Our doctoral students in front of the curtain
Giulio Biddau
Supervisor: Univ.Prof. Dr.phil. M.A. Klaus Aringer
Born in Cagliari in 1985, Giulio Biddau has long sought and found the combination of a concert career with musicological studies. He completed his piano studies at the Cagliari Conservatory, where he later became a professor and head of the keyboard department. He is currently on leave to study for a doctorate in musicology at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG). His research focuses on the reception of Domenico Scarlatti's sonatas in the 19th century.
In his artistic career as a pianist, he has devoted himself to both the modern piano and historical instruments. He has performed in such renowned venues as the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Palau de la Música Valencia and the Oriental Art Center Shanghai. He has also performed as a soloist with modern orchestras, such as the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, and with orchestras that play on historical instruments, such as Les Siècles.
He has won numerous piano competitions, including the "Concorso Casagrande" and the "José Iturbi", and was awarded a special prize by the Argentine Critics' Association in 2018.
His discography includes the complete recording of Gabriel Fauré's "Barcarolles" (Aparté) and Respighi's piano works (Evidence). Following the release of his album "Scarlatti to Scarlatti" (Aparté 2022), he took up doctoral studies. Since then, he has given public lectures at Columbia University, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and other academic institutions.
Daniela Brown
Playing with Resonance, A re-examination of the rich and complex tradition of the viola d'amore
Supervisor: Univ.Prof. Dr.phil. M.A. Klaus Aringer
Daniela Braun was born in Vienna and studied viola performance at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique in Paris and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She works as a freelance musician, primarily in the field of historical performance practice as a baroque violist, baroque violinist and viola d'amore player. As a viola d'amore soloist, she also performs with modern orchestras and ensembles. Daniela is a founding member of ensemble Paulus Barokk, a Norwegian-based ensemble specializing in the performance of old and new music on period instruments. In addition to rediscovering baroque and classical viola d'amore literature, she is also involved in contemporary viola d'amore literature and has already premiered several new works.
Ovidiu Marinel Koch-Tufiş
The absolutist policy of the Habsburgs in Transylvania (1688-1790)
Supervisor: Ao.Univ.-Prof.i.R. Dr.h.c.mult. Dr.phil. Harald Heppner
Born on June 8, 1960 in Oţelu Roşu, Caraş Severin County (Romania). From 1980 to 1984, he studied history and geography at the University of Suceava before becoming a secondary school professor for history, political education and geography as well as a head of class and school principal.
Moved to Austria in 2004 (Austrian citizenship in 2016). Pre-study course for German and diploma studies for history (including study achievements in Romania). Completion of the diploma program in 2012 and publication of the diploma thesis in the university publishing house: "Aspekte der Durchsetzung des Absolutismus in Siebenbürgen durch die Habsburgischen Monarchen (1688-1790). The financial and economic policy".
Since then, in addition to various professional activities, dissertation studies on "The absolutist policy of the Habsburgs in Transylvania (1688-1790). An example of regional absolutism", which builds on that of the diploma thesis.
Reinhild Lohan
Supervisor: Ao.Univ.-Prof.i.R. Mag. Dr.phil. Alois Kernbauer
Reinhild Lohan studied history and Scandinavian studies at the University of Greifswald and the Högskolan Väst in Trollhättan/Sweden for a Bachelor's degree and completed a Master's degree in history at the University of Graz. She was a research assistant at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, a project assistant at the University of Graz and received the Wiedemann Scholarship for Enlightenment Research at the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of the European Enlightenment at the University of Halle. As part of her doctoral studies, she is a member of the doctoral program "Sammeln, Ordnen und Vermitteln. Cultures of knowledge in the 18th century". She specializes in the history of medicine and science as well as the modern era.
Gernot Maget
Reflections of local historical realities and universal archetypes in regional legends
Supervisor: Ao.Univ.-Prof.i.R. Mag. Dr.phil. Alois Kernbauer
Based on the cultural-historical significance of fossils, an interest and intensive study of intellectual-historical continuities, intercultural dependencies and the diverse transformations and links between seemingly timeless myths and local historical events developed. The actual origin of fossils remained a mystery until well into the modern era. It was not until the second half of the 18th century, when people began to think in longer time periods based on geological questions, that their origin became clear.
Fossils have been an integral part of human cultures for thousands of years, they have been interpreted in different ways, contributed to the creation of legends and myths and are still commercially available as "dragon teeth" in some regions of the world.
Since studying biology and history at KFU Graz, I have been fascinated by the connection between historical events and constants in intellectual history that transcend epochs. This fascination lasted throughout my years as a research assistant at the university, then in the public sector, and continued during the two years I worked for a state-affiliated company.
Jasenko Mudri
The Serbs of the Habsburg Empire in Times of Transition (1700-1830)
Supervisor: Ao.Univ.-Prof.i.R. Dr.h.c.mult. Dr.phil. Harald Heppner
Born in ex-Yugoslavia and equipped with many language skills, Jasenko Mudri has gained a great deal of professional experience in many different jobs. Between 2009 and 2012, he completed his Bachelor's degree in History at the University of Graz, followed by a Master's degree between 2012 and 2014. Due to his background and language skills, he focused on the history of Southeast Europe. His dissertation topic corresponds not only to the history of the Serbs, who were divided between the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy and the Merchant Republic of Venice in the 18th century, but also to an era that in retrospect proves to be a key era for Europe's south-east.
Jarmila Paclova
Joseph Anton Steffan's unpublished piano sonatas (PhD)
Supervisor: Univ.Prof. Dr.phil. M.A. Klaus Aringer
Jarmila Paclová (Czech Republic) studied piano and flute at the Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava. After graduating in 2004, she decided to continue her studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz. She successfully completed her master's degree in IGP piano there in 2009. She continued her training with harpsichord and basso continuo at the Institute for Early Music and Performance Practice. During her studies, she also played the clavichord, fortepiano, organ and transverse flute. During the training phase, she gained further experience in many international master classes with renowned performers and teachers. In addition to the music courses, she took part in several music competitions, namely the Johann Heinrich Schmelzer Competition in Melk (2011), Prague Spring (2012) and the Martha Debelli Scholarship Competition (2010, 2012). She has attended numerous seminars and workshops and made recordings for ORF and Radio Helsinki. She graduated with honors in 2013.
In 2010, her publication Leoš Janáček. Portrait of the composer, aspects of his personality in his piano works. Fragment of the work: "Von der Straße 1. X. 1905" published by Dr. Müller in Saarbrücken. In 2013, she received the State Appreciation Award of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research in Vienna for her academic achievements and her scientific work entitled Historical Clavichords in Czech Collections. The following year, she presented the results of this study at the 16th International Conference on Baroque Music at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg.
She performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician in the Czech Republic and abroad. Her repertoire ranges from early music to contemporary music, which she enthusiastically presents together with other musicians in various projects. She has premiered several pieces by contemporary composers. In addition to her concert activities, she devotes herself intensively to teaching at the state music school B. Martinů in her hometown of Havířov, where she has been vice director since 2021. Since October 2018, she has been working on her dissertation in the Department of Historical Musicology at the University of Performing Arts Graz under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Klaus Aringer. First results presented at the annual conference of the ÖGMw 2021.