Ferdinand Breitschopf, inspector for music at the Vienna Education Authority, and jury chair Karl-Gerhard Straßl provide a glimpse into the 2026 edition of the Wiener Landesjugendsingen [Vienna Provincial Youth Choir Competition]—which the mdw hosted for the first time from 21 to 23 April.

For decades, Jeff Beal has been shifting his focus back and forth between film studios and concert halls, and it was with music for productions like House of Cards that this American composer became known internationally. 13 April saw the five-time Emmy Award-winner give a master class for mdw students. In the following conversation, he speaks about artistic processes, inspiration, and how living with MS has changed his understanding of music.

2016 lernen sich drei junge Musiker kennen: der Saxophonist Severin Neubauer, der Geiger Maxim Tzekov und der Schlagwerker Severin Hechwartner. Die damals etwa 15jährigen Musiker proben gerade mit elf weiteren hochmusikalischen Jugendlichen des Young Masters Ensembles intensiv für die kommende USA-Tournee.It was in 2016 that the three young musicians Severin Neubauer (saxophone), Maxim Tzekov (violin), and Severin Hechwartner (percussion) became acquainted. Aged 15 at the time, the three were rehearsing intensively for an upcoming US tour together with eleven other highly musical members of the Young Masters Ensemble.

Peter Schmidl was born in Olomouc, Moravia in 1941 and grew up in a family whose musical roots extended back to the days of Gustav Mahler. His father and grandfather had been first clarinettists of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera.

On 23 June 2025, the Banquet Hall of the mdw played host to the third edition of “Kooperieren – Amateurmusiker_innen musizieren mit Studierenden” [Cooperating – Amateur Musicians Make Music with Students]. This evening event, held as part of the annual Fête de la Musique, once again placed amateur music-making and musical exchange between students, teachers, and lay musicians firmly in the spotlight.

Every three years, the Collection of Historical String Instruments of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB), the Republic of Austria’s central bank, lends out four high-quality historical string instruments to students enrolled at Austrian universities of music—and since November 2022, two of these instruments have been played on by mdw students Teresa Wakolbinger and David Kessler.

On 29 September, just before the semester begins, a new concert format will be celebrating its début in the Wiener Konzerthaus’s Berio Hall. This evening will see an interactive, trans-genre concert experience featuring classical music and electronic soundscapes connect the analogue world with the digital realm for the very first time.

Maria Gstättner-Heckel and Martin Mühlfellner, both of whom teach at the Leonard Bernstein Department of Wind and Percussion Instruments, relate their experiences with COVID-19.

Elisabeth Stein, who teaches at the Department of Music and Movement Education/Rhythmics and Music Physiology, relates her experiences with COVID-19.