Viktoria Elisabeth Kaunzner

Viktoria Elisabeth Kaunzner is an internationally acclaimed solo violinist, composer, and professor whose artistry unites virtuosity, profound expressive depth, and an exceptional pedagogical vocation. Described by Ivry Gitlis as an artist “of the very highest rank,” she captivates audiences with a musical presence that speaks equally to the senses and to the soul. Her playing, praised as early as 1998 by Yehudi Menuhin as “brilliant,” is distinguished by a singular tone—described by the German press as “liquid gold”—and by an interpretative freedom that international critics place at the highest level. Her compositions, published by Universal Edition in Vienna and described as “wonderful” by The Strad (London), extend and renew the legacy of figures such as Ysaÿe and Paganini. She has appeared as a soloist on the world’s most prestigious stages—including the Salle Pleyel in Paris, the Seoul Arts Center, and the Teatro alla Scala in Milan—and in more than twenty-two countries across five continents, developing a personal artistic language she defines as “futuristic naturalism,” nourished by improvisation, synesthesia, and intercultural dialogue.

Alongside her international career, Viktoria Elisabeth Kaunzner is distinguished by a rare and deeply inspiring pedagogical talent. From 2010 to 2018, she was the youngest professor at the German School of Music / Kangnam University in South Korea, an affiliate of the Hochschule für Musik “Franz Liszt” in Weimar. Her teaching, unanimously recognized, is characterized by an exceptional ability to reveal and develop the individual artistic potential of her students—children, adolescents, elite young talents, and professional musicians pursuing advanced training. Combining technical rigor, musical imagination, and human sensitivity, she conveys a holistic approach to music in which instrumental mastery, expressive freedom, and improvisation form fundamental pillars. Her pedagogical work emphasizes the development of an authentic artistic voice, creative confidence, and the living transmission of music across generations and cultures. Her expertise is regularly sought by leading institutions such as the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, The Juilliard School in New York, and the Zurich University of the Arts, particularly for her work with exceptionally gifted young musicians.

A Stradivarius Artist, she is equally committed to the great repertoire, the most refined chamber music, and contemporary creation. In 2021, marking her thirtieth anniversary on stage, she performed in Valencia the Violin Concerto Roman Fleuve by Violeta Dinescu, a work dedicated to her. As founder of the international ensemble UKOREVV – Universal Korean Organic Ensemble – Viktoria & Virtuosi, she initiates innovative projects bringing together outstanding young musicians from different continents. The concert format EurAsian Flow, supported among others by the German Music Council and the Korea Foundation, has been presented in major venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Munich’s Herkulessaal, and Hamburg’s Laeiszhalle, as well as in Sydney, Seoul, New York, Vienna, and Zurich, and includes educational projects for children and adolescents.

Her catalogue comprises around fifty works for solo instruments, chamber music, musical theatre, and orchestra, and her discography—five CDs acclaimed by the American Record Guide among the finest worldwide—reflects a musical experience that is deeply lived and generously shared. Today, Viktoria Elisabeth Kaunzner continues her work as a composer with the creation of a new violin concerto, driven by an undiminished passion for music and by the conviction that art and teaching, when united at such a level of excellence and generosity, can profoundly and lastingly transform individuals and societies.

“Virtuosity, richness of ideas, and improvisational freedom unite in her interpretation to form a deeply personal expression.” (Fono Forum)

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