June Session at mdw Vienna
Between June 13th to 20th, 2026, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) hosted a week-long Musethica Session under the EU co-funded project “1000+ Concerts: Innovating Higher Music Education through Social Inclusion”. The session was coordinated by Bernhard Karl and Sebastian Harnacker of mdw, with tutor Avri Levitan (viola) guiding the participating Shiraz Quartet: violinists Yuval Nuri Shem-Tov and Carlota Combis Clara, violist Toke Hansenius, and cellist Lavinia Scarpelli.
Across the week, the quartet gave ten concerts in settings not typically reached by classical music, including nursing and retirement homes, a school for students with disabilities, a housing and community centre for refugees, a music school, and a women's centre supporting survivors of domestic abuse. In total, the concerts reached several hundred listeners of widely varying ages and backgrounds.
The programme paired core string quartet and quintet repertoire: Haydn's "Quintenquartett", Beethoven's op. 18 No. 6, and Mendelssohn's String Quintet No. 2; with more contemporary and personal additions: excerpts from Bartók's Duos for two violins, a movement from García Abril's "Cuarteto para el nuevo milenio”, a solo sonata by Paul Ben-Haim, and an original miniature written by ensemble member Yuval Nuri Shem-Tov.
Included in the week’s educational activities was the seminar “The Art of Practicing” led by Avri Levitan. Students from the Musikgymnasium Wien, the four members of the Shiraz Quartet, and students and academic staff from mdw actively participated in the seminar. The session offered valuable impulses on listening techniques, encouraging participants to reflect on how attentive, critical listening shapes musical understanding and performance quality. Particular attention was also given to the importance of taking breaks during study, with participants gaining a deeper understanding of how rest and pacing support concentration and contribute to more effective, sustainable practice habits.
The week came to a close with a public concert on June 20th at the “Wappensaal” of the “Wiener Rathaus”, where the ensemble presented the programme to the general public and city officials.
