Hubert von Goisern Culture Award

Congratulations to the winners of the Hubert von Goisern Culture Award 2018

Irene Troi - Music educator, Brixen

Irene Troi Born 1964 in Brixen, Irene earned her diploma in violin performance under Günter Pichler and has been a member of the Concentus Musicus since 1992. Before that the European Youth Orchestra, Wiener Akademie, Ensemble Baroque de Limoges, Il Giardino Armonico and many more. Since 1992 she has organised and held music camps for 4-14-year olds and has founded numerous children and youth string orchestras, including the South Tyrolean Symphonic Youth Orchestra. For this commitment and to support her continued work in music education, she is awarded the main prize in 2018.

Mike Ramsauer - Documentary film-maker, Abtenau

Born in Abtenau, studied architecture at the Graz University of Technology, followed by training as a documentary cameraman at the Zelig Film School in Bolzano. Mike Ramsauer is a freelance documentary film cameraman and director. In his 2017 documentary film Quellmalz he tells the story of the SS musicologist Dr. Alfred Quellmalz, who in the 1930s and 40s archived the folk songs of the German-speaking South Tyroleans being assimilated into the German Empire. For this portrait of customs caught between two dictatorships, he receives the Hubert von Goisern Culture Award.

Margarethe Hlawa - Cultural event organiser, Hallein

Margarethe Hlawa-Grundner, born 1980, completed her studies in concert violin at the Salzburg Mozarteum. She now appears mainly with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists, as well as being involved in numerous other formations. In the summer of 2015 she and her husband opened Café Kurkuma in Hallein. From the very beginning, the little stage in the café was a venue for the arts: for charity concerts, for professionals and for those who would otherwise have nowhere to have a go. She receives the Hubert von Goisern Culture Award for both her own musical prowess and her tireless engagement, which reflects both her love for the arts, as well as a rare social conscience. Find out more about Margarethe Hlawa: www.musik-yoga-leben.com

Christoph Sietzen - Percussionist, Salzburg

Luxembourger Christoph Sietzen, born 1992 in Salzburg, started learning percussion at the age of six and later studied marimba under the tutelage of Bogdan Bacanu and percussion under Leonhard Schmidinger and Josef Gumpinger at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz, graduating with honour. In the course of his studies Christoph Sietzen also dedicated his time to his second instrument, the double bass, as well as the harpsichord, taking a special interest in baroque repertoire. Since 2014 he has held a teaching post at Vienna's University for Music and the Performing Arts. For his musical creativity, he is granted the Hubert von Goisern Culture Award. Find out more about Christoph Sietzen: www.christophsietzen.com

The award ceremony 2018

June 2018 | Photos: © Horst Viertbauer

On 11th June 2018 the Hubert von Goisern Culture Award was presented for the first time. Mayor of Salzburg Harald Preuner welcomed guests to the historic Marble Hall in Mirabell Palace, among them cultural representatives from Salzburg and across Austria, as well as family and friends of the prize-winners. Host for the evening was Hage Hein, Hubert's manager, who talked to the artist about his reasons for founding the award. "I want to set an example and encourage people," he explained, "Of course the monetary aspect is important, but above all it's about attention and recognition".

With individual laudations from the jury, the 2018 winners Irene Troi, Mike Ramsauer, Margarethe Hlawa and Christoph Sietzen were presented certificates and branded beechwoods, designed by Hubert von Goisern.

The evening was brought to a close with a musical treat, as percussionist Christoph Sietzen performed a piece by J. S. Bach on the marimbaphone, before providing the accompaniment to a soulful yodel from Hubert von Goisern.