Orchestra of the Academy St. Blasius

For around 25 years, the Academy of St. Blasius (ASB) has been inviting open-minded listeners to embark on a quest for the new. Premieres by Tyrolean composers are brought into an exciting context with rarities from classical to modern times. The ASB is always on the lookout for something new, even in the field of older music! New or hardly heard instruments are also used (e.g. theremin, lupophone or tenoroon). Founded in 1998 as a choir and orchestra society, the ASB also offers professional musicians living in Tyrol a forum for performances at the highest level. The orchestra and choir are composed almost exclusively of Tyrolean musicians from the three provincial regions of North, East and South Tyrol. A core of experienced, freelance musicians - all of whom have completed their musical training, many of whom are now internationally successful - is complemented by young musicians who are still studying or have recently completed their training. In the spirit of the academy idea, the ASB also invites young musicians to each production, some of whom are still in training. Of course, we treat them like professionals (preparation, rehearsal work, fees). With this sustainable and fair principle, the ASB has already been able to win many valuable members. In concerts and CD productions, the ASB cooperates with the Tyrolean Provincial Museums, the Institute for Tyrolean Music Research, the Festival Klangspuren Schwaz, the Forum Alpbach, the Academia Vocalis Wörgl, the Brixen Initiative Music and Church, the Festival "Texte und Töne", with "Zeitimpuls - Festival für Neue Musik", with Cultura Sacra Götzens, Pauls Sakral and with the Festival Orgel Plus - stift stams sakral. The work of the St. Blasius Academy has been documented on 40 CDs to date. In 2013 it was awarded the Arthur Haidl Prize of the City of Innsbruck. In 2021, the St. Blasius Academy was awarded the honourable prize of the Province of Tyrol for services to contemporary music. 

Karlheinz Siessl (*1971) from South Tyrol studied musicology at the University of Innsbruck and tuba and choral ensemble conducting at the Tyrolean State Conservatory. From 1994 to 2012 he taught as part of the Tyrolean Music School Association. In 1998 Karlheinz Siessl was the initiator and founding member of the choir and orchestra of the St. Blasius Academy. Since 1999 he has been working at the Tyrolean State Conservatory: until 2018 as librarian and since then in administration. As an instrumentalist and choral singer, Karlheinz Siessl has also participated and continues to participate in various formations (including the Tyrolean Ensemble for New Music, Franui, Ensemble Plus, Ensemble Wahnsang, Chamber Choir of the Academic Music Association, substitute in the Tyrolean Symphony Orchestra Innsbruck).

The South Tyrolean soprano Stefanie Steger studied concert singing and instrumental singing pedagogy with a focus on early education in Innsbruck. After completing her Master's degree at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, she also specialised in early music and baroque music in Basel. She has already worked as a soloist with great artists and conductors of our time such as René Jacobs, Roger Norrington, Andrea Marcon, Hiro Kurosaki, Dorothee Oberlinger and Florian Birsak. She first appeared at the South Tyrolean Operetta Festival in 2016 as Lisa in "Gräfin Mariza", in 2017 as Adele in "Die Fledermaus" and in 2018 as "Christel von der Post" in "Vogelhändler". She took master classes with Andreas Scholl, Sara Mingardo, Alessandro de Marchi, Margreet Honig, Henriette Meyer-Ravenstein and Lucile Villeneuve-Evans, among others. She has won prizes at various competitions, including the Petyrek-Lang Lieder Competition in Vienna. She was a semi-finalist at the International Mozart Competition and the Cesti Competition in Innsbruck. She was a finalist at the Hallwyl Opera Competition in Switzerland. She also teaches voice training at the Social Science High School in Bruneck. In autumn 2014 the CD, "Klopstock-Lieder", which she produced together with her former teacher Wolfgang Holzmair, was released and in 2022 the CD "Musicalische Academie 1855" with concert arias from Tyrolean archives with the orchestra of the Academy St.Blasius.