Student Awards – 2025

Kuan-Wei Chen

Kuan-Wei Chen won first prize and the Paderewski Prize at the 14th International Rosario Marciano Piano Competition in Vienna.

Kuan-Wei studies Piano (Performance) with Anna Malikova.

David Kropfreiter

David Kropfreiter has won the Musica Juventutis selection competition for the 2026/27 season.

He was also awarded the Absolute First Prize at the X. Danubia Talents International Music Competition 2025 in Budapest and won first prize in the Young Category at the 6th International Piano Competition Radovljica.

David is studying Piano with Stephanie Timoschek-Gumpinger in the Preparatory Program.

Juri-Jonathan Suppan

Juri-Jonathan Suppan won first prize in the piano soloist category at the X. Danubia Talents International Music Competition 2025 in Budapest and second prize in the Young Category at the 6th International Piano Competition Radovljica.

Juri-Jonathan is studying Piano with Stephanie Timoschek-Gumpinger in the Preparatory Program.

Leonie Lugbauer

Leonie Lugbauer won first prize in the Piano Soloist category at the 10th Danubia Talents International Music Competition 2025 in Budapest.

Leonie studies with Stephanie Timoschek-Gumpinger in the Course for Gifted Children.

Sakura Ito

Sakura Ito has won the audition for the position of deputy principal second violinist with the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra.

Sakura is studying Violin and Chamber Music (Performance, Master) with Peter Schuhmayer.

Lena Zechner

The short film At Home I Feel Like Leaving (directed by Simon Maria Kubiena) was awarded the German Short Film Award 2025 in the category Feature film with a running time of more than 15 minutes but less than 30 minutes.

mdw student Lena Zechner was responsible for production in this collaborative project with the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg.

Lena is studying Production with Michael Kitzberger.

Melvyn Zeyns

The short film Garnelius (directed by Julia Ketelhut) was awarded the German Short Film Award 2025 for best medium-length film.

mdw student Melvyn Zeyns was responsible for production in this collaborative project with the DFFB – German Film and Television Academy Berlin.

Melvyn is studying Production with Michael Kitzberger.

Gašper Golob Rupnik

Gašper Golob Rupnik won second place at the 3rd International Classical Guitar Competition VelEspaña 2025 in Velenje, Slovenia.

Gašper studies guitar (IGP) with Nejc Kuhar.

Leon Ravnikar

Leon Ravnikar won second prize at this year's competition at the Aalborg Guitar Festival in Denmark.

He also won first prize at the 22nd Altamira Gorizia International Guitar Competition (Enrico Mercatali Prize) and was awarded first prize at the 30th International FORUM Guitar Competition Vienna 2025.

Leon studies Guitar (IGP, Master) with Nejc Kuhar.

Amirah Pranzl

Amirah Pranzl won first prize in the No Age Limit category at the Mitrovica Guitar Days in Kosovo.

Amirah studies Guitar (IGP) with Nejc Kuhar.

Isabella Schwarz

Isabella Schwarz took up a position as an academician with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in September.

Isabella graduated with a degree in Oboe (Performance/Klaus Lienbacher) and is currently studying Oboe (IGP) with Harald Hörth.

Marlene Fasching

Marlene Fasching won first prize (gold) in the horn solo category in AG III+ at the Prima la Musica 2025 national finals. She also emerged as the national winner.

Marlene is studying in the Preparatory Course with Thomas Jöbstl and attends Special Classes with Martin Holpfer.

Annika Kückmeier

Annika Kückmeier (Flute) and Carolin Hauswirth (Harp) won first prize in the chamber music duo category at a competition held as part of the Arpa GRAZiosa Harp Festival organized by the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz in the fall of 2025.

Annika is a student in Sonja Korak's Special Classes.

Katharina Rothen

Katharina Rothen won the audience award at the Cross Over Competition 2025 of the 13th Heinrich Strecker Competition.

Katharina studies Voice (IGP) with Rannveig Braga-Postl.

Zacharias Thomas Galaviz Guerra

Zacharias Thomas Galaviz Guerra has been offered a position at the Opera Studio of the National Theatre Mannheim for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons.

In June, he was awarded first prize, the audience prize and the Arkadij Eisler Prize at the Hedda Urbani Singing Competition organised by the Friends of the Vienna State Opera, and won second prize in the ZukunftsStimmen (Voices of the Future) initiative for young talent organised by Elīna Garanča.

Zacharias studies Voice (IGP) with Martina Steffl-Holzbauer.

Reza Rasouli

Reza Rasouli received the FIRST STEPS Award 2025 in the Short Film category. The FIRST STEPS Award is Germany's most prestigious award for young talent and is presented each year to the most outstanding graduation films from German-speaking film schools.

Reza is studying Directing with Barbara Albert.

inn.wien

The ensemble inn.wien won the award in the category Best Large Ensemble at the YAMawards 2025.

The members of the ensemble are students and graduates of the mdw.

Lukas Eckerstorfer

Lukas Eckerstorfer has won the prestigious Ari Kummer Prize at ClariArte in Hartberg.

Lukas studies Clarinet (IGP) with Wolfgang Kornberger.

Samuel Neubauer

Samuel Neubauer won first prize in age category IV+ at the Prima la Musica National Competition 2025 and was also named national winner.

In addition, as an outstanding WSY talent, he will perform Carl Maria von Weber's Clarinet Concerto as a soloist with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

Samuel studies Clarinet (Performance) with Christoph Zimper.

Sandra Schmutzer

Sandra Schmutzer has won the audition for the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra.

Sandra studies Clarinet (Performance) with Christoph Zimper.

Hannah Friedl

Hannah Friedl has won the audition for second clarinet (fixed-term contract) in the Bruckner Orchestra Linz.

Hannah studies Clarinet (Performance) with Christoph Zimper.

Brina Unuk

Brina Unuk won third prize at the 11th Kobe International Flute Competition in Japan.

Brina studies Flute (Performance) with Wally Hase.

Duo Chameleon

The Chameleon Duo (Leon Ravnikar, Kamil Aniol) won first prize at the 14th International Martinez Guitar Duo Competition 2025 as part of the 33rd International Guitar Festival Iserlohn and second prize at the 22nd International Guitar Competition Altamira Gorizia.

Leon and Kamil study Guitar (IGP) with Nejc Kuhar.

Maximilian Wörter

Maximilian Wörter won first prize in the solo guitar category at the Milano City Classical Guitar Competition.

Maximilian studies Guitar (IGP) with Nejc Kuhar.

Amirah Pranzl

Amirah Pranzl won second prize and the audience prize at the 9th International Guitar Competition ‘Live Guitar’ in Bale-Valle, Croatia.

Amirah studies Guitar (IGP) with Nejc Kuhar.

Ayaka Mukaiyama

Ayaka Mukaiyama won first prize at the 9th International Guitar Competition ‘Live Guitar’ in Bale-Valle, Croatia. She also won first prize, the Pujol Prize and the Audience Prize at the 4th Emili Pujol Competition in La Granadella, Spain.

Ayaka studies Guitar (IGP) with Nejc Kuhar.

Lucia Böck

Lucia Böck won first prize in the Saxophone/Master B category at this year's New York Classical Music Competition 2025.

She also won second prize in the composition category at this year's Bach International Music Competition for her piece Tornado for high saxophones and double bass.

Lucia studies Oboe (IGP) with Prisca Schlemmer and has completed her studies in Saxophone (Performance and IGP) with Christian Maurer.

Sofija Milenkovic

Sofija Milenkovic won first prize in category B at the Moyse International Flute Competition 2025.

Sofija studies Flute (Performance) with Wally Hase.

Kazuki Ikegami

Kazuki Ikegami has won the audition for a position with the Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra in Košice.

Kazuki is studying Violin (Performance) and Chamber Music (Master's degree) with Peter Schuhmayer.

Seiwa Yamagami

Seiwa Yamagami has won an audition for an internship at the Staatstheater Darmstadt.

Seiwa is studying Chamber Music (Postgraduate Programme) with Peter Schuhmayer.

Brina Varga

Brina Varga won second prize at the Júlio Cardona International Music Competition 2025 in Portugal.

Brina studies Flute (Performance) with Wally Hase.

Petra Lantschner

Petra Lantschner will take up a temporary position as second flutist with piccolo duties with the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna starting in the 2025/26 season. Until the end of October, she will also be engaged on a temporary contract with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra.

In May 2025, she was awarded first prize in the internal Edmund Horwath Competition 2025 of the Vienna Philharmonic Academy.

Petra studies Flute (Performance) with Wally Hase and piccolo with Renate Linortner.

Siheon Ryu

Siheon Ryu won first prize at the ISB Double Bass Competition/ Solo Division and with it a performance at the 2027 ISB Convention.

Siheon studies Double Bass (Performance) with Dominik Wagner.

Gregor Kulla

Gregor Kulla won third place at this year's Composers' Rostrum.

Gregor studies Composition with Julia Purgina.

Manja Pančur

Manja Pančur's temporary contract for 2nd, 3rd and 4th flute with piccolo and alto flute with the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra (Graz Opera) has been extended for the 2025/26 season.

Manja studies Flute (Performance) with Wally Hase and Piccolo with Renate Linortner.

Cuore Piano Trio

The Cuore Piano Trio (Zuzanna Budzyńska/Violin, Jonathan Gerstner/Cello, Szymon Ogryzek/Piano) won first prize and the special prize of the Elbląg Chamber Orchestra at the 10th International Johannes Brahms Chamber Music Competition in Gdańsk (Poland).
 
The Cuore Piano Trio studies with Avedis Kouyoumdjian, Johannes Meissl and Sibila Konstantinova.
Zuzanna also studies Violin (Performance) with Christian Altenburger, Jonathan studies Cello (Performance) with Reinhard Latzko and Szymon studies Piano (Chamber Music) with Avedis Kouyoumdjian.

Duo Con Cor

The Duo Con Cor won the Gold Prize in the Duo Performance category at this year's Universal Stars Music Competition.

Lucia Böck studies Oboe (IGP) with Prisca Schlemmer and graduated in Saxophone (Performance and IGP) under Christian Maurer. Ogi Tumur-Ochir studies Piano (IGP) with Amandine Savary. Both also studied Chamber Music with Tim Ovens.

Anna Winter

Anna Winter was accepted as a scholarship holder at Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Vienna together with her guitarist Mihajlo Durdevic.

Anna studies Flute (Performance) with Wally Hase.

Marvin Moch

Marvin Moch was accepted as a scholarship holder at Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Vienna and has been selected for the Red Bull Scoring Challenge at Synchron Stage Vienna.

Marvin studies Flute (Performance) with Wally Hase.

Cosmas Anapliotis

Cosmas Anapliotis was selected as a scholarship recipient based on his audition at the Cusanuswerk in Germany.

Cosmas studies Flute (Performance) with Wally Hase.

Ganibet Balmagambetov

Ganibet Balmagambetov won first prize at this year's Sarajevo International Guitar Festival 2025 competition.

Ganibet studies Guitar (Performance) with Margarita Garcia Escarpa.

Karine Mikayelyan

Karine Mikayelyan won third prize at the International Franz Schubert Singing Competition.

Karine studies Voice with Daniela Fally.

Paul Moosbrugger

Paul Moosbrugger has won the audition for the position of solo clarinetist with the Sächsische Staatskapelle/Semperoper Dresden.

Paul studies Clarinet (Performance) with Christoph Moser.

Valentin Lemberg

Valentin Lemberg has won the audition for the academy position in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Valentin studies Clarinet (Performance) with Christoph Moser.

Yuewen Yu

Yuewen Yu won first prize at the 15th International Piano Competition in Mayenne, France.

Yuewen studies Piano (Performance) with Anna Malikova.

Motus Quartett

The Motus Quartet has won first prize and the prize for best interpretation of a work from the Early Classical category at the 10th International JOSEPH JOACHIM Chamber Music Competition in Weimar.

Tim Pieter De Vries (violin), Karla Križ (violin), Erin Carter Pitts (viola), and Domonkos Peter Hartmann (cello) are all students at the mdw with Johannes Meissl, Ioana Cristina Goicea, Sebastian Herberg, and István Várdai.

Pipi Fröstl, Felix Krisai

Students Pipi Fröstl and Felix Krisai won an award in the Best Screenplay category at the European Film Festival of Lille for the short film Strangers like us.

Pipi Fröstl (Screenplay Writing) and Felix Krisai (Directing) are students at the Film Academy Vienna.

Filmteam Night of Passage

The film Night of Passage was awarded the Diagonale Prize in the category Best Short Film.

The award-winning students Reza Rasouli (MA in Directing), Maximilian Demets and Lidija-Rukiye Kumpas (BA in Film Production), Konstantin Johann (BA in Camera Technology and Cinematography), Sarah Kučera (MA in Editing) and Fabian Rausch (MA in Screenplay Writing and Dramaturgy) study at the Film Academy Vienna.

Ivet Castelo is a Film Production graduate (Master's degree).

Alex Reinberg und Leni Gruber

Alex Reinberg and Leni Gruber received the Thomas Pluch Screenplay Award for Best Screenplay for Short or Medium-Length Feature Films for their film Inexpensive Solutions for a Better Life as part of the Diagonale 2025.

Alex is studying Screenplay Writing and Dramaturgy (MA) at the Film Academy Vienna. Leni has a bachelor's degree in Screenplay Writing and Dramaturgy from the Film Academy Vienna.

Marie Luise Lehner

Marie Luise Lehner received the Special Jury Prize for Best Screenplay for a full-length feature film or television movie for her film Wenn du Angst hast nimmst du dein Herz in den Mund und lächelst (When You're Afraid, You Hold Your Heart in Your Mouth and Smile) as part of the Diagonale 2025.

Marie Luise is studying Directing (Master's degree) at the Film Academy Vienna.

Maria Lisa Pichler und Lukas Schöffel

Maria Lisa Pichler and Lukas Schöffel have received the Franz Grabner Prize in the category of theatrical documentary film for their film Mâine Mă Duc – Tomorrow I Leave as part of the Diagonale 2025.

Maria Lisa is studying Editing (Master´s degree) at the Film Academy Vienna. Lukas has completed his Master's degree in Camera Technology and Cinematography at the Film Academy.

Filmteam Bürglkopf

The film Bürglkopf was awarded the Grand Diagonale Prize of the State of Styria in the category Best Documentary and the Diagonale Prize of the Youth Jury in the category Best Emerging Artist.

The students involved in the film, Jasmin Schwendinger (Cinematography), Lena Zechner (Production) and Alexander Worsch (Editing), are studying at the Film Academy Vienna.

Ayaka Mukaiyama

Ayaka Mukaiyama won second prize at the Concorso di Chitarra Gaetano Marziali in Italy.

Ayaka is studying Guitar (IGP) with Nejc Kuhar.

Kathrin Ellinger

Kathrin Ellinger was awarded Gold in the Prima la Musica State Competition Vienna 2025 in the age category IV+ and was also (ex aequo with Stella Teichmann) the state winner in this category.

Kathrin attends the Special Classes (Flute) with Sonja Korak.

Stella Teichmann

Stella Teichmann was awarded Gold in the Prima la Musica state competition Vienna 2025 in age category IV+ and was also named state winner (ex aequo with Kathrin Ellinger) in this category.

Stella studies Flute (IGP, Performance) with Sonja Korak.

Lena Klambauer

Lena Klambauer was awarded Gold in the age category IV+ at the Prima la Musica State Competition Upper Austria 2025 and was also named state winner in this category.

Lena attends the Special Classes (Flute) with Sonja Korak.

Marie Aggermann

Marie Aggermann was awarded Gold in age category IV+ at the Prima la Musica state competition Salzburg 2025 and was also named the state winner in this category.

Marie is attending the Preparatory Programme (Flute) with Sonja Korak.

Alba Moreno

Alba Moreno was awarded Silver in age category IV+ at the Prima la Musica state competition Vienna 2025.

Alba studies Flute (Performance) with Sonja Korak.

Linxi Chen

Linxi Chen won first prize and the special prize at the 36th International Competition for Pianists and Opera Singers Francesco Paolo Neglia in Italy, as well as second prize at the Concours International Piano Neuchâtel Val de Travers in Switzerland.

Linxi studies piano (Performance) with Roman Zaslavsky.

Maja Triler

Maja Triler has won first prize in Elīna Garanča's ZukunftsStimmen young talent initiative.

Maja studies Vocal Performance with Daniela Fally and Stage Performance with Helen Malkowsky and Hartmut Keil.

Zacharias Thomas Galaviz Guerra

Zacharias Thomas Galaviz Guerra was awarded first prize, the audience prize and the Arkadij Eisler Prize at the Hedda Urbani Singing Competition organised by the Friends of the Vienna State Opera in June.

He also won second prize in Elīna Garanča's young talent initiative ZukunftsStimmen.

Zacharias studies Voice (IGP) with Martina Steffl-Holzbauer.

Seina Matsuoka

Seina Matsuoka won the audition for the position of 3rd concertmaster with the Wiener Symphoniker.

Seina studies Violin (Performance) and Chamber Music with Peter Schuhmayer.

Elena Arbonies Jauregui

Elena Arbonies Jauregui has won first prize in the 2025 Sounding Visions Award of the International Society for New Music (ISNM) and the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

Elena is a student in the MA program Contemporary Arts Practice (CAP) in the Music Education / Community Music profile and in the MA program New Music Ensemble under Olivier Vivares.

Sebastian Böck

Sebastian Böck was awarded the Gold Prize in the category Film/Game Music at this year's Debussy International Music Competition for his composition Thoughts.

Sebastian studies Music Education and Music Education (Instruments) in the master's program with a focus on music theory and composition as well as popular music.

Cosmas Anapliotis

Cosmas Anapliotis was accepted as a scholarship holder of Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Berlin together with his wind quartet Berlin.

Cosmas studies Flute (Performance) with Wally Hase.

Jakob Carl Sauer, Nicola von Leffern

To close your eyes and see fire (Nicola von Leffern and Jakob Carl Sauer) received the Film Critics' Award for Best Documentary as well as the Award for Best Documentary Film Score at this year's Max Ophüls Film Festival in Saarbrücken.

Jakob Carl Sauer (MA Camera Technology and Cinematography) is studying at the Film Academy Vienna. Nicola von Leffern studied Cinematography.

Lorenz Uhl, Raoul Bruck

The film Superorganism (Raoul Bruck and Lorenz Uhl) won the treatment development prize at this year's Max Ophüls Film Festival in Saarbrücken.

Lorenz Uhl is studying Screenplay Writing and Dramaturgy at the Film Academy Vienna.

Melvyn Zeyns, Nina Slunsky

The film Garnelius (Julia Ketelhut) received the award for best medium-length film at this year's Max Ophüls Award film festival in Saarbrücken.

The award-winning students Melvyn Zeyns (MA in Film Production) and Nina Slunsky (MA in Digital Art – Compositing) are studying at the Film Academy Vienna.

Reza Rasouli, Maximilian Demets, Lidija-Rukiye Kumpas, Konstantin Johann, Sarah Kučera, Fabian Rausch and Ivet Castelo

The short film Night of Passage (Ivet Castelo and Maximilian Demets) received the Audience Award for Short Film at this year's Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival in Saarbrücken.

The award-winning students Reza Rasouli (MA in Directing), Maximilian Demets and Lidija-Rukiye Kumpas (BA in Film Production), Konstantin Johann (BA in Camera Technology and Cinematography), Sarah Kučera (MA in Editing) and Fabian Rausch (MA in Screenplay Writing and Dramaturgy) study at Film Academy Vienna.

Ivet Castelo is a graduate of the MA in Film Production.

Titas Lasickas

Titas Lasickas won the First Prize Student Award at the ASA – Acoustical Society of America – Virtual Fall 2024 with his paper 2aMU3. Flow measurements in a bass recorder using particle image velocimetry.

Titas is a project collaborator and PhD student at the Department of Music Acoustics – Wiener Klangstil (IWK).

Anna Winter

Anna Winter has won the audition for the European Union Youth Orchestra 2025, EUYO.

Anna studies Flute (Performance) with Wally Hase and Piccolo with Renate Linortner.