DUELLO AMOROSO
Italian Baroque Cantatas about Love and Passion
SA 6. Sep. 2025 | 16:30-17:30
Inner Courtyard of the Servite Church
(in case of rain at Sommerchor)
In the Baroque era, love is not a peaceful feeling but rather a duel, a confrontation of
opposing passions, tenderness and suspicion, ardor and betrayal.
Inspired by the figure of Artemisia Gentileschi, an artist who managed to emerge, imposing her art and defending with all her might her own vision of love and life, Artemisia Ensemble offers a musical journey into the meanderings of the human soul
and the force that turns the world around, love.
Between the shadow of suspicion evoked by Vivaldi, the burning fire of Scarlatti, the passionate heart palps of Handel and the seductive cruelty of Hasse's Fille, each piece tells about a different shade of the human heart and how love can be lived.
Thus, in this journey through light and shadow, the characters told by the music of these composers come to life almost as if they had been painted by Artemisia herself.
FR 6. Sep. 2024 | 16:30-17:30
Inner Courtyard of the Servite Church (in case of rain at Sommerchor)
Ensemble Artemisia
Formed in March 2025, Ensemble Artemisia is a dynamic international collective of early music specialists united by a shared passion for historically informed performance.
Inspired by the bold vision and expressive intensity of Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653), a pioneer of Baroque painting and a symbol of creative independence in a male-dominated world.
The ensemble brings a distinctively poetic and powerful voice to 17th- and 18th-century repertoire. Each cantata is thoughtfully curated to reflect Gentileschi’s artistic world—rich in emotion, dramatic in contrast, and deeply human.
The ensemble's members, all accomplished soloists and chamber musicians, bring together a diversity of cultural and educational backgrounds. Based in Vienna, they are active across Europe as performers and prizewinners.
Catalina Paz – Soprano
Born in Chile and raised in Spain, Catalina Paz is a versatile lyric coloratura soprano renowned for her expressive stage presence and vocal agility. She graduated with honors from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW) and is currently completing her Master’s degree in Early Music at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK) under the mentorship of Roberta Invernizzi.
A prizewinner at numerous international competitions, Catalina has been a member of the Donau Philharmonie’s soloist ensemble since 2016. Following her solo debut at the Palau de la Música de Valencia, she has performed at renowned venues and festivals including Teatro de la Maestranza, MuTh, Hohenloher Festspiele, Arena Gärten der Welt, Stift Melk, and Neue Oper Wien. Her repertoire spans opera, operetta, sacred music, and Baroque works, showcasing both her stylistic versatility and musical depth.
Rebecca Taio – Traverso
An Italian flutist equally fluent in both modern and historical performance, Rebecca Taio studied with Raffaele Trevisani, Andrea Oliva, Patrick Gallois and Sir James Gaklway. She is a laureate of numerous competitions, including the “S. Zampetti” International Flute Competition. She has performed across Europe as a soloist and chamber musician, and released two albums (Undine, 2022; Alter Ego, 2023) with the famous label Brilliant Classics. Rebecca graduated also in cello in 2020, and is now specializing in Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical flutes.
Viktória Menyhárt – Baroque Cello
Hungarian cellist Viktória Menyhárt began her studies at the Bartók Béla Music
School and later studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG), where she is currently pursuing a master’s degree in cello performance. She began historical cello studies at the MUK in autumn 2024 with Jörg Zwicker.
Viktória is an active chamber and orchestral musician, performing with ensembles and orchestras such as the Vicali Piano Trio and the Grazer Philharmoniker. She regularly appears in early music festivals, including Resonanzen at the Wiener Konzerthaus.
Hongyi Sophia Cai – Harpsichord
Born in China and raised in Australia, she studied piano and chamber music at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees before continuing her training in Germany and Austria. She is currently completing her master’s degree in Fortepiano and studying Historical Keyboard Instruments at theMUK with Nicholas Parle and Mikayel Balyan.
An award-winning soloist, Sophia won 1st prize at the 11th International J.S. Bach Piano Competition (In Memoriam Walter Blankenheim) in 2022. She also appears as a conductor, having recently led works by Purcell, Haydn and Mozart with the Wien Sinfonietta.
