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2026
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23. - 25.10.
Theme: “In the Sign of Water”
Script: English Roundhand Calligraphy
Water is the primal source of our being – lively, sparkling, cooling, refreshing, calm, and stirred.
All of this will accompany us during this creative weekend on Lake Ossiach. With English Roundhand we immerse ourselves in the gentle rhythm of pressure and release, letting ourselves be inspired by the energy of this place. With sensitivity, we guide the pointed nib across the paper in the music room and allow words to flow from our hearts. Colors reflect the depths of our souls as we experiment with “dirty water” techniques and color gradients. Upon these backgrounds we write “what touches our hearts” and send it on a journey through the flow of life. Finally, we bind them into journals for collecting special moments.
Organizer: Handwriting – Brigitte Greisberger
Dates:
Friday, 23 October 2026 – start at 11:00
until
Sunday, 25 October 2026 – end at 16:00
The dates form a single unit and cannot be booked separately.
Venue: Stift Ossiach 1, 9570 Ossiach – Carinthia (barrier-free)
Participants: max. 15 people, beginners and advanced welcome
Course fee: € 320
plus materials fee: € 35
Materials: All materials will be provided by the course instructor for the duration of the workshop. A materials fee is charged per participant. Optional purchases for home use (nib holders, nibs, paper, colors) will be available during the workshop for an additional charge.
Please bring: short texts or poems; if available: watercolor or water-based paints (no need to buy specially)
For the soul:
historic setting – directly by the lake
mindfulness exercises
meditative and peaceful working atmosphere
breaks as needed
switching off – simply being
Registration: by email to brigitte@handschrift.co.at
including name, address, and phone number
Cancellation policy:
No fee until 25 September 2026
50% cancellation fee until 9 October 2026
After that date, the course fee cannot be refunded. -
31.10.
Composition Competition 2026 – VOCAL WORKS
Hardly anything is as magical as the moment of artistic inspiration. Therefore, it's best not to let it pass and to immediately put one's ideas onto paper.A joint project of the Carinthian Music Academy (CMA) and the Gustav Mahler Private University in Klagenfurt.
The Carinthian Music Academy (CMA) initiates an inspiring platform with the new composition competition, offering space for young and contemporary composers to create innovative works and further develop their musical signature. With this competition, we aim to enrich the diversity of the musical landscape and to specifically promote the creation of qualified specialist literature.The CMA Composition Competition is intended to be held annually, with each year focusing on a different genre or ensemble. This diversity not only supports the development of new artistic forms of expression but also strengthens the visibility and recognition of young composers on their path to the professional music world. By publicly performing the winning works, we bring these new compositions closer to a broad audience and promote a lively dialogue between artists and listeners.
For many years, the CMA has been passionately dedicated to supporting young musicians.
While the 2025 competition focused on Brass Band composition, the 2026 edition will continue the series with an emphasis on vocal and choral works.Aim of the Competition
The CMA Composition Competition is open to all composers who wish to create a work for choir or vocal ensemble. The aim is to promote innovative, original, and expressive compositions that contribute to the development of contemporary choral literature and inspire new impulses in the field of vocal music.Competition Details 2026
Theme: Vocal Works / Choral WorksRegistration: from March 2026
Submission deadline: from May until 31 October 2026 (latest)Jury evaluation: November 2026 to January 2027
Awards & Performance:
Artistic Openness & Innovation
Information on the awarding of the winning works and their public performance as part of a concert will be announced in due course.
The competition is conceived as an open platform for contemporary composition in the vocal and choral field. The stylistic range of submitted works is deliberately unrestricted. Diverse aesthetic approaches, individual artistic voices, and personal musical languages are expressly welcome.The innovative character of the composition is the central evaluation criterion. Innovation may manifest in various ways—for example in musical language, the treatment of text, sound, form, structure, or in the relationship between tradition and the present. What is essential is that an independent artistic approach is clearly recognisable and that something new is created.
Text Requirements
Submitted compositions must be based on and set to music a literary text.For this purpose, selected texts will be provided, chosen in cooperation with:
- the Robert-Musil-Institut für Literaturforschung / Carinthian Literature Archive
- the Department of Literary Studies at the Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt
- as well as contemporary authors from the Carinthian literary scene
Five different literary texts will be available for selection. The aim is to promote the musical setting of contemporary literature and to foster a vivid dialogue between music and text.
Provided Texts
For the 2026 competition, the following literary works are available in German (D), Slovenian (SLO), and English (E):- Bienen – Tara Meister (D)
- allegro / allegro – Tara Meister (D, E)
- Die jüngste Zeit / the youngest time – Verena Gotthardt (D, E)
- Horizont und Tellerrand / Rob krožnika in obzorde – Stefan Feinig (D, SLO)
- vater-bunker-unser / oče-bunker-naš / father-bunker-our – Dominik Srienc (D, SLO, E)
>> THE LITERATURE IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE <<
Artistic Approach to the Texts
The approach to the literary material is intentionally open and is understood as a process of artistic transformation:Selection of meaningful units:
The texts do not need to be set in full. Individual sections, meaningful units, or excerpts may be selected.Flexible use of text:
Single lines, phrases, or even individual words may serve as compositional material.One text per work:
Each composition must be based on only one of the provided texts.Binding use of the source material:
No additional or original texts may be added. All textual material must be taken exclusively from the selected literary source.Experimental approach:
A free and experimental engagement with the text is explicitly encouraged. The setting may be understood as an artistic adaptation – a transformation of literature into a musical medium.Formal freedom:
The original structure of the literary text (e.g. verse form, dramaturgy, layout) is not binding.
Composers are free to develop their own musical form and restructure the text accordingly.Source reference:
The selected text source must be clearly indicated in the submission (e.g. “Text: excerpt from …”).The complete original texts will be provided to all participants.
Formal Requirements for the CompositionInstrumentation:
A cappella choir, mixed choir (SSAATTBB) – maximum 8 voices
(Choral work; solo passages within the choir are permitted, but purely solo works are excluded)Duration:
approx. 5–6 minutesLanguage:
German, Slovenian, or EnglishLevel of difficulty:
semi-professional to professionalPerformance practice:
The composition must be performed a cappella.
Originality & PremiereOnly new works may be submitted.
The composition must not have been previously performed or published.
The awarded works will be premiered as part of the award ceremony.
Prize Money
Information on the prize money will be announced shortly.Participation Conditions
No participation fee: Entry to the competition is free of charge.
Target group: The competition is open to all composers, regardless of nationality or age.
Works per person: Each composer may submit only one work.
Originality: The work must be unpublished and must not have received an award in any other competition.
Anonymity: The score must not contain any indication of the composer’s identity.
Submission Materials
Score as PDF
Short work description as PDF
Audio file (demo recording or MIDI)
Fully completed online submission form
Submission Conditions:
The submitted work must be unpublished and independently developed. It must not have been previously published or awarded in any other competition. The anonymity of the submissions must be ensured; therefore, no hints of authorship should be visible either on the score or on the individual parts.Contact and Further Information
For further inquiries and information, the CMA team is available.
Contact person at CMA: Michael Mayer – michael.mayer@die-cma.at
Short Biographies of the Selected Authors
Tara Meister
Born in 1997 and raised in Carinthia, she is a physician and writer. She studied at the Medical University of Vienna, the German Literature Institute in Leipzig, and the Berlin University of the Arts. Her theatre debut fast Land premiered in 2023. In 2025, she was invited by Mara Delius to read at the Bachmann Competition in Klagenfurt. She was a fellow at the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin in autumn 2025 and at Künstlerdorf Schöppingen in spring 2026.Stefan Feinig
Born in 1987 in Klagenfurt/Celovec. He studied media studies, philosophy, English, and psychology. Feinig is a writer, translator, editor, philosopher, freelance journalist, and editor of the online magazine WARDA. He writes prose and essays in Slovenian and German and has received multiple awards. He lives and works in Vienna.Dominik Srienc
Born in 1984 in Ludmannsdorf/Bilčovs (Carinthia). He studied German philology and Slavic studies in Vienna and Olomouc. Srienc is a bilingual author, translator, and literary scholar at the Robert Musil Institute. In 2024, he received the “Kristal Vilenice” award at the 39th Vilenica Festival. He lives and works in Klagenfurt/Celovec.Verena Gotthardt
Born in 1996 in Klagenfurt. She studied fine arts/photography at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and spent a year studying in Paris. She is a Carinthian Slovene and writes in Slovenian and German. In 2021, she was invited by Mara Delius to present her text Die jüngste Zeit at the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize. -
3. - 5.11.
The MASTER CLASSES within the framework of the Carinthian Brass Autumn offer a unique opportunity to develop artistically and musically in an inspiring environment.
Participants are given the chance to engage intensively with their instrument over a defined period of time. Musical development and artistic inspiration are fostered through instruction with the renowned faculty Florian Klingler (Trumpet), Andreas Eitzinger (Trombone), and Johannes Hinterholzer (Horn).
In addition, the excellently equipped practice rooms provide ideal conditions for focused and creative work.
The Master Classes are aimed at students of music universities and conservatories, professional musicians, as well as ambitious amateur musicians who wish to prepare for a wide range of musical goals — whether entrance examinations, auditions, concert performances, competitions, or an individual program of their choice.
Lecturer: Johannes Hinterholzer – HORN
Johannes Hinterholzer was Principal Horn of the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg and has been Principal Horn of the Camerata Salzburg since 2012. He is Professor of Horn at the University of Music and Theatre Munich and performs internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician with renowned conductors and ensembles. His award-winning recordings, including Mozart’s and Haydn’s horn concertos, have received worldwide acclaim.
Target Group:Students at music universities and conservatories, music educators, and professional musicians.
Program:Free choice of repertoire from the solo and concert literature.
Advance submission of the program is requested.
Participants are required to bring their own sheet music.Welcome and scheduling meeting on Tuesday, 3 November 2026 at 12:30 PM.
Individual lesson times will be arranged on site with the instructor.Minimum number of participants: 5
Maximum number of participants: 8Course fee: €390.00
Accommodation and meals not included. -
3. - 5.11.
The MASTER CLASSES within the framework of the Carinthian Brass Autumn offer a unique opportunity to develop artistically and musically in an inspiring environment.
Participants are given the chance to engage intensively with their instrument over a defined period of time. Musical development and artistic inspiration are fostered through instruction with the renowned faculty Florian Klingler (Trumpet), Andreas Eitzinger (Trombone), and Johannes Hinterholzer (Horn).
In addition, the excellently equipped practice rooms provide ideal conditions for focused and creative work.
The Master Classes are aimed at students of music universities and conservatories, professional musicians, as well as ambitious amateur musicians who wish to prepare for a wide range of musical goals — whether entrance examinations, auditions, concert performances, competitions, or an individual program of their choice.
Lecturer: Florian Klingler – TRUMPET
Florian Klingler is Professor of Trumpet at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz. His international orchestral career began as Principal Trumpet of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in Hamburg, and since 2000 he has been a member of the Munich Philharmonic. In addition to his extensive orchestral work, he regularly performs as a soloist with renowned orchestras and is a highly sought-after pedagogue at master classes in Austria and abroad.
Target Group:Students at music universities and conservatories, music educators, and professional musicians.
Program:Free choice of repertoire from the solo and concert literature.
Advance submission of the program is requested.
Participants are required to bring their own sheet music.Welcome and scheduling meeting on Tuesday, 3 November 2026 at 12:30 PM.
Individual lesson times will be arranged on site with the instructor.Minimum number of participants: 5
Maximum number of participants: 8Course fee: €390.00
Accommodation and meals not included. -
7.11.
Experience an intensive and inspiring day with us, filled with Kundalini Yoga, meditation, relaxation, yogic wisdom, meaningful exchanges with like-minded people, mantra chanting, and a deeply restorative Gong Bath to conclude the day – all set within the beautiful surroundings of CMA Stift Ossiach.
Workshop on 7 November 2026
9:30 am to 8:00 pmFurther information: Yogic Living Retreats
(c) KK[/caption]