Birgit Ramsl
Austrian flutist, Birgit Ramsl enjoys a busy career as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. Appointed principal Flute of the orchestra of the Volksoper Wien since 2004, she has since solidified her place as one of the most versatile personalities in the music scene in Austria. We are very happy that she will be present at our festival again this year, due to popular demand
Her repertoire, ranging from Baroque to Contemporary music, led her to be a young winner of numerous national and international competitions including First Prize and the special award of the Vienna Symphonic orchestra’s Anton Bruckner society at the Austrian youth music competition “Jugend musiziert” (1996), First Prize and a special award at the renowned Austrian competition “Gradus ad Parnassum” (2000) and furthermore the Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation’s “Wiesbadener Mozartpreis 2004”. In 2001 and 2005, she won prizes at the International Music Competition “Pacem in Terris“ in Bayreuth and at the International Flute Competition “Jean-Pierre Rampal” in Paris.
Recent highlights include soloist appearances with her orchestra at the Suntory Hall and Seoul Arts Center, solo recitals at the Tokyo Opera City Hall and chamber music concerts with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra at the Wiener Konzerthaus.
Her discography contains i.a. Prokofiev Sonata, Messiaen’s Le Merle Noir on the album
„Flute Voyage“ (Gramola 2015), Debussy Sonata with the Trio Partout on the album
„Farbenspiel“ (CCR 2010) as well as Brahms Serenade at the chamber album entitled
„Premier Plat“ with the Theophil Ensemble Wien (CCR 2011).
In January 2022 her new album "The Bird of Life" with world premiere recordings is released by Naxos (8.579111).
As a soloist, Birgit has performed all major flute concertos with orchestras such as the Tonkünstler Orchestra Niederösterreich, the Philharmonia Vienna, the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, the Camerata Hamburg, the Tokyo Chamber Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra Baroque Ensemble (Barockensemble der Wiener Symphoniker), the Hof Symphony Orchestra (Hofer Symphoniker), the Brasov Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hongkong Academy Orchestra.
She is a much sought-after partner for chamber music and a founding member of the Trio Partout (Flute, Viola & Harp) and a member of the Theophil Ensemble Wien, ensemble XX. jahrhundert, Salzburg Orchestra Soloists and the Mozart Ensemble of the Volksoper Wien.
Additional to her daily opera repertoire she enjoys serving as principal flutist of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra.
The flutist worked with such notable conductors and soloists as Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez, Ingo Metzmacher, Max Pommer, Neville Marriner, F. Welser-Möst, Julian Rachlin, Francois Leuleux, Menahem Pressler, Gottlieb Wallisch and Stefan Vladar.
Her intense activity as a soloist and chamber musician led her to various well-known festivals all over the world: Salzburger Festspiele, the Festival Mecklenburg- Vorpommern, the Richard Strauss Festival Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the Festival Latinoamericano de Música Caracas, the Murten Classics, The Grafenegg Festival, the Carinthian Summer Music Festival, the Lisztfestival Raiding, the Attersee-Klassik Festival, the Millstatt Music Weeks, the Diabelli Summer, the Rheingau Musik Sommer, the Landecker Festwochen, Halbturner castle concerts and at the New Music Week Shanghai.
She is former Professor for Flute at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and leads master classes in Europe, South America and Asia and has been a faculty member of the Asian Youth Orchestra in Hongkong.
Since 2018 she is a member of the board of the Austrian Flute Association which connect professional flutists, flute students and amateurs through organizing concerts, workshops, masterclasses, instrument- and music score showcases all around the flute and reorganize and support the Austrian flute society.
Birgit graduated with honors at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) with Wolfgang Schulz and Barbara Gisler-Haase and completed a Master Class program under András Adorján at the Hochschule of Music and Theater Munich. She received important influences from Aurèle Nicolet, Emmanuel Pahud, Pierre Yves-Artaud, Jean-Michel Tanguy, Michael Martin Kofler and János Bálint.
The flutist was awarded important grants from the Tokyo Foundation, the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra to which she was invited as Principal Flutist.
This master Class is sponsored by Verne Q. Powell Flutes.
