flute

Raimund Weichenberger was born in Salzburg in 1982.

His studies, which he passed with distinction, took him to Linz, Vienna, Salzburg and Munich.

Among the ensembles he has played with to date are the Wiener Symphoniker, Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, the Munich Bach Orchestra and the Salzburg Orchestra Soloists. He has also performed at the Wiener Staatsoper and the Tiroler Festspiele in Erl. His musical activities are rounded off by solo and chamber music performances in a wide variety of ensembles and the foundation of the Flötenquartett Salzburg.

He has won prizes at national and international competitions.

From 2014 to 2015 he taught at the Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität Linz. He now passes on his musical know-how at the Musikum Salzburg and in various flute courses.

Since 2015 he has been principal flute with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Born in Vienna in 1977, Andreas Planyavsky studied with Gottfried Hechtl and Wolfgang Schulz. In 2006 he passed his diploma examination with distinction. He supplemented his musical training with master classes, such as those given by Aurelé Nicolet.

While still at school and as a university student he played with the Wiener Jeunesse Orchester, the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester under Claudio Abbado and as a substitute in the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera, with the Vienna Philharmonic and others. In addition, he often plays as a guest musician with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Tonkünstler Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg and at the Vienna Volksoper. He performs with the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Philharmonie and ensembles including “die reihe” and Kontrapunkte. The flautist has many solo and chamber music engagements in Austria and abroad, for example in the Radiokulturhaus, at Musica juventutis, at the Styriarte and with the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg.

Andreas Planyavsky was a prizewinner at the Kammermusikfestival Austria and has won several prizes in the competitions Jugend musiziert and "Gradus ad Parnassum".

He teaches at orchestra camps for children and young people and is a judge at audition seminars and brass rehearsals in the Wiener Musikschulwerk (Vienna music school association).

He has been principal flute with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra since 1999.

Aleksandra Pleterski began her education in Slovenia before enrolling at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna where she studied with Hansgeorg Schmeiser, later moving to the Paris Conservatoire to study with Philippe Bernold. She has been a prizewinner at the Krakow International Flute Competition in 2017. She was a guest player at the Wiener Kammeroper and the Wiener Kammerorchester and was a regular substitute on 2. Flute and Piccolo at the Vienna Volksoper. She was also a guest player at the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra playing 1. Flute. She has appeared as a concerto soloist with the Collegium Musicum der MDW and Krakow Academy Chamber Orchestra. Since August 2022 she is playing 2. Flute and Piccolo in the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Ursula Pichler-Nikolov was born in Vienna in 1983.

She completed her studies with Wolfgang Schulz at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, with Andrea Lieberknecht at the Hanover University of Music and Drama and with Michael Martin Kofler at the University Mozarteum Salzburg. She passed her diploma exams with distinction.

She gained further artistic experience in master classes with Emmanuel Pahud, Philippe Bernold, Karl-Heinz Schütz, Davide Formisano and Jean-Claude Gerard. The multiple national winner of "Prima la musica" became 1st prize winner of the 1998 international competition "Concours Europeen" in Moulins/France, received 2nd prize in the national competition "Gradus ad parnassum" in 2002 and won the selection competition "Musica Juventutis" in the Vienna Konzerthaus in 2004.
During her studies, Ursula Pichler-Nikolov was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra (2004-2007) and held temporary contracts as principal flutist with the Philharmonic Orchestra Hagen (2007) and the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn (2008 and 2010). From 2014 to 2015, she received a temporary contract on piccolo / 2nd flute with the Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower Austria, before being engaged as 2nd flutist with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra for one year in 2016.

Regular substitute engagements have also taken her to the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, the German Symphony Orchestra Berlin, the Vienna Volksoper, the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg and the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra.
Chamber music performances have included the "Encuentro de musica y Academia de Santander" Festival and the Zermatt Festival. In October 2019 Ursula Pichler-Nikolov taught Piccolo at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

Since 2019 she is engaged as solo piccoloist with the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna.
From January to September 2022 Ursula Pichler-Nikolov taught Piccolo at the Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität Linz.