler was born 1988. She started to learn the oboe with Barbara Zumthurm in Lucerne and got her Bachelor [2011] and Master of Arts in Music Performance – Orchestra [oboe] with mention ‚excellent‘ in 2013 in the class of Prof. Simon Fuchs at Zürcher Hochschule der Künste [Zurich, CH]. At present she’s refining her instrumental playing in the class of Prof. Jean-Louis Capezzali and Prof. Jérôme Guichard at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse in Lyon [F]. Next to regular soloistic performances [f. ex. Danube Symphony Orchestra Budapest, Zuger Kammerensemble, Sinfonisches Blasorchester Stadtmusik Luzern] Marita Kohler devotes herself with enthousiasm to orchestra playing and chamber music. During the season of 2012/2013 she completed a voluntary service in Philharmonia Zurich [Zurich Opera Orchestra]. Over the intervening years of her young carreer she has gained a lot of experience by playing in various orchestras such as the International Summer Academy Pommersfelden [Germany], Swiss Youth Symphony Orchestra, Young Philharmonic Orchestra Valiant, Young Munich Philharmony and others. Marita Kohler got important musical inputs from well-known oboists such as Peter Fuchs, Martin Frutiger, Maurice Bourgue, Günther Passin, Philipp Mahrenholz, Christian Hommel. She was awarded prices at the Competition of Lucerne Music School [2007], Lions Club Competition for Oboe [2011] and Concours International d'Exécution musicale in Riddes [2012].

Annatina Kull

Annatina Kull was born in 1987 and grew up in Chur. After her diploma of general qualification for university entrance, she started her clarinet studies at Hochschule Luzern – Musik [Lucerne, CH] with Heinrich Mätzener and Paolo Beltramini. In 2011, she got her diploma of Master of Arts in Music [major Orchestra] with distinction. To deepen her musical studies she completed an ERASMUS year with Stefan Schilling at Kunstuniversität Graz [A]. After one more year of studies back to Lucerne in the class of Paolo Beltramini, she accomplished her Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy [again with destinction]. Master classes with Ralph Manno, Johannes Peitz, Jörg Widmann, José Luis Estellés, Martin Fröst, Shirley Brill and others enrichened her playing with valuable artistic impulses. Annatina Kull was awarded a first price with distinction as well as the ‘Prix Suisse’ at Swiss Competition of Young Musicians 2006. In 2010, she was awarded the Edwin Fischer special price and a scolarship of Friedl Wald Foundation. During the season 2009/2010 Annatina Kull played with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra in the context of an internship. She likes playing contemporary music and has performed several times in Academy Forum concerts of the Lucerne Festival. One could heard her in soloistic performances with Neues Zürcher Orchester, Schweizer Philharmonie, Orchestra le phénix, Orchestra Sinfonica S. Marco Pordenone [I] and Kammerphilharmonie Graubünden.

Nicola Katz

Born in the canton of Zug in 1985, Nicola Katz started his clarinet studies with Heinrich Mätzener at Hochschule Luzern – Music [Lucerne, CH]. After reception of his concert diploma in 2007, additional studies led him to Prof. Martin Spangenberg at Hochschule für Musik «Franz Liszt» in Weimar and later on back to Lucerne in the Paolo Beltramini’s and Bernhard Röthlisberger‘s [bass clarinet] classes. On the latter he graduated with a diploma of Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy in 2010. Furthermore, he attended numerous master classes with nameable professors and soloists such as Thomas Friedli, Charles Neidich, Sharon Kam, Martin Fröst, Guy Deplus, Jörg Widmann and Harri Mäki. Nicola Katz is teaching the clarinet at three music schools and is member of several chamber music groups: Ensemble Boswil, Luzia von Wyl Ensemble, Ensemble Montaigne and Ensemble pentaTon. As an orchestra musician he’s played amongst others in Schweizer Jugend-Sinfonie-Orchester, Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, 21th Century Orchestra, Stuttgart Festival Ensemble, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana and Berner Symphonieorchester. In the latter, he is a regular substitute since having accomplished an internship during the season of 2009/2010. In summer of 2011, Nicola Katz took part in the Lucerne Festival Academy under the conducting of Pierre Boulez.

Maurus Conte

Maurus Conte was born in Kriens [Lucerne] in 1982. After his formation of teacher for primary school he was teaching at primary school of Kriens during two years. In 2005, he started his bassoon studies at the music universities of Zurich and Lucerne with Giorgio Mandolesi, Beat Blättler and Diego Chenna. He recieved his Master Performance diploma with distinction at Hochschule Luzern – Musik. During the season of 2008/2009, Maurus Conte accomplished an internship in the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra. He plays as a substitute in many professional and amateur orchestras [Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra] and is a member and foundator of several chamber music ensembles. In addition to his bassoon studies, Maurus Conte pursued a Masters programme of School Music II and Composition as main subject with professor Dieter Ammann at Hochschule Luzern - Musik. Nowadays, he’s deepening his composer studies with Michel Roth. Maurus Conte is teaching the bassoon at the music school of Kriens and school musik at college Immensee and at Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich. www.maurusconte.ch