Prof. Michael Schneider 

                                                                                     Artistic director of the Chorus Viennensis

Michael Schneider was born 1990 in Salzburg, Austria. He is currently in his final year of studies at the University of Music and performing Arts in Vienna, where he studies Orchestral Conducting with Prof. Mark Stringer. Alongside his studies he holds the position of 2nd Kapelmeister at the Augustinian Church in Vienna, where he frequently conducts its Orchestra and Choir. Since 2018 Schneider is also artistic director of the Chorus Viennensis, a male choir, consisting only of former Members of the Vienna Boys Choir. Other professional engagements have led him to work with ensembles including the Gdansk Philharmonic Orchestra, the Wiener Neue Streicher and the Wiener Tonkunstvereinigung. In 2017 Michael Schneider joined the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (Wiener Symphoniker) on their China Tour as an Assistant Conductor to Philipp Jordan. Masterclasses with Sian Edwards, George Jackson, Hans Graf and Johannes Prinz.

Coming from a musical family in Salzburg, his love of musical expression and conducting was evident from early on and inspired him to go study the piano in the Pre-College Program of the Mozarteum University Salzburg. He continued his studies in Piano and Vocal Pedagogy at the University of Music and performing Arts in Vienna, before starting his Orchestral Conducting studies in 2014.

Before shifting his focus more in the direction of Orchestral Conducting Schneider worked as an assistant choir master for both the Vienna Singverein and the Salzburg Bach Choir on multiple occasions. His most recent projects include overseeing the Vienna Singverein during their Japan tour 2016 as well as working with the Salzburg Bach Choir on “West Side Story” during both the 2016 Salzburg Whitsun and Summer Festivals.
 
In 2017 Schneider was invited to conduct Rossinis Stabat Mater at the Summer Opera Festival Klosterneuburg. In addition to his artistic work, Michael Schneider is increasingly active in teaching conducting in different master classes in Austria and most recently in Shenzhen, China.