Mag. art. Monika Witzany
 

Education:

  • Violin studies concert subject and IGP at the Universities of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw), Graz and at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester N.Y.

  • Course for “Breath, Voice and Movement Education” at the mdw with Christa Schwertsik

  • Suzuki teacher training at the German Suzuki Institute (2002-2004)

  • Training as a movement teacher in the Franklin Method (Level 2, 2010-2012)

  • Postgraduate course in music physiology at the mdw (2018)

  • Feldenkrais Practicioneer (Vienna 8, 2017 - 2021)

  • Certified mental trainer (Vitalakademie, 2024)
    Diploma thesis: Mental training for people with (musician's) dystonia

 

Further education and training:

  • Further training on the topic of dystonia

    • Workshops on Neuroplastic Movement Therapy with Dr. Joaquin Farias, advanced training with Dr Farias' Online Dystonia Recovery Program

    • Alexander Technique with Alexandra Mazek and Christian Steineder

    • Annual training in Dispokinesis with Joachim Schiefer (musician's motor skills)

    • and many more

  • Vocal coaching and improvisation with Nika Zach and Ursula Langmayr

  • Years of training in Qi Gong, Taiji

 

Professional practice:

  • Concert activity as a violinist in various formations, including Ensemble Aktuell (under Franz Welser Möst), Haydn Academy, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Innsbruck Chamber Orchestra InnStrumenti, Stage Orchestra of the Austrian Federal Theaters, Altomonte Orchestra, Ensemble Sonare Linz, etc.

  • Founding member of the Austrian Salonists, performances from New York to Sydney with the Florianer Tanzlgeiga

  • Music teacher at the Johannes Brahms Music School, Mürzzuschlag (2002 - 2008)

  • Since 2007 director of the “Suzuki Violin Project” and a violin class/gifted students' development program at the Johann Sebastian Bach Music School, Vienna.

  • Numerous prizewinners at the state and national Prima la Musica competition

  • Motto: “To teach music is to touch somebody's life.” (Tove Tetriköy)

  • Lecturer in music school teacher training at the Landesmusikschulwerk Oberösterreich and Musikschulmanagement NÖ

  • Since 2018 Musician:inside Coach Music & Feldenkrais at the “Center for Musicians' Health”.

  • Motto: “Everything for musicians except fingerings: for passion that creates joy!”

  • Since October 2022 Lecturer for “Body and Breath Work” at the Institute of Music Physiology at the mdw

 

Personal focus and teaching goals

My fascination for what lies behind the sophisticated interplay of body, mind and emotions that is designed in us to make wonderful music has accompanied me throughout my professional career as a violinist and instrumental teacher. In particular, my work as a teacher for gifted students showed me how essential a healthy use of body and mind and how helpful mental training is for good and successful instrumental playing.

My work as a musician's coach is based on the movement teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais and Eric Franklin and, above all, my many years of experience in coaching young artists.

In individual lessons, it is important to me to work with the other person to develop the right mindset for the challenges of a professional musician, to find a healthy use of the body when playing the instrument and to make practicing more effective through mental training. If there are requests for improvement in performance situations or physical complaints (including movement disorder or dystonia), I am happy to accompany a solution-oriented process. This includes an individual training program, breathing and balancing exercises.

I am particularly interested in working directly on the instrument, as this is the only way to integrate efficient and pain-free self-organization into the game for sustainable success.


In the Feldenkrais groups (Awareness through movement), the participants themselves go on a journey and explore their self-organization. Movement sequences are guided on the mat using verbal instructions. In the changed relationship to gravity, the usual postural muscles are allowed to relax. This allows individual patterns to be discovered and new movement contexts to be explored experimentally. The result is better body awareness, a loosening of structures and improved coordination, which can then be transferred to everyday life and instrumental playing.

 

Background to the Feldenkrais Method:

Moshé Feldenkrais (1904-1984) was a physicist and engineer who researched human behavioral physiology and movement mechanics. His method makes use of the plasticity and learning ability of the human nervous system. He recognized the interaction of movement, perception, thinking and feeling.

Through the Feldenkrais method, people learn to improve their self-organization in such a way that they can implement their own plans with minimal effort and high efficiency.

This gives them the opportunity to get out of practiced but often unsuitable or even harmful movement patterns. For musicians, this means an increase in freedom of movement, stamina and well-being on the instrument. This improves the quality of music-making, the lightness gained when playing counteracts rapid exhaustion and expands technical possibilities. The result is a free development of sound and an expansion of the range of musical expression.

ATM “Awareness through movement”: Feldenkrais group lessons
FI “Functional Integration”: Feldenkrais individual treatment

 

Courses Monika Witzany

Individual lessons IGP / ME:
Atem- und Körperarbeit 01 - 06
Indidividuelle Atem- und Bewegungsarbeit 01-06

Group lessons IGP / ME:
Feldenkrais 01, 02