"Johanna is a wonder - an incomparable guitarist!"
EDOARDO BRENCI
(President of Teatro della Concordia, Italy)
"an important cultural representative in the centre of Russia - in Yekaterinburg"
VLADIMIR MISHARIN
(Chairman of the Theatre Council of Russian Federation (SO) and director of Dom Actyora)
The Austrian guitarist Johanna Beisteiner, born in 1976, received her first guitar lessons at the age of nine. Only sixteen of age she became a student at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts, from where she graduated as a concert guitarist as well as a Doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.). She is internationally active as a soloist on the classical guitar. Characteristic for her artistic work are versatility and the aspiration to innovation:
Since 1998 Johanna Beisteiner inspires the Hungarian composer Robert Gulya to new guitar pieces, such as a Concerto for guitar and orchestra, which was first performed in October 2009 with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra conducted by Béla Drahos. From the collaboration with the argentine dancer Rafael Ramirez and Robert Gulya the Tango video clip The Milonguero and the Muse emerged, in which the guitarist acts as a dancer, too. Moreover, she occupies herself thoroughly with the Russian culture and interprets works by the composer Eduard Shafransky from Yekaterinburg. In 2007 she represented her native country at a ceremony organized in Yekaterinburg by the Honorary Consulate of Austria on the occasion of the Austrian National Holiday. She also recorded sound tracks for movies: Truce (USA 2004) and S.O.S. Love! (HU 2006). The artist’s diverse involvement was already honoured: In Italy she received the crystal trophy 200 Years Teatro della Concordia (2008).
The guitarist’s recordings are published by GRAMY Records, Robert Gulya’s works dedicated to Johanna Beisteiner are edited by Éditions BIM (Switzerland). Johanna Beisteiner plays on a classical Spanish concert guitar made by Paulino Bernabé, her repertoire contains all styles from the Renaissance to the present (such as Albéniz, Bach, Carulli, Diabelli, Donizetti, Dowland, Giuliani, Granados, Gulya, Handle, Johnson, Legnani, Llobet, Mertz, Paganini, Piazzolla, Pujol, Rodrigo, Schubert, Shafransky, Sor, Tárrega, Villa-Lobos, Verdi, Vivaldi, Weber and others).
IMPORTANT CONCERTS AND PROJECTS (2000 - 2009):
2009:
World premiere of the Concert for guitar and orchestra (composer: Robert Gulya) with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra conducted by Béla Drahos at Hubay Hall, Budapest (Hungary). The concert was filmed live and published on DVD by Gramy Records.
World premiere of Old quarters of Alanya und Songs of breakers (composer: Eduard Shafransky) at the great festival Bravo in Yekaterinburg (Russia). The Theatre Council of Russian Federation published in his festival chronicle the article: “The guitar makes people more human”
Recital at the Palace of Culture in the town Polevskoy (Ural, Russia). The magazine Dialog wrote a detailed article about the concert: “Wonderful musical sounds”
Musical Intermezzo for the opening of an exhibition with works by the Biedermeier painter Jakob Wibmer and contemporary Austrian artist Hortensia at Deutschlandsberg Castle (Austria).
2008:
Tango video clip The Milonguero and the Muse (choreography: Rafael Ramirez, music: Robert Gulya; Budapest Symphony Orchestra conducted by Géza Török). Johanna Beisteiner acts in this clip as a guitarist and dancer as well, her partner is the argentine Tanguero Rafael Ramirez.
Gala Concert for the 200 Year Jubilee of Teatro della Concordia, Italy. The Italian TV channel RAI 3 documented the ceremony. Johanna Beisteiner received in grateful recognition of her artistic work the crystal trophy 200 Years Teatro della Concordia. Article 1 Article 2
World premiere of Reflections on a painting by Caravaggio – The lutenist and Night in Granada for guitar solo (composer: Eduard Shafransky) at Dom Actyora (Yekaterinburg, Russia)
World premiere of Night sky Preludes for guitar solo (composer: Robert Gulya) at Teatro della Concordia (Monte Castello di Vibio, Italy)
2006:
CD Virtuosi italiani della chitarra romantica with music by N. Paganini, M. Giuliani, F. Carulli, L. Legnani (Gramy Records GR-070).
World premiere of Capriccio for guitar and piano (composer: Robert Gulya) at Teatro della Concordia (Italy) with Wanda Mazalin (piano).
Soundtrack for the feature film S.O.S. Love! (Hungary 2006; director: Tamás Sas, music: Robert Gulya).
2005:
Recital at Centro Asturiano (Madrid, Spain).
Recital for the Festival Long Night of Museums at Thürnthal Castle (Austria).
Recital at the Centre for Intercultural Encounter (Baden/Wien, Austria).
Dissertation Art music in figure skating, synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics; The American specialist journal Aquatic Artist wrote: “Johanna Beisteiner has made a major contribution to the performance field of synchronized swimming in her doctoral dissertation. ... This 449-page opus is ... an enormous undertaking.”(Article by Bert Hubbard; New Jersey, June 2006).
2004:
Soundtrack for the feature film Truce (USA 2004; director: Matthew Marconi, music: Robert Gulya).
CD Between present and past with music by A. Vivaldi, J. S. Bach and R. Gulya (Budapest Symphony Orchestra; conductors: Béla Drahos, Domonkos Héja; piano: Wanda Mazalin); Gramy Records GR-052.
World premiere of Requiem for guitar solo by Russian composer Eduard Shafransky at Saint Blasien Church (Paudorf, Austria).
Performance at the International Music Festival Mini festivál magyar est, Budapest.
2003:
Christmas concert at Teatro della Concordia (Italy). The Italian TV channel RAI broadcasted following commentary after the concert: “Great success at the Christmas concert of Johanna Beisteiner at the Teatro della Concordia in Monte Castello, a talent on the classical guitar who established among European artists.”
Recital at Heilig Kreuz Church (Berlin, Germany).
Recital at the House of Gerhart Hauptmann, Hiddensee island (Germany).
2002:
CD Salon with music by F. Schubert, C. M. v. Weber, F. Sor and A. Diabelli (Robert Gulya, piano); Gramy Records GR-036.
Debut in Russia (Dom Actyora,Yekaterinburg).
TV performance at Channel 4 (Russia).
2001:
CD Dance Fantasy with music by I. Albéniz, A. Piazzolla, F. Tárrega, R. Gulya and A. Barrios; Gramy Records GR-029.
Debut in Italy at Teatro della Concordia (Montecastello di Vibio) on the occasion of the opening of the theatre's restored historical stage curtain.
Debut in Germany on the occasion of a benefit concert in favour of Hohenschönhausen Castle in Berlin.
2000:
World premiere of Fairy Dance by Robert Gulya at Bernardi Hall Wr. Neustadt (Austria).
Performance at the concert cycle for modern music Új magyar müvek hangverseny ciklusa at Fészek Arts Club, Budapest. The concert was broadcasted by the Hungarian Radio Station Bartók Rádio.
Recital at Esterhazy Castle (Eisenstadt, Austria).
Father and son - masters in classical guitar making
Born in Madrid (Spain) in 1932, Paulino Bernabé received music lessons from Daniel Fortea, a pupil of the famous Spanish guitarist and composer Francisco Tárrega, before he learned the art of making classical guitars from José Ramirez. In 1969 he founded his own workshop and soon gained such a good reputation that he was awarded the Gold Medal at the International Crafts Exhibition in Munich in 1974. Since the early 1980s the master began to work together with his son Paulino, born in 1960, his best and most faithful pupil. Side by side they lead the construction of classical guitars into a new dimension: They have developed an individual strutting system for the interior of their instruments and choose very special woods: apart from spruce or cedar for the cover and jacaranda for the back and the rib, one can also find old maple, pear and camphor wood in Bernabé guitars. Through their very detailed work father and son give to their instruments a unique sound which is highly esteemed by many musicians: a colourful, sweet tone, with remarkable volume and excellent resonance.
