Department head
Univ.-Prof. Mag. Michael Pircher
Phone: +43 1711 55-2400
@: pircher@mdw.ac.at

Deputy department head
MMag.^a Michaela Reingruber
Phone: +43 1711 55-2400
@: reingruber@mdw.ac.at

Univ.-Prof. Mag. Martin Mühlfellner
Phone: +43 1711 55-2400
@: muehlfellner@mdw.ac.at

Secretary
Daniela SÖLKNER
Phone: +43 1711 55-2401
@: soelkner@mdw.ac.at

Artistic management
Mag. Julia OSTROVERKHOVA MAS
Phone: +43 1711 55-2411
@: ostroverkhova@mdw.ac.at

Anton-von-Webern Platz 1, Room L0103

Furthermore, you can reach us for general inquiries at the institute email address: lbi@mdw.ac.at

Mission statement

The central concerns of the instructors at the Leonard Bernstein Department of Wind and Percussion Instruments at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna are to pass on and further develop musical values while respecting established traditions of style and sound, and to help students develop a superlative and sustainable level of technical skill. Targeted preparation for solo competitions and auditions is also part of the course of study at the department, as is the acquisition of chamber music and orchestral experience in the interest of creating a multifaceted basis for one’s career as a professional musician.

The selection of Leonard Bernstein as the namesake of the department is a bow to one of the most outstanding artistic figures of the past century. As a composer, conductor, instrumentalist, and above all as a music educator whose enthusiasm was infectious, Bernstein had a decisive influence on the sound aesthetics and interpretative style of Viennese orchestras during the entire time in which he was active in this city. His interpretations of the works of Gustav Mahler, for example, are legendary.His fondness for the Viennese wind tradition and the special instruments played in our city, and the exploitation of their possibilities in terms of sound, led to an amicable collaboration that produced a new musical culture while at the same time preserving our distinctive sound. The enthusiasm that Leonard Bernstein brought to music-making, which he passed on to generations of young musicians, is more important than ever for the promotion of culture in general and music in particular, and makes him an eminent role model for our artistic and pedagogical work at the Leonard Bernstein Department.

The highest degree of flexibility is essential for a successful career in music. Through special emphases and free electives, the curriculum enables students to explore a variety of areas in greater depth. Building on a broad foundation, students can acquire additional competencies in orchestral and chamber music, early and contemporary music, pedagogy, bodywork, and academic disciplines. Preparatory programmes that lead to further studies as well as postgraduate programmes aimed at helping students manage the difficult transition from their university studies to a professional career are of great importance for the teaching faculty at the Leonard Bernstein Department of Wind and Percussion Instruments.

Outstanding artists, whether they are members of distinguished orchestras or renowned soloists and chamber musicians who are themselves active in international concert life, assume responsibility along with first-class teachers of the supplemental courses for attaining our training objectives.