The Austrian Cultural Forum London is thrilled to present a special concert featuring the young award winners of Austria's "prima la musica – Musik der Jugend", the country’s largest youth music competition. Since 2016, the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs has awarded a special prize in the competition, celebrating talented young musicians.
We invite you to join us for an evening of diverse performances from three exceptional talents: Elie Steinlechner (guitar), Miloš Stosiek (cello), and Cäcilia Raab (soprano), who all achieved remarkable results at last May's competition.
They each introduce us to a very diverse range of their instruments. In particular, the 16-year-old guitarist Elie Steinlechner skilfully moves through almost all genres and stylistic eras, from the Renaissance, classical, romantic to modern and folklore.
Miloš Stosiek plays Mozartian variations by Beethoven, standard cello literature by Robert Schumann and a magically virtuoso serenade by David Popper.
The young soprano Cäcilia Raab sings songs and arias that are about love and mythical creatures: a bee that speaks, a maiden that stuns fishermen with her song, elves that ride through the air on white horses, and last but not least a greeting from Vienna that raves about the scents and lightness of spring as well as romances on warm early summer nights.
The musicians will be accompanied on piano by Nataša Veljković.
Additionally, we are delighted to welcome Miriam Reveley, nominated as the British prize-winner of the Susi Jeans Memorial Prize 2024 for young organists, selected during the RCO/IAO Competition in York. She will receive her award on site.
In celebration of the 150th birthday of the Austrian composer Franz Schmidt (1874-1939), a prize for young organists has been established in memory of the Austrian-British organist Susi Jeans (1911-1993), who was a student of Schmidt in Vienna from 1926 to 1931.
The Austrian prize-winner was selected during the “prima la musica – MUSIK DER JUGEND” competition and will receive the award in the market town of Perchtoldsdorf, Franz Schmidt’s final home.
Miriam Reveley was nominated as the British prize-winner by the jury of the Royal College of Organists (RCO) and the Incorporated Association of Organists (IAO) competition in York in July 2024 and will receive the award on the “prima la musica” concert evening.
Miriam Reveley is a music student and junior organ scholar at Jesus College, Cambridge, and assistant organist at Ely Cathedral.
Cäcilia Raab
Cäcilia Raab, born in Vienna in 2001, received her first singing lessons at the age of 12 years old. She attended the ORG of the Vienna Boys' Choir, where she also had her first experience as a soloist on stage. Since 2020, she has regularly taken part in singing masterclasses, including with Claudia Visca, Malin Hartelius, Akiko Nakajima, Ulla Raiskio and Barbara Zubanovic. In 2022/23 she completed the preparatory course for singing at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz with Prof. Mardi Byers and in the fall of 2023 she began her bachelor's degree in solo singing. Cäcilia Raab is a multiple prizewinner of the “Prima la Musica” competition - both for voice and cello.
Miloš Stosiek
Miloš Stosiek was born in Vienna in 2005. He received his first cello lessons from Georg Baich. In 2011, he was accepted into Vladimir Malinowski's class at the Klosterneuburg Music School and moved to Matthias Gredler's class in 2018. Since 2021 he has been studying at the MUK with Lilia Schulz-Bayrova.
In 2022 he played in the final of the ORF 2 TV competition “Goldene Note” with the “Big Island Orchestra”. In 2024, he was the state winner of Prima la Musica in Vienna and was awarded 1st prize at the national competition in Brixen.
Miloš has performed as a soloist throughout Europe, including in 2022 as part of the “isa” with the “Webern Kammerphilharmonie” and in 2023 with the “Camerata Serbica” in the Kolarac Hall in Belgrade. He has attended masterclasses with Miklós Perényi, Tamás Varga, Maria Grün, Romain Garioud, Eldar Saparayev, David Grigorian, Jerome Pernoo, Xenia Jankovic, Peter Bruns and Leonid Gorokhov. Miloš Stosiek plays a cello by Don Nicola Amati (Bologna around 1730).
Elie Steinlechner
Elie began studying guitar at the age of five in Nicole Hochschwarzer's class at the Landesmusikschule Schwaz in Tyrol. Numerous first prizes with awards and special prizes at Prima la Musica testify to the musical talent of the young guitarist, who was accepted into the Precollege at the Tyrolean State Conservatory from the age of 11. As runner-up in the 6th International Heinrich Albert Guitar Competition and winner of the Rotary Music Prize 2020, he then began preparatory studies in Daniel Müller's class at the Innsbruck State Conservatory a year later. Elie won the Tyrolean state prize with a special prize and the Austrian national prize in 2024. The 16-year-old guitarist also took first place in his age group at the 21st International Guitar Competition 2024 in Gorizia.
Photo: (c) Theresa Pewal
