musicians
Camerata Classica
Camerata Classica brings together selected Viennese chamber musicians in an ensemble dedicated to preserving and vividly communicating the great European musical tradition. With over 100 concerts per year, it is one of the regular ensembles performing at one of Europe’s most prestigious concert halls.
At the heart of its repertoire are the masterpieces of the Viennese Classical period by Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. In addition, the ensemble performs major works of the Baroque and Romantic eras, creating connections between musical periods, traditions and sound worlds.
For centuries, Vienna has attracted outstanding musicians from all over the world. In this tradition, Camerata Classica combines the highest artistic standards with Vienna’s distinctive musical culture, making it accessible both to international audiences and to Vienna’s music-loving public.
The Viennese Sound – A Living Tradition
A distinctive feature of Camerata Classica is its commitment to preserving the musical tradition known throughout the world as the Viennese Sound. This tradition is rooted not only in interpretation, but also in instruments whose design and tonal character have been preserved in Vienna for generations.
The Viennese oboe is distinguished by its exceptionally warm, colourful and lyrical tone. The Viennese horn combines noble richness of sound with extraordinary expressive power and is regarded as one of the most characteristic instruments of the Viennese orchestral tradition.
The Viennese timpani play a particularly important role. Their traditional construction and the use of goatskin produce a distinctive, clearly pitched sound that blends harmoniously into the orchestra while also providing precise accents. The timpani used by Camerata Classica are made by a principal timpanist of the Vienna Philharmonic and combine traditional craftsmanship with the tonal ideals of Viennese orchestral culture.
Together, these instruments create the unique combination of warmth, transparency and elegance that has been associated with Vienna’s musical life for centuries – bringing the works of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and their successors to life in a truly distinctive way.
Alexander Znamenskiy
Alexander Znamenskiy – Artistic Director and Conductor
Alexander Znamenskiy is an Austrian conductor, violist and chamber musician whose artistic profile is distinguished by stylistic versatility and interpretative depth, ranging from Viennese Classicism and music theatre to contemporary music.
His career has taken him to the Vienna State Opera, Neue Oper Wien and Theater an der Wien, as well as to the podium of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna.
Alongside his work in music theatre, he regularly performs concert and oratorio repertoire, including performances of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St Matthew Passion at the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid. As a chamber musician, he has performed with Elisabeth Leonskaja, Jean-Bernard Pommier and Paul Gulda.
With Camerata Classica, he shapes an ensemble of leading Viennese musicians distinguished by tonal excellence, stylistic authenticity and a unique artistic identity – guided by the idea of making musical tradition a vivid and contemporary experience.
Lucia Hall
Lucia Hall – First Concertmaster and Soloist
Canadian violinist Lucia Hall enjoys an international career as a soloist and chamber musician and has performed in leading concert halls including the Vienna Musikverein, the Vienna Konzerthaus and the Cologne Philharmonie. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with artists such as Martha Argerich, Mischa Maisky and Gautier Capuçon. Numerous composers have dedicated works to her, which she premiered.
She studied with Eleonora Turovsky in Montréal and Dora Schwarzberg at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. After receiving her concert diploma with distinction, she now teaches in Vienna as well as at international masterclasses.
In addition to radio and television recordings, she has made CD recordings for Chandos Records, Gramola and EMI Classics. As First Concertmaster of Camerata Classica, she plays a decisive role in shaping the ensemble’s sound, combining soloistic brilliance with sensitive chamber-music leadership.
Julia Rubanova
Julia Rubanova – Concertmaster and Soloist
Violinist Julia Rubanova comes from a family of musicians and received her training at the specialised music lyceum in Kharkiv and at the National Music Academy in Kyiv. A prizewinner at international competitions, she was appointed Deputy Concertmaster of the first violins of the Kyiv Philharmonic at the age of just 23.
Since moving to Austria, she has performed with renowned ensembles and orchestras including Camerata Salzburg, Concentus Musicus Wien, the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna State Opera, the Volksoper Wien, Bach Consort Wien and Les Musiciens du Prince – Monaco under the direction of Cecilia Bartoli.
As a soloist and chamber musician, she performs a broad repertoire ranging from Baroque music to contemporary works.
Karin Adam
Karin Adam – Soloist
Since winning First Prize at the International Joseph Joachim Competition, Austrian violinist Karin Adam has been regarded as one of the most distinguished musicians in her field. Trained by Franz Samohyl at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, she began performing in public as a child and was awarded the Mozart Interpretation Prize of the Mozartgemeinde Wien at an early age.
Concert engagements have taken her to major musical centres throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. She has performed with renowned orchestras such as the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Staatskapelle Berlin and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra under conductors including Christoph von Dohnányi, Mariss Jansons, Fabio Luisi and Lord Yehudi Menuhin.
Since 1985, she has performed as a duo with her sister, pianist Doris Adam. Numerous CD recordings document the breadth of her artistic work.