Ao.Univ.-Prof. Martin Vacha Bakk.art. MA MA PhD, Bariton
Ordinariate for Voice
vacha@mdw.ac.at

Born in Wiener Neustadt, early education in schools with music as emphasis; further education with diplomas in Voice, Voice Pedagogy (emphasis in choral conducting and musicology) and Solo Voice Performance in Vienna, graduate degree in Arts Management in Hamburg, Dr. Phil.  (doctoral thesis subject concerning the singer’s profession was granted the "Award of Excellence"), all degrees graduated with high honors; courses in Operetta, Church Music (organ) and Adult Education (Ludo-Hartmann-Award); Masterclasses and private lessons with Prof. Helga Meyer-Wagner, Prof. Cornelius Reid, Prof. Noelle Turner (musical theatre) und Prof. Sebastian Vittucci.

Voice type lyric baritone; first engagements at the Volksoper Vienna and the Salzburg Festival; present main focus on lied and oratorio, Performances as a soloist e.g. at the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein, Vienna Konzerthaus, MuTh, Radiokulturhaus Vienna, Ernst Krenek Forum Krems, Landesgalerie Linz, Konzerthaus Berlin and at the Alto Adige Festival; Oratorio repertoire including Matthäus-Passion, Musikalische Exequien (Schütz), Te Deum (Charpentier), The Messiah (Handel), Carmina Burana (Orff), numerous cantatas (Bach, Telemann), masses (Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Rossini, Dvořák) and requiems (Mozart, Brahms, Fauré); vast lied repertoire including works of Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Vaughan-Williams, Korngold, Poulenc, Křenek and Wellesz; premiere first performances, CD productions und radio transmissions; concerts with the pianists Nina Violetta Aichner, Margarete Babinsky, István Bonyhády, Sigurd Hennemann, Ines Schüttengruber, Darya Volkova and with the guitarist Alexander Swete; opera, operetta and musical theatre productions, e.g. Die Fledermaus (Strauß) the role of Falke.

First pedagogical experiences as voice teacher at music schools in Lower Austria; later at the Vienna Conservatory in both departments Voice and Musical Theatre, pedagogy courses as well; since 2002 at the University of Music and Performing Arts (MDW) – Department for Voice, in 2014 awarded the title of Professor, courses given in research; various masterclasses in Austria, Slovenia, Montenegro (planned) and Japan; author, lecturer and jury member.

Wide experience as manager of artistic and educational projects, now management of the Voice Academy Baden/Austria; member of various academic boards, also as chair and supervisor; since 2000 many functions in organizations of voice teachers, e.g. til 2020 Vice-President of the European Voice Teachers Association (EVTA), Chairman of the 10th International Congess of Voice Teachers (ICVT) 2022 in Vienna, since 2022 President of EVTA-Austria; lecturer in music management e.g. at the Danube University Krems/Austria.