Our Team

Freelance Musician, currently Visiting Professor of Organ and Church Music at the University of Kansas; Concert Organist, previously visiting professor at the music universities of Vienna and Graz; studied organ performance, church music, and musicology in Europe and the US; artistic director of numerous international music conferences. Concerts in most European countries, the US, China, Taiwan, Korea, Russia, the Middle East, etc.

R. Paul Crabb studied music education at Bethel College in Kansas, voice at Wichita State University, and choral music education at Florida State University. He has performed with his choirs worldwide and for two years directed an American guest choir as part of the Russian-American Choral Symposium at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1998-99 he was a visiting professor in Salzburg, and in 2001 he taught 18th-century music in London. In the summer of 2004 he studied 16th-century polyphony with Peter Phillips in Rimini. He was a visiting professor at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, and in 2007 he taught and conducted at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Since 2008 he has been guest conductor of the Conservatorio Domenico Cimarosa in Avellino. Since 2012 he has taught at the Austrian Church music weeks Laudate Dominum and REJOICE. In 2015, he spent a semester on sabbatical in Sweden, where he served as guest conductor for Lunds akademiska kör, among other roles. Truman State University honored him as Educator of the Year in 1997, and the following year, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching honored him as Missouri’s Professor of the Year.

Sebastian Meixner’s passion for singing and his love of choral music have accompanied him since early childhood. While still at school, he gained extensive experience performing in a wide variety of ensembles and vocal formations.

During his studies in Music Education, Sebastian Meixner discovered his enthusiasm for choral conducting. In 2007, together with Martin Stampfl (composer, conductor, and music educator), he founded his first youth choir, *nota bene*. With this ensemble, he performed on several occasions at the international street arts festival *La Strada* in Graz, premiered new works at *styria cantat*, and was awarded a Gold Diploma at *Praga Cantat*.

In 2014, Sebastian Meixner succeeded Franz M. Herzog as Artistic Director of Cantanima, the Styrian State Youth Choir. That same year, he led the ensemble to outstanding results at the competitions *Austria Sings with Europe* (reaching the finals and receiving the distinction "Excellent Achievement") and the prestigious International Choral Competition in Spittal an der Drau (Second Prize in the Folk Song category, First Prize in the Art Song category, and the Audience Award). In 2017, under his direction, Cantanima received awards in two categories at the International Choral Competition in Budapest, winning the Mixed Choirs category and placing second in the Musica Sacra category.

Sebastian Meixner‘s most recent major success with Cantanima came in 2024 at *Praga Cantat*. The choir won, among other distinctions, first prize in the Sacred Choral Music category, outperforming twelve competing ensembles, and also received a special Interpretation Award. In addition, Sebastian Meixner was honoured with the *Miroslav Košler Award* as the competition’s Best Conductor among 23 participating conductors.

As Artistic Director of Camerata Styria, he was invited in the ensemble‘s founding year, 2020, to prepare the choir for performances of Bach’s *Christmas Oratorio* under the direction of Jordi Savall.

As a singer in numerous renowned and award-winning ensembles and choirs, Sebastian Meixner has performed extensively throughout Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Philippines, and China.

He studied Music Education and Computer Science at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and Graz University of Technology, and later Choral Conducting under Johannes Prinz. He further developed his artistic expertise through masterclasses with Alois Glaßner (Austria), Robert Sund (Sweden), Yuval Ben-Ozer (Israel), and Thomas Caplin (Norway), as well as workshops with Gunnar Eriksson (Sweden), Ragnar Rasmussen (Norway), Mathias Becker (Germany), and Anders Jalkéus (Sweden).

Sebastian Meixner teaches at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. He is also active as a lecturer for professional development courses for teachers and choral conductors, a coach at choral courses and workshops, and regularly serves as a competition adjudicator.

Fabio Lahass is a Brazilian conductor, singer, and church musician. He received his musical training in São Paulo, studying piano and voice at the Escola Municipal de Música, as well as music education and orchestral conducting at Faculdade Cantareira and the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP).

Since 2021, he has been living in Vienna. At the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, he completed his degree in choral conducting with Prof. Alois Glaßner, graduating with distinction. He is currently pursuing studies in orchestral conducting with Prof. Mark Stringer as well as Protestant church music.

He serves as conductor of the Gospel-Power Choir Vienna and performs as a tenor with ensembles including the Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Ensemble Interpunkt, and the Bach Choir Salzburg. As church musician at the Protestant Weinberg Church, he directs the Weinberg Choir and, together with various groups and ensembles of the congregation, helps shape a vibrant and diverse musical life within the church community.

He studied organ and instrumental pedagogy at the Vienna University of Music, where Alfred Mitterhofer and Peter Planyavsky were among his teachers. Since 1992, he has been the cathedral organist of Klagenfurt, but has also conducted major works of church music. Between 1996 and 2013, he was Peter Planyavsky’s assistant at the Vienna University of Music. He currently teaches organ as a lecturer at the Gustav Mahler Private University of Music.

Nadine Maria Nenning is a freelance singer and vocal coach. She studied in Vienna, Basel and Detmold with Martina Steffl-Holzbauer, Ulrike Hofbauer and Eeva Tenkanen. Her artistic focus lies particularly in early music, sacred music, ensemble singing, as well as holistic vocal training for children and young people. She has participated in masterclasses with renowned artists including Emma Kirkby, Elizabeth Dobbin and Christiane Karajeva.

The soprano has gained diverse experience as a soloist and has performed in numerous notable churches, concert halls and theatres throughout Austria, Germany and Switzerland. She also has many years of experience in ensemble singing, with numerous projects taking her across Austria, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Belgium and the United States. She has collaborated with artists and conductors including Johannes Hiemetsberger, Martin Haselböck, René Jacobs, Florian Helgath and Teodor Currentzis. She is a member of various vocal and chamber music ensembles, including the Zürcher Sing-Akademie, the Basler Madrigalisten and the Fraumünster Vocal Soloists. She also develops her own artistic projects, including the trio en Voixage, her work as a house musician, and the ensemble freiklang.

Alongside her own artistic career, sharing music — and especially the joy of singing — is a central concern for Nadine Maria Nenning. During her studies in Vienna, she gained valuable experience in vocal training through her work with the Vienna Boys’ Choir, and she also taught for several years at the Mozart Knabenchor Wien. For many years, she has worked as a vocal education lecturer in workshops and training seminars and teaches privately.

Born in Carinthia, Austria, he is on the svoice faculty at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, director of Pro Musica and the Choral Academy Carinthia, soloist in numerous oratorios and mass settings, as well as in contemporary opera.

Voice coach at the Vienna Singverein, guest lecturer at many national and international choir conferences.

Clara Smith, originally from Ozawkie, Kansas, holds a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri. She has performed across the United States and internationally as both a conductor and vocalist. An experienced educator and ensemble leader, she has directed church choirs and youth choirs, and has taught collegiate courses in music theory, conducting, aural skills, and music history. Now based in Cologne, Germany, she serves as Assistant Director of Choirs at the University of Cologne and continues to perform with ensembles such as the VOCES8 Foundation Choir.

Studied piano, chamber music, and accompaniment at the CNSM de Paris and organ and church music at the DKK Vienna. Prizes and awards at international piano competitions.

Ksenia Reisinger is a collaborative pianist at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, she studied piano and vocal pedagogy at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, and piano performance at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in St. Petersburg, as well as at the Conservatory of Church Music (organ and choral conducting). From 2015 to 2024, she taught at the Himberg Music School (vocal, piano, and choral conducting) and at the Wiener Singschule (voice training and member of the Vienna Girls‘ Choir team). From 2009 to 2023, she was a collaborative pianist and voice coach at the Vienna Men’s Choir Association. She has also served as pianist and voice coach at numerous choir festivals.

Former Vicar General, Pastor of Probstdorf, Lower Austria.