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Guitar & bass
Conrad Schrenk
Conrad Schrenk studied classical guitar for 10 years and jazz guitar for 4 years in Vienna. As a guitarist who has collaborated with many greats of the international music scene, he is one of the most technically perfect guitarists in Europe. In 1993, his collaboration with US-based drummer Thomas Lang caused an international sensation with the album 'Save the robots'. The two exceptional musicians subsequently toured with numerous top international acts, such as 'Papermoon', 'The Hallucination Company' or the Austrian figurehead Falco.
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At the end of 2012, the long-awaited follow-up album 'Yumaflex' was released, on which Conrad Schrenk presents a breathtaking variety of his extraordinary skills. Also noteworthy is the stylistic diversity, ranging from rock, metal and fusion to Far Eastern musical traditions as well as cleverly used jazz elements. In 2017, the exceptional guitarist was voted among the best 100 fusion guitarists in the world.
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Conrad Schrenk has worked as guitarist/composer/arranger and producer with Falco, Lionel Richie, Al Jarreau, Wolfgang Ambros, Georg Danzer, STS, Wilfried, Klaus Eberhartinger, Hallucination Company, Russkaja, Stahlhammer, L'ame Immortelle, Romanes, Nouvelle Cousine, Thomas Lang, John Wetton, Napoleon "Murphy" Brock, Nouvelle Cousine Bigband, Go4it, Lew Soloff, Save the Robots, Wr. Symphoniker, Niederösterreichische Tonkünstler, RSO Vienna under David Newman, Hakim Ludin,...
Guitarist on the 2014 Grammy award winning album 'Normas'.
Tours in USA, Indonesia, France, Great Britain, Belgium, Tunisia, Denmark, Eastern Europe and others.
Conrad Schrenk has been teaching at VMI for about a decade and a half. As a main guitar teacher and musical director of numerous graduate ensembles, the accomplished exceptional musician is held in high esteem by students, as well as in the field of music production, which he presides over as director of studies.
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The central point of my teaching concept is to lead the students to artistic independence through technical fluency and reflection on their own musical experience in relation to the rest of the musical world. The students and their performance deserve full attention in class. This increases alertness to one's own actions and gives students the opportunity to be good teachers to themselves - and perhaps later to others - through increased introspection. I see an honestly positive teacher/student relationship, borne of personal esteem, as the basis for the development of all abilities and talents. (Conrad Schrenk)
Studied guitar and jazz composition at Berklee College of Music and at the University of Art in Graz (Mag.art). Doctoral studies in musicology at the University of Arts Graz (PhD).
Concert activity in Austria, neighboring countries, USA, Brazil and South Africa. Composer, guitarist and bandleader of the jazz/pop ensemble Camena. Participation in the ensemble Theater an der Josefstadt, Wiener Burgtheater, Neue Oper Wien etc.
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Sing & Dance & Keep it Simple! (Fred Eisler)
Fred Eisler
Vilkka Wahl
The Finnish-born guitarist, composer and educator Vilkka Wahl completed his master's degree in jazz guitar at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and released his first album 'Nebula' as band leader and composer with his quintet in 2017. Studied under Guido Jeszenzsky and Teemu Viinikainen as well as master classes with Peter Bernstein, John Abercrombie, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Bob Brookmeyer, Jerry Bergonzi, Jeff Ballard, Adam Nussbaum and Fred Hurst. His musical collaborations range from Jure Pukl, Severi Pyysalo, Karlheinz Miklin, Heinrich von Kalnein, Ain Agan, Manuel Dunkel, Kasperi Sarikoski to the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. A passionate musician with international stage and studio experience, Vilkka is especially appreciated for his expressive playing and refined improvisations.
As an educator, his teaching concepts are based on traditional teaching materials on the one hand, while on the other hand the focus of his teaching lies in the autonomy and self-reflection of the students. Thus, he manages to bring forth an ideal combination of tradition and innovation that encourages and empowers students to develop artistically.
In order to be able to optimally promote the necessary motivation in the acquisition of teaching content, each student is to be regarded as an independent-creative individual. For me as a teacher, it is therefore of central importance that I can understand and comprehend what my students see as the meaning of their musical experience. In this way, teaching content can be better adapted to each individual in order to promote their further development and open up new perspectives for them. (Vilkka Wahl)
Raphael Käfer
Raphael Käfer studied jazz guitar in Klagenfurt, Cologne, Hamburg and Vienna and completed his education with a master's degree in jazz guitar as well as instrumental and vocal pedagogy (IGP) - both with distinction. He complemented his studies with many workshops with international greats such as Lage Lund, Jonathan Kreisberg, Barry Harris, John Ellis, Rory Stuart, Aaron Goldberg, Chris Cheek, Scott Robinson or Kevin Hays.
As a musician Raphael Käfer can look back on numerous concerts in Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic and Austria as well as various studio activities and publications. Active in various formations, he also appears again and again with his own projects, such as the "Raphael Käfer Quintet" or the "Raphael Käfer Costellation Project". His musical field is mainly jazz, jazz rock/fusion and groove, whereby openness towards traditional and new developments as well as the attempt to combine both play a major role in his musical work. Musically as well as personally, Raphael Käfer therefore pursues the goal of constant further development.
Raphael Käfer's teaching activities are characterized by two principles: on the one hand, the teaching of fundamentals that are essential for the further development of musicians and are intended to provide a deeper understanding of one's own instrument, musical listening, rhythm, timing, improvisation and technique; and on the other hand, the approach to individual goals and needs, which is intended to enable students to pursue their own goals and to further develop what they have learned individually and with pleasure.
Alexander Lackner
First classical piano studies in Vienna, then jazz and classical double bass studies at the Vienna Conservatory (Dipl. 1992), Boston and Buenos Aires, since the end of the 80s freelance musician, mainly in Vienna.
Collaboration with Andy Sheppard, Lew Soloff, Willi Resetarits, Pago Libre, Dave Liebman, Die Eiserne Zeit & Christian Qualtinger, Doretta Carter, Erich Quartett & Wolfgang Muthspiel, Franz Hauzinger, Ko: er, Agnes Heginger, Ofer, Last Cab, Zipflo Weinrich, Heinz von Hermann, Dobrek Bistro, Joe Valentin, Allegre Correa, Yta Moreno, Karl Ratzer, Manhattan Tap, Michael Heltau, Adi Hirschal, Leo Lukas, Volksoper Orchestra, Musikverein Orchestra, Medellin Quartet, Max Brand Ensemble and many more. many others.
Concerts and CD productions in USA, China, Italy, Romania, Poland, Germany, France, Spain, Argentina, Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia...
Composition commissions for Burgtheater and other stage productions, Wr. Festwochen, Kultursommer Laxenburg, radio productions and many others. Alexander Lackner has been working at the VMI for about one and a half decades and is head of the study department III and VI - bass and string instruments.
Let's "argue" about music. (Alexander Lackner)
Oliver Steger
Oliver Steger, born in 1968, studied jazz double bass in Vienna and has been working as a freelance bassist, composer and producer since 1997. In 2005 he won the Amadeus Award with the nu-jazz formation 'Cafe Drechsler'. Oliver Steger is also the author (text and music) of five children's books with a focus on jazz, and his debut novel 'Jazz und Frieden' (book and CD) was published in May 2016.
His current band projects include S.O.D.A., Lil Maxine, Zoe, Triotonic, Salah Ammo Quartet or Cafe Drechsler.
For improvising musicians who are in the groove, reaching a calm time pulse while playing is an aha experience that opens ears and hearts. Only then does the previously practiced material fill with life and musicality. I have always wondered why various soloists sound better when accompanied by Marc Johnson or Charlie Haden, for example. Well, this Pulse story is, in my opinion, an answer to that question: bass on top! (Oliver Steger)
Federico Pérez Hernández
The Madrid-born bassist, singer and songwriter completed his musical education at the 'Universidad Autónoma de Madrid' (1996-2000), the 'Rotterdams Conservatorium' in the Netherlands (2001-2005) and the 'Adolfo Slazar' Conservatory of Music in Madrid (2009-2011) and has been working as a professional music educator and freelance musician since 2005.
An extremely versatile electric and double bass player, frontman and singer who has played with countless bands, Federico Pérez Hernández excels in pop, rock and jazz as well as in rhythm & blues, funk, Latin, fusion, but also flamenco or classical music. His concert tours have taken him to numerous countries, such as Bolivia, Algeria, Brazil, Panama, Costa Rica, Jordan, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Portugal, Hungary, Croatia, the Netherlands, Switzerland or the United States of America.
In addition to countless club appearances, the grandiose bassist, who also has phenomenal vocal qualities, has also played at numerous festivals such as the 'Festval de Jazz de la Paz' in Bolivia, the 'Festival Suvremene Glazb' in Croatia, the festival 'Trieste loves Jazz' in Italy, the 'Gloucester Blues Festival' in England, the 'Piazza Blues Festival' in Switzerland, the 'Jazz á Juan' in France, the 'Festival de Blues Roses' in Spain, the 'Gevarenvinkel Blues Festival' in Belgium, the 'Baja City Festival' in Hungary, the 'Swingt Festival' in Holland, the 'Verviers Fiesta City Festival' in Belgium, the 'Festival de Blues de Bastia' in Italy, the 'Festival de Músicas de Torreperogil' in Spain, the 'Aman International Music Festival' in Jordan, the 'Festival de Cazoria' in Spain or at the BBC Radio's 'Paul Jones Show' in Great Britain.
"Try not! Do. ...or do not. There is no try." (Yoda)
