Soloists
In addition to working with renowned soloists, Sinfonietta Passau is also a springboard for young talents.
Pianist Fil Liotis
The Greek pianist Fil (Triantafyllos) Liotis has been hailed by the international press for his “musical poetry,” “fire in his fingers” as well as his “intense, powerful and completely captivating” performances. He studied at the Colleges of Music in Detmold and Karlsruhe and acquired his "Solistenexamen" degree with distinction. Fil Liotis regularly appears in major venues and international festivals, such as the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Kölner Philharmonie, the George Enescu Festival, the Heidelberger Frühling and the Isaac Albéniz Festival. As a soloist, he has performed with significant orchestras under acclaimed conductors, including the Stuttgart Philharmonic, the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, the Baden-Baden Philharmonic, the State Symphony Orchestras of Thessaloniki and Athens, Maestro Christoph Eschenbach and Maestro Justus Franz. He also gives numerous recitals, chamber music and Lied concerts across Europe and Asia. His performances are being regularly broadcasted on international radio and television, such as Medici.tv, DLF Kultur and SWR. Fil Liotis is a prizewinner of the 39th International Grand Prix Maria Callas and the 61st International Competition Maria Canals Barcelona (having also won the prize for the “best interpretation of a work by Albéniz”) and is recipient of an “ECHO Klassik” Award as well as the “Albéniz Medal.” His CD-recording “The Young Beethoven” (MDG label) was nominated for an “OPUS Klassik” Award in four categories. In the 2025/26 season, Fil Liotis will perform with the NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra under Maestro Christoph Eschenbach, give his debut recital at the "Le Piano Symphonique" festival in Lucerne and release his first solo-CD. Parallel to his internationally rising concert activity, he is also teaching his own piano class at the College of Music in Detmold. www.triantafyllosliotis.com
Cellist Lida Limmer
Lida Limmer was born in Stuttgart in May 2003. She received her first cello lessons at the age of seven from Gerhard Koschel in Passau. In 2016, she was accepted as a junior student at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz. She studied cello for five years with Andreas Pözlberger and graduated from the Musikgymnasium Linz in 2022. Since last year she is a student of Tobias Stosiek at the Oberschützen Institute of the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. Lida Limmer attended masterclasses with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Hannah Roberts and Maximilian Hornung. She has gained extensive orchestral experience with the Upper Austrian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Upper Austrian Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic's International Orchestra Institute Attergau and a baroque orchestra at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz. She has performed as a soloist with the Camerata Salzburg (J. Haydn Cello Concerto No. 1), the Passau University Orchestra (C. Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1), the University Orchestra of the Anton Bruckner Private University Linz and the Budafok Dohnanyi Orchestra (F. Gulda Cello Concerto). In 2019, she gave several performances with a chamber ensemble as part of the Passau Festival "Europäische Wochen". Lida Limmer is a multiple prizewinner: 3rd prize at the state competition ‘Jugend musiziert’ 2017, 1st prize at the International František Simandl Competition in the Czech Republic 2018 and 2nd prize at the national competition ‘Jugend musiziert’ 2019.
Saxophonist Jakob Matuschek
Jakob Matuschek was born in Passau in 1995 and began his musical education at the municipal music school in piano, saxophone and percussion. He completed his studies at the Professional Music College in Plattling in 2016 as a state-certified ensemble leader with a major in saxophone. Jakob Matuschek then continued his education at the Leopold Mozart Center of the Augsburg University, where he studied classical saxophone. Since 2020 he has been teaching saxophone and clarinet at the Musikwerkstatt Dorfner in Grafenau and at the Passau district music school. Matuschek has performed as a soloist with the Passau City Band and the Ulrichsbläsern Büchlberg, among others. He gained experience as an orchestral musician at the Landestheater Niederbayern, in the Passau Jazz Orchestra and with various brass bands in the region.
Mezzo-soprano Sarah Romberger
The young mezzo-soprano Sarah Romberger is repeatedly described in press reviews as a “discovery” or “rising star”. She completed her concert exam studies with Prof. Gerhild Romberger and Prof. Manuel Lange with distinction from the HfM Detmold. Her vocal range enables her to convince both as an alto in oratorios and as a lyric or coloratura mezzo-soprano in opera. She also creates various song recital programs with great passion and made her debut at the Vorarlberger Theater in Bregenz as Annio in Mozart's “La Clemenza di Tito”. In 2022, Sarah Romberger's first CD was released with Mozart's "C Minor Mass" with the WDR Rundfunkchor. She sang with the NDR Radiophilharmonie and the German Radiophilharmonie, among others, at concert halls. such as the KKL, the Alte Oper Frankfurt and the Cologne Philharmonic. She has worked with Pietari Inkinen, Andrew Manze and Cristoph Poppen. In the 23/24 season, Sarah Romberger will give recitals in the Cologne Philharmonic and the Heidelberg Spring Festival. She will also debut in “Elias” and the “B Minor Mass” as well as with Mahler’s “Des Knaben Wunderhorn” songs. www.sarahromberger.com
Flutist Philippe Bernold
Philippe Bernold is professor of chamber music and flute at the Conservatoire National de Paris. He studied flute, composition and conducting in Colmar, France. He received the 1st prize at the Paris Conservatory and at the age of 23 he was appointed principal flutist of the National Opera of Lyon. In 1987 he won the 1st prize at the Jean-Pierre Rampal international competition in Paris. He worked, among others, with M. Rostropovitch, R. Capuçon, G. Opitz, A. Tharaud, the Orchester de Paris, the Manchester Hallé Orchestra, the Tapiola Sinfonietta, the Orchester National de Lyon and the Tokyo and Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. He has performed under the baton of S. Bychkov, J. E. Gardiner, L. Maazel, K. Nagano, Sir Y. Menuhin, M. Inoué, T. Koopman and in concert halls, such as the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Pleyel Hall and the Chatelet Theater in Paris, the Cologne Philharmonic, the Warsaw Philharmonic and the Seoul Art Center. His first recording with the Paris Chamber Orchestra was awarded the "Grand Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros" in 1989. Since then, Philippe Bernold has made more than twenty recordings for Harmonia Mundi, EMI, and many more. www.philippebernold.com
Flutist Stathis Karapanos
Stathis Karapanos was born in Athens in 1996 and received his first flute lessons at the age of six. Karapanos studied at the Karlsruhe University of Music and graduated with distinction in 2018. He was the principal flutist of the Athens State Symphony Orchestra since 2017, but he gave up this position in 2018 in order to continue his studies at the Conservatoire de Paris. Prize winner: Leonard Bernstein Award 2020, LOTTO Prize of the Rheingau Music Festival 2019 and 1st prizes in international competitions. Performances as a soloist, among others: Cologne Chamber Orchestra, hr Symphony Orchestra, Munich Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, NCPA Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orhestra. Collaborations with: Christoph Eschenbach, Zubin Mehta, Yutaka Sado, Daniel Hope, Lang Lang, Vilde Frang, Matthias Goerne. www.stathiskarapanos.com
The soloists of the world premiere of "3 Abendländler" by C. Hirsch (2023)
Anna Obiol Fibla, clarinet master student, Anton Bruckner Privat University Linz
Peter Tavernaro, Oboe Professor, Anton Bruckner Privat University Linz
Norbert Girlinger, Flute Professor, Anton Bruckner Privat University Linz