Dominik Wagner aims to liberate his instrument from its existence in the shadow of the cello and present new facets of the double bass. He succeeds not only with an engaging stage presence, impressive virtuosity, vocal and melodic delivery, but also through his tireless efforts to expand the repertoire, whether through new commissions or arrangements.

Born in 1997 in Vienna, Wagner is a scholarship recipient of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation and prize winner of the ECHO Klassik and Opus Klassik awards. He has also won prizes at almost all double bass competitions, including the Bradetich Foundation International Double Bass Solo Competition, the ARD International Music Competition, the International Markneukirchen Competition, the International J.M. Sperger Competition, the International Osaka Competition and the Eurovision Young Musicians Competition.

As a soloist Dominik Wagner has performed with renowned orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the WDR Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, and the Camarata Salzburg in concert halls in Berlin (Konzerthaus and Philharmonie), Vienna (Musikverein and Konzerthaus), Munich (Herkulessaal and Gasteig), Hamburg (Elbphilharmonie), and New York (Carnegie Hall), among others. He is associated with the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra as a WKO Young Artist.

Born in Havana, Cuba. He began his musical studies at a very early age, beginning his studies in the 1980s and graduating as Superior Double Bass at the ISA (Universidad de las Artes de la Habana) in 1994. That same year he was invited by the Conservatori Professional de Música of Vila-seca, in Catalonia (Spain), to join the string department as a double bass teacher, an activity he continues today.

Interested in different musical styles and always accompanied by his instrument, Luis Cojal was a member of the prestigious contemporary music group BARCELONA 216 for more than 10 years, with which he toured Europe on several concert tours. Nowadays his professional activity goes beyond the Conservatory, as he is invited by different classical orchestras to be part of them, he regularly participates in festivals as a double bass player, and he gives master classes in specialised centers (Paris, Prague, Boulder-Colorado, etc.).

Elisabeth Büttner was a student of Claus Freudenstein and studied with Prof. Mathias Weber and Nina Valcheva in Stuttgart. She completed her university education at the ZHdK Zurich with Prof. Duncan McTier with a Master of Arts in Music Performance (Orchestra) and a Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy, which she completed in 2017 with distinction.

As a musician, in addition to the modern orchestral repertoire, she lives her passion for chamber music and historical performance practice. As part of the Ensemble Academy of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and master classes in Stuttgart, she researched the use of gut strings with Love Persson. In Zurich she studied the violin with David Sinclair.

Elisabeth Forster began her pedagogical training in Stuttgart with Song Choi, where she was employed as a tutor for double bass at the Stuttgart Music Academy. In Zurich, she supplemented her pedagogical training under the didactic supervision of Andreas Cincera. She has been teaching double bass since August 2014 and ear training since 2016 as part of the Canton of Thurgau’s gifted education program at the music school in Weinfelden (TG).

As a freelance double bass player, Elisabeth Forster performs regularly with Swiss orchestras and ensembles such as: Musikkollegium Winterthur, Camerata Bern, Swiss Orchestra, Bern Chamber Orchestra, Citylights Orchestra, Ensemble le buisson prospérant (Zurich/Bern), Accademia Barocca Lucernensis and the Chamber Orchestra i tempi (Basel).

Thomas Hille was born in Deggendorf, Germany, in 1990. He was introduced to the world of music early on, and he began playing the piano at the age of five. In 2006, he discovered the double bass and, after just one year with the instrument, became a member of the Bavarian Youth Orchestra. At the time, he was attending the Hochschule für Musik und Theater (University of Music and Performing Arts) in Munich, where he had double bass lessons with Prof. Klaus Trumpf.

In 2009, he began studying under the tutelage of Prof. Dorin Marc in Nürnberg. Around the same time, he became a member of the Young German Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2012, Hille was runner-up at the Johann Matthias Sperger Double Bass Competition, where he also won the audience award and the award for the best interpretation of a Sperger sonata. 2014 saw him receive the Culture Award from his hometown. Hille has had solo concerts with renowned orchestras such as the Symphony Orchestra in Nuremberg, the Neue Lausitzer Philharmonie, and the Rheinische Philharmonie in Koblenz.

He graduated from the Nuremberg conservatory with honors and has had master classes with Božo Paradžik, Catalin Rotaru, and Yasunori Kawahara. Since 2013, Hille has performed in the Orchestra Academy and also as a member of the double bass section of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also performed concerts for the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the WDR Symphony Orchestra, and the Munich Symphonic Orchestra.

In 2016, he became the principal bass player at the Gärtnerplatz State Theatre in Munich. Since Summer 2016, he has gained experience with modern takes on chamber music as a member of the Bassmonsters.

Thomas Hartmann began his studies at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich in 1986 with Benedikt Koehlen (main subject piano) and Elmar Schloter (additional subject organ) and graduated in 1990 with the music maturity examination. This was followed by master classes with Jürgen Uhde, Ferenc Rhados (piano) and Christian Rieger (harpsichord), among others.

In 2000 he was awarded the Carl Orff Medal by Liselotte Orff.

As a chamber music pianist in various ensembles (Ensemble Amphion), as a sought-after duo partner and song accompanist, he is always an empathetic and stimulating musician.

In recent years he has been increasingly involved in the performance practice of “early music” and playing historical instruments (harpsichord, clavichord).

In the field of solo piano, he feels particularly committed to modern jazz-inspired classics and contemporary music (collaboration with Ambitus – group for new music).

In addition to his work as a pianist, he also performs as an organist as a soloist and in chamber music ensembles.

​A large number of “Jugend-musiziert” award winners, professional musicians and passionate amateur musicians resulted from his pedagogical work as a piano teacher at the music school in Traunreut and as a private teacher.

​His comprehensive compositional oeuvre ranges from symphonic works (solo concerts), various chamber music ensembles (from duo to decetto) to jazz band compositions and music theater productions.

His works are now performed at well-known festivals such as the Chiemgau Music Spring, the Traunstein Summer Concerts, the Upper Bavarian Culture Days and the Regensburg Jazz Weekend.