Alyona Pynyenyk is a violinist, enthusiastic about variety, collaboration, and synergy between human beings. She is particularly interested in the exchange interconnection among musicians, which she believes are fundamental resources of artistic and personal development.
Alyona was born in Ukraine, started her classical violin education in her hometown of Uzhgorod and continued at the Lviv M. Lysenko National Academy. In 2014 after completing it, she decided to move to Graz to continue her musical journey.
Currently she is in her second Master, in Performance Practice in Contemporary Music at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, under the supervision of the ensemble Klangforum Wien and also works as a substitute in the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra, plays with styrian improvisers orchestra, Ensemble NeuRaum and is performing in venues and festivals such as: impuls 12th International Ensemble and Composers Academy for Contemporary Music, Wien Modern Festival, Styriarte Graz, and open music – a series of contemporary music concerts in Graz, Austria. During this period she also co-founded an ensemble for contemporary music and performance, named “Coincidence”, based in Graz.
The Upper Austrian alto saxophonist Tanja Feichtmair has already made a name for herself in several Austrian as well as international formations (Lull, Müjazz, Feichtmair/Turner Duo, Trio Now, Trio with Gino Robair and Damon Smith, Quartet with Frank Gratkowksi, Peter Herbert and Christian Lillinger among others). For several years, her main interest was in solo work, which resulted in the acclaimed album Kaman Wasi, for which she also received a music arts promotion grant. Feichtmair's playing is characterized by her free approach to music, away from common conventions, and reflects both the developments of American-style free jazz playing and the reduced timbre aesthetics of European origin.