About
I am a young and passionate violinist that studied with Prof. Boris Kuschnir, the teacher of Maria Duenas and from him I have learned to build the technical framework of playing the violin and to put everything I feel into the most beautiful sound. I believe that we play music to experience it in our hearts and to speak directly from one soul to another.
I studied with Prof. Barbara Doll in Basel from 2018-2021 and with Prof. Boris Kuschnir and Prof. Alexander Pavlovsky in Graz from 2021-2024. I have received Masterclasses from great musicians and teachers like Leonidas Kavakos, Steven Isserlis, Nora Chastain, Guy Braunstein and Carolin Widmann.
Teaching Style
I like to individualize my teaching style to fit every students needs and desires. I like to experiment to find the most easy and straightforward way to help a student to get exactly where they want to be with their skills. For that I will emphasize certain technical movements, but as I have never done any scales or Etudes myself, as they always bored me, I also like to teach even the fundamental basics through the pieces a student wants to learn.
Curriculum
I am teaching with the system that Prof. Boris Kuschnir (who had lessons with legendary David Oistrach himself) created in the past five decades of his life, that he used to teach me. I have written a pedagogical master thesis about his system and I encourage my interested students to read it.
Credentials & Affiliations
Johanna was born in 1999 in Muttenz, Switzerland, and discovered her passion for the violin
at the age of four. In her hometown, she gained recognition through solo performances with
numerous regional orchestras, including the Laufenthal Thierstein Orchestra, and achieved
outstanding success at the Swiss Youth Music Competition and the "Jugend musiziert"
competition, where she won first prizes and special awards.
Her musical career led her to significant performances as a soloist, chamber musician, and
concertmaster at renowned events and academies such as the International Chamber Music
Academy in Ochsenhausen, the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad (as concertmaster), the Festival
International de Musique in Colmar, the Moritzburg Festival Academy (as 2nd
concertmaster), and the Kronberg Academy, where she collaborated with artists like Kian
Soltani. Johanna also served as concertmaster in the university orchestra of her college and
the Leimentaler Orchestra. In the summer of 2019, Johanna was selected to perform
Schubert's Rondo in A for violin and orchestra at the Klassik Sommerfestival Ettal as a
soloist along with participants of the master classes.
Her musical development was shaped by participating in master classes with renowned
artists such as Leonidas Kavakos, Steven Isserlis, Nora Chastain, Guy Braunstein, and
Andreas Janke. She also received significant musical impulses during her lessons with
Carolin Widmann, Baiba Skride, Tobias Feldmann, and Ida Bieler.
Her exceptional musical interpretations earned her the 2nd prize and a special award for the
best interpretation of a work by E. Durlet at the International Violin Competition Emmanuel
Durlet in Belgium in November 2021. Other significant awards in her career include the 1st
prize in her category and the second main prize at the North International Music Competition
in June 2021, the 1st prize at the King's Peak International Music Competition in March
2021, the 1st prize at the SMPV Music Competition in November 2016 with Beethoven's
Violin Concerto, as well as first prizes at various ensemble competitions and regional
competitions in previous years.
From September 2018 to June 2021, she deepened her studies with Barbara Doll in Basel and
graduated with honors in her bachelor's degree. Since October 2021, Johanna has been
continuing her academic career at the University of the Arts Graz, where she is enrolled in
the class of Professor Boris Kuschnir as well as in the chamber music class of Professor
Alexander Pavlovsky from the Jerusalem Quartet to complete her master's degree.
Her recent performances include a contemporary presentation at the Belvedere 21 house in Vienna in August 2023, a chamber music concert with Schubert's Trout together with pianist Viktor Soos and cellist Hillel Zori in July 2023, an interpretation of Plainscapes by Peteris Vasks with cello and choir at MUMUTH Graz in June 2023, and a concert with Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto at a congress in Basel in March 2024.