Irina Vaterl was born in Graz, Austria, in 1991. At the age of seven, she received her first piano lessons from Gerlinde Hörmann at the music school in Köflach, and at twelve she moved on to be taught by Loudmila Satz at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, where she was also taught by Alexandr Satz. In 2009, she began studying at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz with Dr Milana Chernyavska. In March 2014, she completed her bachelor study programme in piano performance, in March 2015 she graduated in piano teaching, and in June 2017, she completed her master’s programme in piano performance, graduating with unanimous distinction on all three occasions. She was awarded the Gender Prize of the University of Music and the Performing Arts Graz for her bachelor thesis on the French composer Louise Farrenc. At the age of twelve, Irina Vaterl also began to receive flute lessons from Nils Thilo Krämer at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, and completed her bachelor study programme in October 2013 and her flute teaching degree in June 2015 with distinction.
Irina Vaterl has gained musical insights by attending masterclasses held by renowned professors, such as J. Rouvier, S. Pochekin, B. Glemser, M. Voskresensky, F. Gottlieb, B. Berezovsky and R. Dalibaltayan. She also receives a scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein, and regularly attends the intensive music weeks and other activities on offer there.
The young pianist has won a great number of national and international competitions. From 2000 to 2009 she won first prizes at all of the Austrian regional and national “Prima la Musica” young musicians’ competitions (in the categories solo and chamber music). When she won the renowned “Roma 2008” competition in both the solo and piano duo categories with her sister Silvia, the prize-winners’ concert was broadcast live on Italian television, bringing about numerous further performance invitations in Italy, including in Trieste, at the “Festival Internazionale di Mezza Estate” in Tagliacozzo, at the Austrian Embassy and at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Rome. As the youngest duo at the finals of the “International Piano Competition San Marino 2010”, Irina and Silvia Vaterl attracted the attention of acclaimed pianists, leading to numerous concert invitations at international level. In 2011, they were awarded 1st prize at the “XVII International Schubert Competition” in the Czech Republic, and the 3rd prize at the international “12th Concours Grieg” piano competition in Oslo. Irina Vaterl has also won prizes at international solo competitions. In March 2011, she was awarded the 2nd prize at the “Donostia Hiria – Ciudad de San Sebastián” competition in Spain. In May 2012 she won the “Petar Konjovic” international competition in Belgrade and was awarded a special prize for the best interpretation of a work by Frédéric Chopin. In the same month she won the 1st prize at the “Vietri sul Mare” international piano competition in Salerno. In 2013, she was awarded the 1st prize at the “Gianluca Campochiaro” international music competition in Sicily. In 2014 she won 1st prizes at both the “International Competition Young Virtuoso” in Zagreb and the “Lia Tortora” international piano competition in Città della Pieve, and 2nd prizes at the “Città di Treviso” international piano competition in Treviso, the “Concours International de Piano d’Ile de France” in Maisons-Laffitte, and the “Città di Caraglio” international piano competition. In 2016 she won 1st prizes at the “Premio Contea” international competition in Treviso and at the “Gran Klavier – Ciudad de Alcalà” international piano competition in Madrid. At the “Antonio Salieri” international music competition in Legnago, Irina Vaterl was awarded the overall prize for all instrumental categories, and was invited to perform as a soloist with the “I Virtuosi Italiani” orchestra. In April 2017, she accepted this invitation, and gave a solo performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, KV 466 in the Teatro Ristori, Verona and in the Teatro Salieri in Legnago. She also won the special prize for the best performance of a Romantic work. In June 2017, Irina Vaterl won the 1st prize at the “Città di Padova” competition in Padua, Italy. Here, she achieved full marks (100 of 100 available points) to become the outright winner across all instruments and categories of the competition, and received numerous invitations to perform in concert in the coming season. She has also won many competition prizes as a flautist.
Aside from her competition success, Irina Vaterl has performed in concert at a variety of events, including at the Redoute at the Kunstuniversität Graz, the “Classics in Styria” international festival for young musicians, “Classics in the City” in the Landhaushof in Graz, as part of the “Klavierfrühling” in Deutschlandsberg, as well as in concerts in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Austria, Switzerland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Cyprus. With her sister Silvia, she played at the final matinée concert of the “Eggenberger Schlosskonzerte” in 2009 in Graz, and her performance at the closing concert one year later was broadcast by ORF on Austrian television – a highlight of her concert performances in Austria. A number of television and radio appearances ensued, most recently on “Kultur Spezial” and “Ö1 Intrada”. In February 2012, Irina Vaterl gave her first performance at the FESTIVAL NEXT GENERATION in Bad Ragaz. Together with her sister Silvia she also played works for four hands as well as for two pianos.
She gave a very accomplished acting and piano-playing performance in June 2010, when she played the role of Clara Schumann on the main stage of the Graz Opera House.
The young pianist is a prize-winner of the Martha Debelli scholarship competition of the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, and of the Hildegard Maschmann Foundation for the promotion of young concert pianists. In January 2015, Irina Vaterl was awarded the “Living Culture Art Award”, a cultural award bestowed by the magazine “Living Culture” for special services to the arts.
October 2017