Florian Kitt, cello

Austrian cellist Florian Kitt completed his studies with Gaspar Cassadó in Cologne and André Navarra in Detmold after graduating from the Vienna Musikakademie as a pupil of Frieda Litschauer. Following his debut at the Konzerthaus in Vienna in a recital together with Rudolf Buchbinder in 1964, he has appeared as soloist with many leading orchestras and conductors, given cello recitals at important festivals and made numerous recordings. These engagements took him all over the world - apart from his home country Austria most frequently to the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, the United States and Asia.

His passion into modern music had been approved by many recently successful performances - György Ligeti's cello-concerto at the Royal Festival Hall in London with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Diego Masson brought raving acclaim by press and the public, Luciano Berio's concerto "Ritorno degli Snovidenia" in Rome, Nigel Osborne's concertos, both dedicated to Florian Kitt were successful all over the world.

Florian Kitt is also a very devoted teacher; apart from various masterclasses he holds a professorship at the University for Music in Graz since 1970. In addition to his extensive repertoire of established classic and romantic works, his especial feeling for contemporary music has inspired many major composers to dedicate works to him.

Harald Ossberger, piano

Born in Graz in 1948, he grew up in Linz. He studied the piano with Grete Hinterhofer and Alexander Jenner at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, gaining his final diploma with distinction. He also is laureate of many competitions. He has performed in most European countries, in the Middle East and also in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, North, Middle and South America. Additionally he has made numerous radio, TV and CD recordings. Besides his solo career he is also a fervent chamber musician: since 1974 he is a member of the “Ensemble 20. Jahrhundert (exxj)”, Vienna. In 1978 he has founded the “Concordia Trio” (together with the violinist Erich Schagerl and the cellist Josef Luitz).

He has performed with many of the important musicians from Austria and abroad like Josef Sivo, René Staar, Christian Altenburger, Mario Hossen, Hermilo Novelo, Florian Kitt, Attila Pasztor, Milan Turkovic, Roger Salander, Alois Brandhofer, Dieter Flury; on two pianos with Manfred Wagner – Artzt and Michael Lipp. He also regularly performed with Henryk Szeryng in many European countries, starting in 1979 until the death of the violinist in 1988.

Since 2006 Harald Ossberger has been working together with the Greek pianist Christos Marantos, very successfully performing music for piano four hands.

As a soloist and together with other musicians in different formations he took part on the following festivals: Salzburger Festspiele, Wiener Festwochen, Wien Modern, Brucknerfest Linz, Carinthischer Sommer, Musikforum Klagenfurt – Viktring, Steirischer Herbst, Kammermusikfestival “Allegro Vivo”, Edinburgh Festival, Warsaw Autumn, Berliner Festspiele, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Huddersfield Festival, „Musica“Strasbourg.

Since 1976 Harald Ossberger has been teaching at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna - as professor for piano (main subject), but also as lecturer for stylistics, performance practice, pianoforte, structural analysis and didactics. He also frequently teaches at seminars and courses at home and abroad.

Additionally he holds workshops, mostly together with the musicologist Hartmut Krones, aiming at a synergy of art and science.

Between 2003 and 2007 he was member of the music advisory board of the Austrian Federal Chancellery. He has published articles in various professional journals, book reviews and encyclopedia contributions. Between 2000 and 2006 he was president (now vice president) of the Austrian music council.

Review

"The performance was masterly, a blazingly impressive exhibition of really big playing, one which obviously relished the interpretative and technical challenge of the music."

- The Daily Telegraph, London

"Florian Kitt is one of the best exponents of the contemporary cello repertoire."

- The Strad