About Us – Vocalodie

Vocalodie is an up-and-coming vocal ensemble that is passionate about a cappella music. The ensemble delights its audiences with a wide range of genres and styles from the Renaissance to the modern era, as well as with innovative and inclusive concert experiences. The singers always strive for musical authenticity and professionalism, as well as a holistic approach to their work. Vocalodie, consisting of Clara Hamberger, Maria Zehetgruber, Alexandra Ranner, Sophia Loos, Gerwin Reder, Markus Schiendorfer, Patrick Jasiczek and Felix Knaller, is based in Vienna and is highly motivated for upcoming, exciting projects.

The ensemble was founded in 2017 during the sixth form at the Musikgymnasium Wien. From the very beginning, there was a desire to try out all directions of vocal music. At the same time, the ensemble not only experimented on a musical level, but also laid an innovative foundation for working together; from the very first moment, a strong community orientation and the principles of grassroots democratic decisions and actions were established.

In the following years, Vocalodie performed summer concerts, Christmas concerts and was invited as a guest ensemble on AIDA cruises. The ensemble cooperated with international companies for team-building workshops and defied the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic by launching its online project Summertime Madness. The group performed at various events and festivals and was able to spread the joy of making music together during social distancing. The following years were characterized by extensive Christmas tours through Austria, inspiring musical collaborations, workshops at Voces8, among others, and the constant (further) development of new concepts and working methods.

Vocalodie pursues the goal of inviting its audience to holistic musical experiences and at the same time constantly expanding its own horizons. The ensemble attaches great importance to equal communication during rehearsals, giving the individual singers the space to express themselves freely in their musical creativity. This results in lively and varied development processes that characterize the broad repertoire and performance of Vocalodie. In this way, the group comes together to form a collective unit that is characterized by human authenticity and a rich ensemble sound.

The ensemble is looking forward to making music in your area soon and immersing yourself in a shared sound experience.

Clara Hamberger

Soprano

Clara was born in Linz and has been passionate about music from an early age. Initially it was instrumental music with violin, piano and guitar, and above all making music together in an orchestra. She discovered her love of singing especially ensemble singing during her studies in Vienna.

After a year abroad in Italy, she began her teacher training in music education and Italian. She later added instrumental music education with guitar and singing as her main subjects.

Since May 2022, Clara has also been able to live out her passion for music at Purkersdorf Grammar School. There she teaches music and sings and makes music with the children in the school choir.

Maria Zehetgruber

Soprano

Maria comes from Lower Austria, where her interest in music began with instrumental lessons on the flute. Later she attended the musical branch at Melk Abbey Grammar School and learned to play the piano there.

Maria’s great passion is and always has been choral singing. Since primary school until today she has always been part of a choir. Today she sings in 4-5 choirs, including Landesjugendchor NÖ, Coro Siamo and the Vienna Singakademie. In addition, Maria constantly takes part in all kinds of music and choir projects, for example the Austrian National Youth Choir, Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9” in the Vienna Konzerthaus or the musical “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” in the Ronacher Theatre.

Maria loves to sing traditional pieces from different nations, but also especially pieces from the Romantic and Classical periods. She is particularly enthusiastic about the composers Francis Poulenc, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy & Eric Whitacre.

Alexandra Ranner

Alto

Alex was born in Upper Austria, but lives in Vienna since the beginning of her studies. She has been enthusiastic about the arts since she was a child, which was encouraged through lessons in music, acting and dance.

Through the musical branch of the BRG Hamerling in Linz, she found her love for choral singing. This results in participation in various choirs, including those under the direction of Alexander Koller, Benjamin Lack, Oliver Stech and Florian Maierl. In addition, she expands her vocal skills in different styles of music through lessons in classical music and musicals.

Through project work such as the Austrian National Youth Choir or at the International Summer Academy for Theater Graz, she always receives new artistic input, which she can bring to the rehearsals of Vocalodie. Her musical preferences can be described as diverse, so you can find works from Jonathan Larson to Heinrich Schütz to Claudio Monteverdi.

Sophia Loos

Alto

Sophia, a passionate singer since childhood, discovered her love of small-scale vocal music in high school and won the second national prize at “Jugend musiziert” with her quartet. In addition to piano lessons, she also began voice training at a young age.

Her love of music led her to Vienna in 2020, where she was taught classical singing by Elisabeth Berry-Flechl as part of her school music studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. She has already performed on Vienna’s major stages in various choirs under renowned conductors.

It is very important to her to pass on her passion. She has already taught singing and piano at a music school in Ecuador and is now also involved in conducting a choir. Her love of traveling and her interest in other countries and cultures enrich her life and influence her musical perspectives. In addition to romantic vocal works and works by Bela Bartok, she is particularly fascinated by Latin American rhythms, especially salsa.

Gerwin Reder

Tenor

Gerwin lives in Lower Austria and often seeks out the mountains as a source of relaxation and inspiration. His sunny, dreamy music room and the music school in his hometown have offered him artistic development opportunities since early childhood, first via the violin, then later with singing, acting and some world instruments.

In the music high school in Vienna he develops the enthusiasm for vocal music, in particular solo ensemble and early music. Susanne Amberg Schneeweis and Johannes Geppert constantly accompany his vocal training and master classes with Emma Kirkby, Voces8 and Johannes Prinz, among others, continually broaden his musical horizons.

He is currently studying vocal pedagogy and music education as well as inclusive pedagogy in Vienna and is looking forward to performing regularly with Vocalodie, Momentum Vocal Music and the Company of Music.

Markus Schiendorfer

Tenor

Born in Bad Ischl, Markus skilfully balances his life between his place of study in Vienna and his “favourite places” in the Salzkammergut. After secondary school, he was drawn to the music high school in Linz, where he not only developed instrumental music, but also discovered and explored his love for vocal and choral music.

Numerous projects and concerts as well as trips bring him together with exciting personalities, well-known conductors and extraordinary musicians at home and abroad. In the field of vocal music he can fall back on experiences with Wolfgang Mayerhofer, Stefan Kaltenböck, Katharina Wincor, Markus Poschner and others, from which he knows how to bring a lot into the work of Vocalodie.

Markus’ musical roots lie in the inner Salzkammergut, from where he loves to try out all genres and musical possibilities. His current favorites are to lose himself in Richard Strauss operas, Miles Davis records and the wonderful vocal music of William Byrd.

Patrick Jasiczek

Bass

Patrick was born and raised in Vienna, starting violin lessons at the age of five at the music school in Döbling. At the age of 13, Patrick transferred to the music high school in Vienna, where he discovered his passion for choral singing.

After graduating from the Matura, Patrick took up the violin and devoted himself completely to his vocal training at the Conservatory for Church Music in Vienna. When Patrick joined Vocalodie in 2019, he sang with the group at Christmas concerts in Vienna and the surrounding area, among others.

Furthermore, his affinity for computers lends itself well, so Patrick has taken over the editing of the videos. Patrick’s favourite pieces include works by Heinrich Schütz and Eric Whitacre.

Felix Knaller

Bass

As befits a “true Carinthian”, Felix has been singing and making music for as long as he can remember. As a singer, he gained a lot of experience early on in a wide variety of settings, from large choirs to solo ensembles. Concert and competition trips have taken him to Stuttgart, Krakow and Tokyo.

He has been able to express his enthusiasm for singing especially recently in small ensembles or as a soloist and at the same time in his studies of vocal pedagogy. In several productions of the Neue Oper Wien (Vienna, Bregenz, Bolzano) and also as a soloist, for example in Der Auszug aus Ägypten (UA), he has also made the stages scenically insecure.

In addition, his heart beats especially for the organ, which has accompanied him since he was 8 years old. He is currently studying not only vocal pedagogy but also organ instrumental pedagogy.