Born in Tehran, took her first piano lessons at age of 9. The study of instrumental teaching she graduated with honors. Further Saghar studied professional concert piano at the J.M. Hauer Conservatory in Wiener Neustadt. At the Vienna Music University, she completed the second Instrumental part of the education studies. Also received a Bösendorfer Scholarship.
Numerous solo and chamber music performances in Austria and Europe.
She currently teaches at the Franz Schubert Regional-Musikschule in Pitten.
Christian BAKANIC – Accordion, Bandoneon
Austrian Accordion-player and composer, born in 1980 in southern Burgenland, took his first music lessons at the age of seven in Jennersdorf. Christian studied folk music at the Johann Joseph Fux Konservatorium in Graz, classical Accordion at the Music-University Graz with Prof. Janne Rättyä, Prof. James Crabb und Prof. Geir Draugsvoll and made himself a name as a Jazzmusician in Austria. His musical approach and his experiences mix up in a subtle kind in his compositions and connect the complex spontaneity of Jazz, the spirited passion of Tango Nuevo, the disciplined moment of classical music and the multi-layered traditions of european folk-music. Collaboration with different musicians and artists from varying genres like Wolfgang Muthspiel, Heinrich von Kalnein, Klaus Johns, Miguel Herz- Kestranek, Josef Pichler, Alex Deutsch, Markus Schirmer, Gwylim Simcock, Wolfgang Puschnig, Jon Sass, Wolfram Berger…
Jazzbassist and Composer Gina Schwarz studied Jazz-Bass and Accordion at the Conservatory Vienna and Bass (Popular Music) at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna (Mag.art), further studies at Berklee College of Music, Boston and in New York (Buster Williams, Cecil McBee, Dennis Irvin…) supported by the Austrian government since Oct 2011: Teaching Bass (Popular Music) at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna
Awards:
– Scholarship “BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC“, Boston, USA
– Berklee-Best-Award
– Winner of the MUSIC MAKER-Compositons-Contest, Jazz 2002
– Winner of the Austrian “Hans Koller Preis“ – Side(wo)man of the year, 2007
– “Best performances of the year“ in “All about Jazz – New York Best of 2007“ concert with “Bass Instinct“ Austrian Cultural Forum, N.Y.
Musical Collaboration amongst others with: George Garzone, Jim Black, Gerry Hemingway, Andy Middleton, Wolfgang Reisinger; Erwin Schrott, Jose Feliciano.
Alois OMIDVAR – Drums, Percussion
He was born in Waidhofen/Ybbs. He undertook his first musical steps at the local boy scout orchestra. After that he played in rock and jazz bands with youth and school friends. He studied jazz-drumming and percussion at the Conservatory of Vienna, and visited workshops and seminars for example with Peter Erskine, Jojo Mayer, Thomas Lang.
Since then he has worked as a musician and music teacher.
He teaches at the Franz Schubert Regional-Musikschule in Pitten and at the Musikschule Kirchberg/Wechsel.
Other current bands are:
Betty Blue (www.bettyblue.at)
CantoresDei (www.cantores-dei.at)
Also active in various jazz ensembles and dance music groups.
Florian Wilscher was and is touring with formations like the Duo Stringtango, Pierre Lunaire Ensemble Vienna, with Carlos Martin y su Caballeros, the Villa Lobos-Trio and Che Tango. This led him to concerts and festivals in Berlin, Belgrad, Odessa, Paris, Washington, and Havanna. In 2011 he was nominated fort he Latin Grammy Award together with the Villa Lobos Trio. The search for new sounds and possibilities of expression, the ungone ways inspires Florian in his musical work.
Loukia Agapiou was born in Nikosia ( Cyprus ). She was taught in classical guitar und singing at the greek music-academy and the european Music-conservatory in Nikosia.
In 1984 she received the first prize at the national competition for singing in Cyprus. In 1985 there was another junior music-competition in Cyprus, organized for the cultur program of UNESCO; where Loukia also received the first prize, and a scholarship for studying classical guitar at the LIST FERENCE AKADEMY in Budapest.
Following she studied at the Conservatory of Vienna and received diplomas for pedagogics and instrumental studies. Also there she studied classical singing. Since september 2016 Loukia is singing with Che Tango.