ABOUT IRIS MAASS

Born in the heart of Vienna in 1997, Iris Maass embarked on her musical journey at the tender age of five. Her prodigious talent and unwavering dedication led her to the prestigious University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. Under the expert guidance of Prof. Sonja Korak, Iris not only honed her skills but also graduated with honors, achieving her Bachelor’s degree in music education for instruments in a remarkable span of just two years. In July 2023, she furthered her academic accomplishments by completing her Diploma in Instrumental Studies, majoring in Flute.

Throughout her distinguished musical journey, Iris has showcased her talent with esteemed orchestras including the Harmonic Orchestra Košice, Franz Schmidt Chamber Music Orchestra, Youth Orchestra Tyrol, Deutschmeister Orchestra, and Buoni Amici. Additionally, her expertise as a flutist has led her to be a sought-after substitute at venues like the Volksoper Wien and Bühne Baden. Notably, she proudly serves as the solo flutist for the Vienna Imperial Orchester, Schloss Schönbrunn Orchester Wien, Premium Orchestra, and Salon Orchestra Alt-Wien.

Iris’s musical brilliance has been recognized and celebrated in numerous national and international competitions. She has been the recipient of first prizes at the International Chamber Music Festival Allegro Vivo in both 2019 and 2016, the Flautiada International Flute Competition in 2015, the Woodwind and Brass International Competition in Croatia in 2015, and many more. Her accolades also include a third prize at the III Concorso Flautistico Internazionale Severin Gazzelloni in Italy in 2014 and multiple victories at the national competition Prima la Musica spanning from 2005 to 2015. A special mention goes to her Trio with Doppler-Effekt, which was honored with the Dr. Hans Zwölfer prize at the U19 Chamber Music Competition in Vienna.

Beyond her performances, Iris has enriched her artistry by attending master classes with globally recognized professors such as Matthieu Gauci-Ancelin, Christina Fassbender, Andrea Lieberknecht, Erwin Klambauer, Wally Hase, Renate Greis, Barbara Gisler-Haase, Hansgeorg Schmeiser, Michael Moragues, Jan Ostry, Nathalie Rozat, Walter Auer, and Jànos Bàlint.

Since September 2020, Iris has been passionately guiding the future stars of flute music. She spearheads the ‘special classes’ at the Johann Sebastian Bach Music School Vienna, in partnership with the Leonard Bernstein Institute of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Her dedication to teaching and the remarkable progress of her students have solidified her standing as a prominent figure in music education.