Three from the Vienna Philharmonic will teach at our Summer Academy

Are you one of the more than 90 millions of TV-viewers who celebrated the first day of January by enjoying the New Year's Concert with the Vienna Philharmonic? In June, three musicians from this renowned orchestra will coach students at our summer academy Opera by the fjord at Oseana south of Bergen.

The solo flautist Karl-Heinz Schütz was the first from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra who joined Opera by the Fjord back in 2022. He coached and played together with the students in the academy orchestra, and when the need of a substitute for the concert master occured, Schütz contacted his colleague Maxim Brilinsky, who left Vienna on short notice and led the orchestra in both concerts at Oseana.

The newest is the youngest
Maxim Brilinsky has repeated the success as concert master for Opera by the Fjord every summer since, and is now in 2025 visiting the summer academy for the forth time. Last year he was also joined by a close string colleague, 2. violinist Lucas Takeshi Stratmann, who also is the youngest in the coaching team at Oseana. In 2023, Stratmann was accepted as a member of the orchestra at the Wiener Staatsoper. This means he is not yet an official member of the Vienna Philharmonic, but is playing in this orchestra.

Golden line between Vienna and Western Norway
Since the very beginning in 2021 there has been a golden line between Western Norway and Vienna, which becomes stronger for every year: The conductors Sascha Goetzel from Austria and Eivind Gullberg Jensen (who has studied in Vienna) are both founders and artistic directors for the unique summer academy Opera by the Fjord.

33 student chairs in this year's orchestra
In addition to the three section leaders from Vienna, the 33 selected students in the academy orchestra will also get the opportunity to play together with top musicians from opera- og symphony orchestras from Nordic countries. Some of the Nordic coaches have been a part of the academy from the start in 2021, others are visiting Opera by the Fjord for the first time.

Application deadline: February 2nd
Are you an instrumentalist aged 18-35 years, please remember that the application deadline is on February 2nd 2025. Click on the link below for all details and practical information. And please also note that the application deadline for singers, conductors, repetiteurs, obo and clarinet players was December 8.

SUMMER ACADEMY 2025

Here is the list over this year's orchestra coaches, who also will work as section leaders. And even though the three from the Vienna Philharmonic now are based in Austria, it is worth mentioning that the 1st violinist Maxim Brilinsky has his roots from Lviv in Ukraine, and 2nd violinist Lucas Takeshi Stratmann grew up in New York City.

Orchestra coaches/section leaders 2025:
1st violin: Maxim Brilinsky, leader of the 1st violin section, Wiener Philharmoniker
2nd violin:  Lucas Takeshi Stratmann, principal 2nd violin, Wiener Staatsoper
Viola:  James Opie, co-principal viola, Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra in Stockholm
Cello:  Erik Wahlgren, solocellist, Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra in Stockholm
Double bass:  Patrick Wilder, co-principal double bass, The Norwegian Opera & Ballet
Woodwind:
Karl-Heinz Schütz, solo flute Wiener Philharmoniker
Audun Halvorsen, principal bassoon in the Danish National Symphony Orchestra (DR SymfoniOrkestret)
Brass:
Rune Brodahl, solo horn, The Norwegian Opera & Ballet
Timpani and percussion:  Manuel Hofstätter*, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

*Hofstätter is our guest musician, and not a coach at the academy

This article was updated January 2025

(Photo of Lucas Takeshi Stratmann: by photographer Shaleah Feinstein)