Korean-American violinist Hannah Cho started playing the violin at age 3, and her talent was recognized early when she won her first prize within the first few years of study. She completed her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School with Masao Kawasaki, Cho-Liang Lin and Joel Smirnoff, as well as a Professional Studies Certificate at the Manhattan School of Music with Sylvia Rosenberg and Nicholas Mann. In addition to her formal studies in New York, Hannah studied and collaborated with renowned pedagogues at European summer academies in Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

Hannah made her soloist debut at age 12 and has since performed nationally with orchestras in New York, Connecticut, Texas, Colorado, and California. Other notable highlights include her solo recital debut at the Berlin Philharmonie in 2020 as the winner of the 2019 New York Concert Artist Audition and prizes at the Michael Hill, Schoenfeld, Mauric Ravel Foundation, and Aspen Music Festival Concerto Competitions. She was the youngest participant in the 2009 New York String Orchestra Seminar, two-time participant in Juilliard’s intensive ChamberFest, a Student Artist for the Starling-Delay Symposium, and her quartet was selected for the 2015 Juilliard String Quartet Seminar.

Hannah Cho’s performances as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician have been broadcasted on several radio stations and led her across the globe in renowned halls, including Carnegie Hall, Vienna Musikverein, Teatro Carlo Felice, Seoul Arts Center, and Suntory Hall. She has performed on tour with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in Asia in 2019 and Japan in 2020.

Hannah won an audition to join the 2nd violin section of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in 2022.

American born Academist Kelton Koch has won a blind audition and has joined the Vienna State Opera full time. He received his Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University, where he studied with Michael Mulcahy. Prior to joining the VPO Academy, he was enrolled at the Hochschule der Künste Bern, Switzerland where he studied with Ian Bousfield. He was a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach from 2014-2017 and the Orchestra Academy of Opernhaus Zürich from 2017-2018. He has performed as principal trombonist with the London Symphony Orchestra, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, and London Philharmonia. He has also played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony. In 2019 he was awarded a “Special Prize” at the XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia. Kelton joined the Orchestra on their October 2019 tour to Korea, China and Japan.

Kelton won an audition to join the Vienna State Opera Orchestra/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in 2020.

Slovenian born Andraž Golob recently received his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Music and Performance in Graz while studying under Gerald Pachinger. He has won several prizes e.g. the “Luigi Zanuccoli” prize in 2017, and has benefited from many master classes with, amongst others, Matthias Schorn, Andreas Schablas, Johann Hindler, Tibor Reman, and Mate Bekavac. He has performed with the Nürnberger Symphoniker, Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester (Grazer Oper) and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra.

Andraž plays bass clarinet with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Russian born Andrei Krivenko began his studies at the Basel music Academy with Felix Renggli in 2015. He is a laureate of many international competitions, a scholarship holder of the Kurt Redel Foundation and has also performed solo concerts in Switzerland, Sweden, France, Germany, Italy and Russia. He appeared as soloist of the Festival Orchestra of Zakhar Bron (Switzerland) and the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Russia under the direction of Yuri Bashmet. He has received master classes by leading musicians e.g.: Vincent Lucas (Paris), Andrea Lieberknecht (Munich), Philip Bernold (Paris), William Bennett (London), Peter Lucas Graf (Basel), and Denis Bouriakov (Los Angeles).

Andrei has been a solo flutist with the Konzerthaus Berlin Orchestra since August of 2021.

Austrian born Benedikt Sinko began studying violoncello at the Vienna Music School at the age of five. Beginning in 2018 he studied at the College for Music und Theater Munich with Prof. Julian Steckel. From 2013 to 2018 he studied under Reinhard Latzko at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. He has also participated in numerous national and international competitions and has been awarded several prizes. He has attended master classes with Clemens Hagen, David Geringas, Robert Nagy, Josef Luitz and Marko Ylönen.

Benedikt has a temporary contract with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra.

Benedikt plays in the Vienna Volksoper.

Austrian trumpeter Daniel Schinnerl-Schlaffer received his first trumpet lessons at the age of seven. Until 2019 he was in Kurt Körner's class at the Conservatory in Graz, where he was also taught in the talent promotion program. He won numerous first prizes in the “Prima la Musica” competition and in 2017 received a grant from the city of Graz. In 2018 he started the preparatory course at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Since 2020 he has been studying as a full concert student with Univ.-Prof. Martin Mühlfellner.

Daniel Schinnerl-Schlaffer has already gained valuable orchestral experience with the Vienna Philharmonic, the Tonkünstler Orchester Niederösterreich, the Camerata Salzburg and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, among others. He has also gained solo experience at home and abroad. He was a participant in the Angelika Prokopp Summer Academy of the Vienna Philharmonic at the Salzburg Festival 2019. Concert tours have taken him to South America and the Menuhin Festival Gstaad.

Daniel joined the Vienna State Opera Orchestra/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the Fall of 2021.

South-Korean born Hana Jeong was most recently at the Academy of the Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin after having finished her Masters in 2017 at the University for Music “Carl Maria von Weber” in Dresden. She has won several prizes and has played with the Dresdn Philharmonic and had an internship at the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra. Hana has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and Orchestral musician in Europe and Asia. Hana played with the Orchestra as it toured Korea, China and Japan in October 2019.

Hana has won a solo double bass position with the KT Symphony Orchestra in South Korea.

Austrian Michael Stückler began studying horn at age 5. In 2010 he was accepted into the class for the highly talented musicians and began studying at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna with Prof. Thomas Jöbstl and Markus Obmann. In 2013 he started his concert specialized studies with Prof. Thomas Jöbstl. He has played with several orchestras e.g. Vienna State Opera, Vienna Volksoper, Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony and the Tonkünstler Orchestra. He currently has a contract as first horn player at the Vienna Volksoper.

Michael won an audition for 1st horn in the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

Austrian trumpeter Patrick Hofer studied trumpet at the University of Music and Performance in Vienna. He has been principal trumpet with the Stadttheater Klagenfurt/Kärntner Sinfonieorchester, a member of the Orchestra of the Vienna Volksoper and principal trumpet of the Bruckner Orchester Linz in the 2018/19 season. He has worked with several prominent orchestras including the Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna State Opera Orchestra, the Stage Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Symphony, the Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Hofmusikkapelle Wien, among others.

Patrick is a soloist in the Tonkünstler Orchestra Niederösterreich

The Austrian oboist Paul Blüml received his first musical instruction on piano from Stephanie Timoschek-Gumpinger. He won several 1st prizes at the national competition "Prima la Musica" as well as internationally at the Pavel Egorov Promotional Award and the Jenő Takács Competition. In 2014, he received his first instruction on the Viennese oboe as part of the preparatory course for especially talented students at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. Since 2018, he has been enrolled at the University as an oboe major in the class of Prof. Klaus Lienbacher. Paul Blüml has performed regularly with the International Ignaz Joseph Pleyel Society and played in diverse orchestras and chamber music ensembles. In the summer of 2018, his quintet went on a concert tour to Japan. He has gathered valuable orchestral experience playing with such prominent orchestras as the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and the Lower Austrian Tonkünstler Orchestra.

Paul joined the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in 2022.

Swiss born Samuel Mittag started studying at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Künste Wien in 2017 with Prof. Thomas Selditz. He has won several prizes and has received master classes by leading musicians including Prof. Thomas Selditz, Prof. Pauline Sachse and Prof. Veronika Hagen. In 2018 and 2019 he was also a member of the Sommerakademie of the Vienna Philharmonic during the Salzburg Festival. Samuel toured with the Orchestra in October 2019 to Korea, China and Japan.

Samuel won an audition with the RSO/Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna.

Hungarian born Szabolcs Szöke was enrolled at the University for Music and Performance in Vienna and studying with Stepan Turnovsky prior to entering the VPO Academy. He has played with several orchestras including the Pannon Philharmonic, the Posticum International Youth Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, Volksoper Vienna and Vienna Symphony. In addition, he has won several prizes including the Sommerakademie of the Vienna Philharmonic in 2016.

Szabolcs has won a solo position in the Tonkünstler Orchestre Niederosterreich.

Italian born Ulisse Mazzon began studying the violin at the age of 14 with Prof. Regina Brandstatter, at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Graz. He has appeared as soloist and concertmaster at the International Orchestra Institute in Attergau, under the direction of Concert Master Rainer Honeck and the Angelika Prokopp Sommerakademie of the Vienna Philharmonic in 2018. He has achieved numerous awards in national and international competitions and participated in the 19th International Fritz Kreisler Violin competition, in Vienna.

Ulisse is studying at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna with Vienna Philharmonic Concertmaster Albena Danailova.