Biography

It was the uplifting sound of an organ that caught three-year-old Viktoria's attention and that created a long-lasting and deep impression in her mind, kindling her love of music! Born in Tyrol in the autumn of 1996, Viktoria first received piano lessons purely as a hobby, and didn't devote herself to music more intensively until the age of 14. She would never have dreamt then that her passion would lead to professional studies. At 15, she became a pre-college-student at the prestigious University Mozarteum Salzburg and at age 17, renowned Russian pianist and pedagogue Prof. Pavel Gililov accepted her into his class there.
After finishing high school with top grades, she commenced her piano performance studies at the Mozarteum under the guidance of Prof. Gililov in October 2015. Educated at the same school as G. Sokolov, G. Kremer, M. Maisky and B. Pergamenschikow, to name just a few, Prof. Gililov is celebrated as one of the world’s most eminent and most sought-after piano professors. Under his tutelage, Viktoria has made significant progress and she continues to be inspired by his peerless instruction.

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Prizes and awards
Viktoria has been awarded many first and special prizes at various competitions, chief among which being her five-consecutive-editions winning streak at the state competition “prima la musica“ in the solo piano category. She has also been twice awarded the 1st prize at the Austrian national competition in the solo piano category (in 2012 and 2014) as well as the “Steinway-special-prize“. At the international piano festival “Vienna Young Pianists“ 2014, she was the winner of the C.-P.-E.-Bach-prize for “an outstanding interpretation of a work by the composer”. In 2017, Viktoria triumphed at the “First Tyrolean Instrumentalists' Prize in Classics” getting the Advancement Award. In the same year, a detailed portrait of her was broadcasted on Austrian TV “ORF”. Recently, Viktoria won the audition of “Live Music Now” Salzburg, at which a distinguished jury voted her unanimously to be awarded a Yehudi-Menuhin-scholarship. (See below for a detailed list.)
Advanced Education
She has participated in numberless masterclasses with many of the finest and most sought-after pianists and pedagogues as P. Badura-Skoda, P. Gililov, J. Jiracek, L. Natochenny, P. Ovtcharov, M. Raekallio, P. Réach, , St. Vladar and M. Voskresensky, all of which professors at the world’s great conservatoires (p.e. Juilliard-School New York, Moscow Conservatory, Yonsei University Seoul, University Mozarteum Salzburg, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna). Their influence has enabled Viktoria to widen her musical horizons and fulfil her true potential. Especially the Russian pianist Peter Ovtcharov, former student of K.-H. Kämmerling and currently professor at the Yonsei University Seoul (South Korea), has been an important mentor for Viktoria for many years and the intensive work with him enriches and influences her musical development a lot. (Please find more details below!) Viktoria enjoys generous support through numerous scholarships, including the “Scholarship for Excellence”, awarded twice - in 2017 and 2018 - by the Mozarteum University Salzburg (at which she is also a scholar at the International Summer Academy) for outstanding achievements in her studies there. Additionally, she is an active scholarship-holder of the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein and regularly takes part in the intensive music weeks and activities offered by the Academy. In Summer 2018, she was invited by the Wilhelm-Kempff-Foundation to take part in the 1st Schumann masterclass in the legendary Casa Orfeo in Positano (Italy) with Prof. Ovtcharov, as one of only six international students.
Concert Experience
The young Austrian pianist has already gained much valuable concert experience through solo performances in the Spanish Hall of Ambras Castle, Ehrbar Hall Vienna, Großes Festspielhaus Erl and art hall “arlberg 1800”, where she gave the six pre-opening-concerts and recorded a CD. Viktoria was especially honoured to open the European Forum Alpbach 2017 with a solo recital. Her international engagements to date include concerts in Italy (Kursaal Meran: Schumann piano concerto with chamber orchestra InnStrumenti, Villa Medici-Giulini), Germany (in Leipzig, at the Bavarian Radio in Munich, at the “Gauting Summer Festival”, the festival “Herbstliche Musiktage Bad Urach” and as part of the Schleswig-Holstein-Festival), Malta, Liechtenstein and Georgia (Batumi Art Center). She has performed piano concertos with various orchestras; when she was just 18 years old, she has been invited to play with the Tbilisi Opera State Symphony Orchestra under D. Kintsurashvili at the “Batumi Music Fest” at the Black Sea. She has regularly been invited to perform chamber music with soloists of the Munich Radio Orchestra, in prestigious venues including the Studios of the Bavarian Radio and the “Gauting Summer Festival”. (compare also “Concerts”)
Latest news
Summer 2018 saw Viktoria give several recitals in Austria and abroad. She delighted audiences at the cultural festival “Stummer Schrei”,the “Salzburger Mozart Matinéen”, at the Vienna Piano Academy in the historical “Ehrbar-Saal”, the German festival “Herbstliche Musiktage Bad Urach” - founded by famous singer Hermann Prey - and again at the “Batumi Music Festival” in Georgia. She will also give a “Start-up! Concert” by Jeunesse.
  • 2004 – 2011

    piano instructions at a small Tyrolean music school with Herbert Edenhauser
  • Since 2008

    additional Viola lessons; member of various string ensembles as well as different orchestras (f.i. Tyrolean Youth Orchestra)
  • 2010 – 2012

    private piano lessons with Patrick Lechner
  • 06/2012

    entrance exam for pre-college piano at the University Mozarteum Salzburg
  • from 10/2012

    Piano lessons with Prof. Stan FORD at the Mozarteum
  • Summer 2014

    acceptance into the class of Prof. Pavel GILILOV
  • 06/2015

    entrance-exam for “piano performance”
  • 10/2015

    start of the piano performance studies with Prof. Gililov at the Mozarteum
  • 2016/2017

    Clavichord lessons with Prof. Florian Birsak at the Mozarteum
  • since 2017

    chamber music lessons with Prof. Tünde Kurucz
  • 2006

    1st prize at the Tyrolean state competition “prima la musica” in the piano solo category, age group I
  • 2008

    1st prize at the Tyrolean state competition “prima la musica” (piano solo), a.g. II
  • 2010

    1st prize at the Tyrolean state competition “prima la musica” (piano solo), a.g. III
  • 2011

    1st prize with invitation to the Austrian national competition as viola player of “Trio Temperament!”
  • 2012

    1st prize and only special prize winner out of 103 participants at the Tyrolean state competition (piano solo) and invitation to take part in the Austrian national competition first-prize-winner at the Austrian national competition
  • 2013

    rating „excellent success“ in the category youthful accompanist
  • 08/2013

    scholarship from the state Tyrol to take part at the First Chamber Music Academy for piano and winds
  • 2014

    1st prize with invitation to the Austrian national competition (piano solo) and selected by the jury for a solo performance in the great “Festspielhaus” Erl in front of more than 1.000 people “Steinway special prize” again 1st prize at the national competition in the solo piano category in Vienna and winner of “Steinway special price”
  • 2014

    scholarship from “Vienna Young Pianists” C.P.E.-Bach prize “for an outstanding interpretation of a work by the composer”
  • 10/2015

    scholarship holder of the International Music Academy in the Principality of Liechtenstein
  • 12/2015

    scholarship to take part at the masterclass with Prof. Matti Raekallio (Juilliard-School New York) at “arlberg1800”, Tyrol
  • 04/2017

    scholar of the First Piano Academy Anif, Salzburg scholarship holder of Eva-Lind-Musikakademie: lessons with Prof. Stefan Vladar (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna)
  • 09/2017

    Winner of the Advancement Award in the Finals of the 1st Tyrolean Instrumentalists' Prize in Classics
  • 12/2017

    “Scholarship for Excellence” from the University Mozarteum Salzburg “for outstanding achievements” in her studies
  • 03/2018

    again scholarship from International Music Academy Liechtenstein
  • 06/2018

    winner of the audition of “Live Music Now” Salzburg and award of a Yehudi-Menuhin-scholarship
  • 07/2018

    invitation of Wilhelm-Kempff Foundation to participate at the 1st Schumann masterclass with Prof. Ovtcharov in legendary Casa Orfeo in Positano, Italien
  • 08/2018

    scholarship holder of renowned International Summer Academy Mozarteum Salzburg
  • 12/2018

    Again “Scholarship for Excellence” from the University Mozarteum Salzburg “for outstanding achievements” in her studies
  • 03/2019

    scholarship from the International Music Academy Liechtenstein
 

Artistic Impulses

Viktoria Hirschhuber has also been fortunate to glean invaluable insights and diverse musical ideas from such well-known personalities as Elisso Bolkvadze, Peter Cossé, Eva Lind, Lev Natochenny, Herbert Schach, Tamara Stefanovich, Erik Tawaststjerna and Lars Vogt amongst others.
 
  • 09/2016 | again participation at the IMAL Leipzig
    Arthur Rubinstein Institute Marbella, Spain (lessons with Prof. Gililov and Prof. Raekallio)
  • 04/2017 | scholar of the First Piano Academy Anif, Salzburg
    scholarship holder of Eva-Lind-Musikakademie: lessons with Prof. Stefan Vladar (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna)
    Malta International Music Festival: lessons with Pavel Gililov, Felix Gottlieb, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Lev Natochenny and Valery Piasetsky in Valetta
  • Summer 2017 | masterclass at the Schleswig-Holstein-Musikfestival in Lübeck, Germany
  • 03/2018 | again scholarship for International Music Academy Liechtenstein
  • Summer 2018 | invitation from Wilhelm-Kempff Foundation to participate at the 1st Schumann masterclass with Prof. Ovtcharov in legendary Casa Orfeo in Positano, Italy
    scholarship holder of International Summer Academy Mozarteum Salzburg
  • 09/2018 | masterclass including historical keyboard instruments at the Villa Medici Giulini in Briosco, Italy
  • 12/2018 | masterclass with Paul Badura-Skoda at the Villa Medici Giulini in Briosco, Italy
  • Summer 2012 | at age 15 youngest participant of International Mendelssohn Academy Leipzig; lessons with Prof. Jan Jiracek von Arnim (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna)
    Masterclass with Prof. Peter Ovtcharov at the international music festival Allegro Vivo
  • 04/2013 | Masterclass in Paris with Prof. Mikhail Voskresensky (Tchaikovsky Conservatory Moscow)
  • Summer 2013 | Masterclass with Prof. Ovtcharov at Allegro Vivo
    scholarship from the state Tyrol to take part at the First Chamber Music Academy for piano and winds
  • Summer 2014 | scholarship from “Vienna Young Pianists”: lessons with Pierre Réach, Susanna Spaemann, Masahi Katayama and Mami Morimoto
    Masterclasses with Prof. Ovtcharov and Prof. Pavel Gililov at Allegro Vivo
  • Summer 2015 | masterclass with Prof. Gililov at Allegro Vivo “Accademia Internazionale di Musica di Cagliari”, Sardinia
  • 10/2015 | scholarship holder of the International Music Academy in the Principality of Liechtenstein
  • 12/2015 | scholarship to take part at the masterclass with Prof. Matti Raekallio (Juilliard-School New York) at “arlberg1800”, Tyrol
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