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.).
Johanna Beisteiner is an internationally renowned guitar soloist and is estimated for both the virtuosic mastery of the classical repertoire as well as her artistic versatility and creativity. The Hungarian composer Robert Gulya dedicated to her several 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 the Tango video clip The Milonguero and the Muse emerged, in which the guitarist acts as a dancer, too. Moreover, Johanna Beisteiner occupies herself thoroughly with the Russian culture and interprets works by the composer Eduard Shafransky from Yekaterinburg. In addition to her numerous recordings for GRAMY Records, she also appeared in television and radio productions for RAI 3 (Italy), Channel 4 (Russia) and Bartok Radio (Hungary) and recorded soundtracks for movies: Truce (USA 2005) and S.O.S. Love! (HUN 2006). Johanna Beisteiner plays on a classical Spanish concert guitar made by Paulino Bernabé.
In 2008 Johanna Beisteiner received the crystal trophy 200 Years Teatro della Concordia (Italy). In 2011 she was awarded Honorary Membership in the Association Hohenschönhausen Castle in Berlin.
Crystal Trophy 200 Years Teatro della Concordia
Certificate of the Honorary Membership at the Association Hohenschönhausen Castle
Tagil Tray (present of Theatre Council of Russian Federation, 2009)
Media reports (selection):
Figure skating and music - Concert guitarist wrote a dissertation on this topic (Berliner Abendblatt, 07.05.2011)
Johanna Beisteiner gave a guitar concert of highest quality (Kultur passiert, journal of the Association Gasteiner Kulturkreis, 05/2011)
Guitarist and dancer – The Austrian artist Johanna Beisteiner reveals her perspective (Bezirksblätter Niederösterreich, No. 21, 25.05.2011)
The Austrian guitarist Johanna Beisteiner live at the world's smallest theatre (Umbria-Journal, 08/2010)
The guitar makes people more human (Festival chronicle of the Theatre Council of Russian Federation , 05/2009)
200 Year Jubilee of Teatro della Concordia (Italy, 2008)
Program of the 200 Year jubilee of Teatro della Concordia (Italy, 2008)
Austrian Day in Ekaterinburg (Russia, 10/2007, Report of the Honorary Consulate of Austria)
Viennese Ball at the Austrian Day in Ekaterinburg (Journal Nakanune, Russia, 10/2007)
Johanna Beisteiner has made a major contribution to the performance field of synchronized swimming in her doctoral dissertation. (Article by Bert Hubbard, special journal Aquatic Artist, International Academy of Aquatic Art, New Jersey, June 2006)
Dissertation: Art music in figure skating, synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics (2005, Österreichischer Bibliothekenverbund)
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 until shortly before his death in 2007 the master worked together with his son Paulino, born in 1960. The two guitar makers 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 they give to their instruments a unique sound which is highly esteemed by many musicians: a colourful, sweet tone, with remarkable volume and excellent resonance.
Homepage Paulino Bernabé
