Bratislava Concerts

Bratislava, long known by the German name Pressburg, has been strongly influenced by various cultures, which resulted into a rich musical tradition. Mozart, Haydn, Strauss, Lehár and many others, they all performed in Bratislava. The program of tonight’s concert is dedicated to opera, operetta and valses of these great figures of the Austro-Hungarian Empire musical life.

The soloists:
Daniela Baňasová – mezzo-soprano
Jana Borková – soprano
Róbert Smiščík - tenor
Juraj Havaj – bas-baritone

Pressburg Salon Orchester

Is a string quartet composed of the graduates of the Faculty of Music and Dance, University of Performing Arts in Bratislava devoted to chamber music. Since its establishment in 2002 the Quartet gave a number of successful concerts at domestic and international . The Quartet, as well as its individual members, took part in a number of top class courses of solo and chamber music led by such artists as Norbert Brainin and Siegmund Nissel (Amadeus Quartett), Sándor Devich and László Mező (Bartók Quartet), Günter Pichler (Alban Berg Quartett), Reiner Schmidt (Hagen Quartet), Milan Škampa (Smetana Quartet) and Škampa Quartet. The members of the Pressburger Quartet completed a 2 year postgraduate study of chamber music play at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna led by Prof. Johannes Meissel (Artis Quartett Wien), with whom they continue to closely cooperate. The artistic profile of the Quartet was largely influenced also by the members of the Moyzes Quartet. The repertoire of the Pressburger Quartet includes the compositions from baroque till the 20th century music. The Quartet cooperates also with contemporary composers and has participated in several worldwide premieres of their works.

studied at the State Conservatoire and the University of Performing Arts in Bratislava. After receiving her BA degree, she continued in her studies in Canada, at the Université du Québec in Montreal and Université Laval in Quebec under the lead of the top guitar player Alvaro Pierri. The same professor led the advanced classes in 2002 – 2003 which she took at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna. As an active participant of top level courses she worked with the world known guitar players such as Abel Carlevaro, Alvaro Pierri, Luise Walker,Oscar Ghiglia, Pavel Steidl...Apart from many solo performances in Slovakia and abroad – the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Romania, Spain, France and Canada, she has also given chamber music concerts in many countries – the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Finland, Romania, Canada, and Lichtenstein where she played together with Alvaro Pierri at the prestigious guitar festival Ligita. In 2004 she again performed with him in Bratislava. Currently she teaches at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna as an assistant to Prof. Alvaro Pierri.

a promising lyric soprano, was born in 1985 in Bratislava, Slovakia. From 2000 to 2007 she was a student of the State Conservatory in Bratislava . Since September 2007 she is a student of the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Bratislava. In May 2008 she achieved a great success by winning the 1st prize at the prestigious International Vocal Competition of Mikulas Schneider- Trnavsky in Trnava, Slovakia. Besides the title of the absolute winner of her category, she gained two special prizes as well. A prize of Maria Kisonova-Hubova for the best performance of the compulsory song “Ruzicky“ and a Prize of the Music Center in Bratislava