Grand start to Austrian ambassador's stint in Malta

Baritone Benno Schollum will be back in Malta in a few days' time to take part in a concert at the Manoel Theatre, in Valletta to mark the appointment of the resident Austrian Ambassador to Malta, Elizabeth Kehrer.

This is the first time since the late 18th century that Vienna has decided to have its representative accredited to Malta residing on the island.

The concert, on June 8, is presented by the Austrian Consulate in Malta with the collaboration of Malta International Airport and the support of the six Austrian banks represented on the island together with Air Malta and the Corinthia Group.

It will feature Austrian and Maltese artists performing alongside soprano Lydia Caruana.

Apart from a renowned Austrian repertoire, the tribute to Malta will include Charles Camilleri's Kanti Popolari with lyrics by Joe Friggieri.

The soloists will be accompanied by The Soloists of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, better known as the Aaron Quartet, with their own concert series in the Vienna Konzerthaus.

Ludwig Müller, violin, was born in Austria and studied at the Music Academy of Graz with Valery Gradow and in Vienna with Günter Pichler and Ernst Kovacic. In 1986 he was appointed concert master of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and in 1991 concert master of the Orquestra de Cadaquès in Spain.

He is the founder of Arcus Ensemble Vienna.

In 1998 he took over a violin class at the University of Music in Vienna and in the same year founded the Aron Quartet, which has been the quartet in residence of the International Schönberg Centre Vienna since.

Mro Müller gives regular master classes for violin and chamber music in Europe and Japan and works with the strings of Vienna Jeunesse Orchestra and the Spanish National Youth Orchestra.

Born in Brasov, Romania, and graduated at the music college of Cluj in 1984, Barna Kobori, also on violin, joined the Brasov Philharmonic Orchestra, worked for two years as assistant concert master, played with his orchestra as soloist and gave numerous violin recitals.

In 1986 he continued his studies at the Liszt Music Academy in Budapest and obtained a position as first violinist at the Hungarian State Orchestra.

In 1987 he began studying with Günter Pichler at the Music Academy in Vienna and became concert master of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra with whom he also played as a soloist. Since 1998, Mro Kobori has been an associate of the Royal College in London and was one of the founder members of Aron Quartet Vienna.

Georg Haman, viola, was born in Vienna and studied violin with Klaus Maetzl and viola with Hatto Beyerle at the University of Music in Vienna where he completed his studies with a laudatory award of the Ministry of Education and Science.

He was the first solo viola player of Vienna Chamber Orchestra and taught at the Musikhochschule Hannover for many years. Currently, he is professor of chamber music at the University of Music in Vienna and gives regular master classes in Austria and Japan.

For a decade he was a member of Arcus Ensemble Vienna and is a founder member of Aron Quartet Vienna.

Cellist Michael Williams was born in France 1966 and grew up in Australia where he received his diploma in 1987. He then moved to Europe to continue his studies in Vienna with Tobias Kühne and in Basel with Antonio Meneses and Reinhard Latzko with whom he completed a postgraduate diploma. Additionally, he studied privately and had master classes with William Pleeth, Andre Navarra, Paul Tortelier and Heinrich Schiff.

After completing his studies, he played as principal cellist of the renowned Australian Chamber Orchestra. In 1995 he returned to Vienna and took the post of solo cellist with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra.

He is a member of the ensemble Amarcord Wien and Ensemble Wien-Tokyo.

The programme will feature Stefan Paryla Raky as narrator and Viennese counter guitar, Russel Ryan at the pianoforte and a guest appearance by soprano Gabrielle Kridl.

Booking is open at the Manoel Theatre.