Leonhard Baumgartner

© Andrej Grilc

Leonhard Baumgartner

Leonhard Baumgartner was born in Austria in 2007. His studies began in 2019 at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG) under Regina Brandstätter and intensified from 2022 at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) with Dora Schwarzberg. Additionally, he has studied with Ingolf Turban as a pre-college student at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich (HMTM). He is currently attending the 11th grade at the Music High School in Vienna.

Masterclasses have taken him to esteemed musicians such as Ana Chumachenco, David Frühwirth, Yair Kless, Paul Roczek, Kirill Troussov, and Pavel Vernikov. He is a scholarship holder at the Music Academy Liechtenstein and regularly participates in their intensive weeks and activities.

Leonhard has won numerous national and international competitions, including the first prize at the prestigious "Zhuhai International Mozart Competition," the "Discovery Award" at the "International Classical Music Awards – ICMA 2023," the "London Young Musician – Violinist of the Year 2023 Award," and the second prize at "Il Piccolo Violino Magico 2021." Since 2014, he has consistently achieved first prizes with distinction at "Prima la Musica," won the ESTA Special Prize in 2018, was the 2022 national and federal winner with the highest score, and received the "Manfred Grommek Special Prize" from the Kronberg Academy, the "Carl Flesch Prize" at the Carl Flesch Academy in 2023, as well as the "Zoltan Kodaly Prize" at the ISA mdw in 2023.

Leonhard has performed frequently as a soloist, collaborating with orchestras such as the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, NFM Philharmonic Wroclaw, Philharmonie Baden-Baden, Sinfonieorchester Liechtenstein, Tirol Chamber Orchestra, and Ensemble Esperanza.

He regularly receives invitations to international festivals and concert series.

In December 2023, the CD Kreislers Erben will be released by Gramola, featuring Leonhard alongside Benjamin Schmid and Christian Altenburger.

Leonhard plays a significant violin made by J.B. Vuillaume, Paris 1854, generously on loan from a member of the Stretton Society.