Vijay Upadhyaya

Born in Klagenfurt, Veronika Schmid studied music pedagogy and recorder at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna with focus on conducting. Since October 2000, Veronika is conductor at the Vienna University Philharmonic. Since 2003, she is also working as freelancer for the music publishing company Universal Edition.

Barbara Hofko was born and raised in Upper Austria and studied music pedagogy and conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, at the Vienna University and at the Vienna Conservatory. Since then she conducted concerts at the Vienna Musikverein and across Europe, in Azerbaijan, Turkey and India and led several orchestra workshops.

Danutė Samytė-Ganahl studied choral and orchestra conducting at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and finished her studies 2013/14 in Vienna (with distinction in choral conducting). She is a music teacher at a Viennese private school sings as soprano in the Arnold Schoenberg Choir and is regularly performing as a piano accompanist.

Tamilla Sadigbayli, born in Azerbaijan, has studied Musicology in Baku Music Academy and is studying Orchestra Conducting and Opera Accompaniment at the University of Music and Performing Arts. She is the Choir Director of Schlosschor Hadersfeld and is regularly performing as a pianist, accompanist and conductor.

Georg Schenk, a native of Leipzig, Germany, began playing the piano at the age of five. When he was thirteen years old, Mr. Schenk began studying composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz while simultaneously attending school. Four years later, he transfered to the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna where he now studies conducting in addition to composition. As of January 2025, he is a choir conductor and assistant at the Vienna University Philharmonic.

Wolfgang Lüstenöder, born in Graz, studied art history at the Vienna University and is responsible for all concert and event management as well as public relations. Additionally to his profession, he is also singing in the Philharmonic Choir.

Karin Klier, born in Vienna, worked for the daily newspaper “Der Standard” and has been managing her own graphics studio since 1994. Since 2004 she is a member of the Women’s Symphonic Choir.
She is responsible for the graphic design of the Philharmonic.

Michael Weingartner, born in Vienna, studied economic computer science and holds experience as system administrator since 15 years. Since 2018 he is working as system administrator at the Vienna University Philharmonic.

Nicola Kraml, born in Vienna majored in American and German Studies at the University of Vienna and the University of Maryland, USA. Since 2013, she has been acting as Director of the University of Vienna’s Language Center and since 2019 also as Managing Director of the Innovationszentrum Universität Wien GmbH, a 100%-owned subsidiary of the University of Vienna in which also hosts the Vienna University Philharmony.