Biography
Currently based in Vienna, studied classical and jazz saxophone at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, she then went on to study jazz composition at the Anton Bruckner private university in Linz, and jazz theory at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.
Falb travelled on an Erasmus year to the Hanns Eisler University of Music in Berlin (Gebhard Ullmann, Hayden Chisholm), and went on to complete further studies in New York (Steve Lehman, Chris Potter, Ellery Eskelin, Hal Crook, etc) and Bern, Switzerland (Django Bates).
Viola Falb founded her first band FALB FICTION shortly after her studies, which enabled her to express and develop her compositional voice. The band is characterised by the intensity of the improvisations and its compelling interplay between the musicians. The band is an audience favourite as well, receiving great reviews from across the jazz press, and in 2006 FALB FICTION was voted “European Newcomer of the Year”.
"... As a composer, Falb is in a class of her own. Her compositions never seem too controlled, but her pieces are always based on clear ideas and structures, from which expressive moments emerge." (Falter)
Falb's interests have always been across a broad musical spectrum, and this can be heard in her many projects as band leader, but also her work as an ensemble member. Since the start of her career, Falb has been playing and composing in the saxophone quartet PHOEN, she also founded the ‘pop-hop’ duo Kitsch & Glory, where she plays accordion and bass clarinet. Falb also immerses herself in the world of improvised music with TRIP-LING and FALB | HOLUB | SATZINGER, and with FS:EINS, she performs an avant-garde concert programme with electronic artist Bernd Satzinger. She also explores her love of chamber music with FALB / TODOROVSKI / NOVAK.
Falb's musical world has always included composition, at the start of her career this meant composing mostly for her jazz quartet and saxophone quartet, but her composition work has since expanded to include contemporary orchestral music, opera and chamber music. In 2020 she was awarded the “Staatsstipendium für Komposition des Bundesministeriums” (Austrian yearly composition award) and in 2022 the “Arbeitsstipendium der Stadt Wien” (Viennese yearly composition Stipend).
"... Viola Falb knows exactly what she is doing, in her compositions she amalgamates many influences from free jazz to folk and chamber music-like adaptations, to a sensual, dramaturgically mature whole, a contrasting, tastefully choreographed sequence of moods and musical stories....”
Der Standard - Andreas Felber
In brief
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grew up in Großwiesendorf, Lower Austria
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1998 studied classical saxophone and popular music at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
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2004 founded FALB FICTION, increased concert activity
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2004 became a member of Jazzwerkstatt Wien.
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2004 Erasmus year at the "Hanns Eisler" Hochschule Berlin
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2006 selected for the “Austrian Sound of Music” sponsorship award. Many concerts abroad (China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, New York, ...)
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2006 selected for the EBU - European Youth Jazz Orchestra - European tour
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2007 Completion of a master's degree at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna in Saxophone - Popular Music
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2007 Began Masters degree in jazz composition at Anton Bruckner Private University with Christoph Cech
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2008 Hans Koller Prize "Newcomer of the year"
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2010 Further residency in New York; commissioned composition by Jeunesse “Music that´s it”
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2013 Composition lessons with Django Bates, Gerald Resch,
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2013 Winner of the “Classical:Next” composition awards with 'NEXt:tEN' for saxophone quartet
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2014 Numerous composition commissions from INÖK, DuoKa, SNIM, Vienna Saxophonic Orchestra and ÖKB
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2016 collaborating with Studio Dan for the contemporary music education piece PLANET GLOBOKAR
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2017 premiere of the children's opera “aKTION nILPFERD” (composition Viola Falb, director Florian Drexler, stage design Sarah Sternat)
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2018 Artist in Residence at “Musik aktuell”
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2020 composed for Aureum Saxophonquartet, OnQ20, Vienna Reed Quintet,...
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2021 Musician at the “Fraufeld Sampler Vol. 3” - with Elisabeth Harnik
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2022 commissioned composition by “Carinthischen Sommer”, Alte Schmiede
Awards
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2004 Winner of the Jazzzeit Audience Award
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2006 Selected for "The New Austrian Sound of Music" and "European Jazz Newcomer" with FALB FICTION
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2008 Winner of the Hans Koller “Newcomer of the Year” award
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2013 Awarded the “Startstipendium des Bundesministeriums” (Austria)
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2013 Winner of the Classical:Next Kompositionspreises
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2013 Winner of the NÖ Kulturpreis Sparte Musik
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2015 Awarded the “Staatsstipendium für Komposition des Bundesministeriums”(Austria)
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2016 Winner of the Harry Pepl Prize
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2016 Awarded the “Förderpreis der Stadt Wien”
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2017 Composition funding from the Austrian Federal Ministry
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2018 Artist in Residence at musik aktuell
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2020 Awarded the “Staatsstipendium für Komposition des Bundesministeriums”(Austria)
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2022 Awarded the “Arbeitsstipendium der Stadt Wien” (Vienna)
"... Viola Falb is a world traveller as well as a traveller between categories and styles. The saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, accordionist and educator effortlessly combines traditional jazz elements with contemporary composition, improvisation, or even folk music with experimental forms of expression. The young musician combines talent, musicality and a high level of professionalism, which means that she can quite naturally assert herself in a music scene that until a few years ago was mostly in male hands...”
Lower Austria Culture Prize (supplement), text: Cordula Bösze, 2013
Member of
Music Advisory Board of the BmKoeS (since 2021), Board of Austrian Composers (since 2020), Music Advisory Board for Lower Austria Culture Awards (since 2018), SKE (2012-2017), Jury member Gustav Mahler Composition Competition 2020, Jury member Composition Competition 70 Years Blasmusikverband 2020, Jury member youth composes, often Jury member Prima La Musica federal and state competitions,...
played with
Dobrek Bistro, Don Ellis Tribute Orchestra, Tobias Vedovelli Large Ensemble, Barbara Bruckmüller Big Band, Velvet Elevator & die Strottern, Christoph Cech, Studio Dan, OnQ21, Festwochen Wien Opening 2021, Mamadou Diabate, Ralph Mothwurf Orchestra, Anna Hauf, Patrice Heral, Hilary Jeffrey, Katharina Klement, Christof Kurzmann, Klangkombinat Kalksburg, Matthias Loibner, Wolfgang Mitterer, Adriane Muttenthaler, Max Nagl, Orchestra 33 1/3, Luis Ribeiro, Karl Ritter, Katrin Weber Trio, Martin Zrost, ...
Discography
2006 waiting for …FALB FICTION (JWR 03/05)
2006 The European Youth Jazz Orchestra 2006 (Music Mecca)
2007 Ö1 CD of the ÖBV for the 16th Grabenfest:
“Of Searching, Finding and Holding on to Happiness”
2008 lost control- FALB FICTION (JWR 1/08)
2008 Stadtkapelle Hollabrunn: "Meeting in reality" (composition)
2010 Symphonic Wind Composers Project, ÖKB
"Meeting in Reality" (composition)
2010 Saxophone Quartet PHOEN - Twisted (SWR 18/10)
2011 Buildings for the Arts – Architecture in Lower Austria, film music by FALB FICTION
2012 City Band Tulln: "Radetzky's New World" (composition) -
2012 FALB FICTION...around the world (SWR 41/12)
2013 Andrea ECKERT sings songs from Bon Voyage (Universal)
2015 CRISS CROSS - Waldviertel Oases (ATS Records)
2015 Barbara Bruckmüller Big Band - Mei Muatterl was a Weanarin (BicoMR2015-01)
2015 Luis Ribeiro Project
2015 Saxophone plus, Christian Segmehl - "INS:IST:ING" (composition)
2016 LP FS:one (JWR 04/16)
2016 Wutas
2017 bug band – when the bugs dance with grandma (BicoMR)
2017 Fold radio - respect (hamau-records cd 009) - "Floating Thoughts" (composition)
2017 DAMN! – Freestyle samplers 4+5 (chmafu nocords) – FS:eins_refraiming
2018 PHOEN extended (SWR112/18)
2019 SNIM – best of dks (ekr067) – “polar:contrary” (composition)
2020 Mocatheca - Moments - "Everything Waltz" (Composition)
2020 FALB | HOLUB | SATZINGER a room for you
(SLAM Records/Jazzwerkstatt Records JWR 05/20)
2021 Fraufeld Vol. 3 – Floating Perspective – Viola Falb & Elisabeth Harnik