2023-11-04 08:00:00
“We are looking forward to our next talent in the series ‘Our association presents young musicians’,” emphasize pianist Midori Ortner and Gernot Nitsch from the Friends of Piano Art association. “Even in his early days, I was surprised by Alexander Vounelako’s musicality and interest in the piano. He had already dismantled the instrument before tuning it. When I asked him to play something following tuning the piano, he chose pieces that I would not expect from a child “would have,” Nitsch remembers with pleasure. And further: “Alex emphasized, ‘I like that, but I only play it at home for myself’ – and then he improvised once more. He had probably already forgotten I was there,” Nitsch smiles.
Classic program
The young pianist from Wolfsgraben has already experienced many big stages and feels at home in well-known concert halls. He is also very well received with improvisation and jazz fantasies in several formations. This time he will demonstrate his great skills with a classical program at the house concert in the Ortner-Nitsch house: Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Prokofieff are on the program. “I am looking forward to playing the Fourth Ballad by Chopin, the English Suite by Bach and the Second Sonata by both Beethoven and Prokofieff at my solo piano recital.”
Vounelakos was already heard in the region a few years ago in the Wolfsgraben parish hall at the Tullnerbach music association’s mixed set autumn concert and just a few weeks ago, together with singer Elena Schäfer, at the Kreatives Tullnerbach with jazz interludes.
Passion for jazz
At the age of three, young Alex moved with his family from Vienna to Wolfsgraben. His Greek father Antonis is known in the region as a guitarist in many performances, and he also teaches this instrument at the Bafep des Sacré Coeur. Mother Sabine is known as an enthusiastic flamenco dancer. The family has also performed as a trio, for example at the Purkersdorf stage.
At the age of six, Alexander began learning piano at the Oberes Wiental Music School (MSOW) in Pressbaum, first with Eva Maria Rainer and later with Klara Haselböck. “In terms of schooling, I am a Tullnerbach child; I attended elementary school here and completed my Matura at the Wienerwaldgymnasium,” he says. He discovered the jazz style at the age of 13, “that’s when the passion sparked,” says Vounelakos, who passed the piano entrance exam at the MDW Music University at the age of 17. After graduating from high school two years ago, he began majoring in piano in both classical and jazz fields. Here he also prepares for the IGP (instrumental and vocal pedagogy) teaching subject. Since autumn he has been studying classical music for piano at the Joseph Haydn Conservatory in Eisenstadt in order to further prepare for his solo career.
Solo evenings and orchestral performances
He describes combining different styles of music as artistically attractive; his classical preference is for Rachmaninoff concerts. “My teacher in Eisenstadt is also Russian,” he adds. His jazz idol is Chick Corea, through this exceptional musician he discovered his own love for jazz.
On solo evenings he likes the freedom of being able to “play the way I feel.” When playing with bands, he likes “the interaction, the musical conversation, so to speak”. And big bands and orchestras allow him “a great variety of sounds and sound virtuosity that can be conveyed as a team spirit.” Alexander Vounelakos is also very fond of music in his free time, and another hobby includes cooking, and he is also skilled in Greek cuisine.
The start of a great career seems to have been successful. Gernot Nitsch
“It’s great to have such an exceptional musician, who is at home in all genres, in our area. The beginning of a great career seems to have been a success and we wish him the very best for his musical journey,” says Gernot Nitsch, looking forward to hosting Vounelakos next Sunday.
Piano evening with Alexander Vounelakos, Sunday, November 5th, 6 p.m., Pressbaum, Johannes Brahmsgasse 1. Contribution 25 euros, students 10 euros, family ticket for parents and 2 children 30 euros, annual members and young people up to 18 free. Register in advance at 02233 53993 or 0677/612 390 95 or post@klavierkunst.at or www.klavierkunst.at.
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