Many mdw alumni realise their dream by becoming part of a large ensemble, performing as members of an excellent international orchestra.

A unique institution of Austrian musical life does a bit of looking back and a whole lot of looking forward.

Making music together in an ensemble as large as an orchestra brings with it numerous challenges and requires flexibility, the ability to work in a team, and the willingness to engage with each other.

A Conversation with Prof. Helmut Zehetner, in Charge of Orchestral Instruction at the mdw.

The Tough Road to the Orchestra

Stage fright, existential angst, pre-exam nervousness, or simply general pressure to perform well—music and anxiety are related in all kinds of ways.

“I’m afraid of…” isn’t necessarily something that’s easy to say. But even so, we all know it: anxiety. Anxieties—along with bouts of their more immediate cousin, fear—accompany many of us our whole lives long. Some of these we succeed in overcoming, while others we might even turn out to need a bit, and still others seem impossible to shake.

Ulrike Demal is a clinical psychologist and a psychotherapist and provides mdw Magazine with a basic overview of anxiety and fear.