David

Hausknecht

David Hausknecht (*1992, Prague - currently based in Vienna) is an internationally performing pianist, chamber musician, and vocal accompanist. He began his musical education at the Prague Music School and the Jan Neruda Gymnasium, where he studied piano and conducting with František Malý and Jiří Smutný. From the age of twelve, he regularly participated in renowned masterclasses across the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and Norway, further refining his skills through private lessons with Arkadi Zenziper and Jiří Hlinka.

In 2006, Hausknecht made his solo debut at the Prague Rudolfinum, performing Mozart’s final piano concerto, KV 595, with the Czech Philharmonic under the baton of Zdeněk Mácal. His debut was soon followed by performances with the Prague Chamber Orchestra.

From 2011 to 2016, he studied at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, completing his degree in piano with a focus on chamber music. His mentors included Lilya Zilberstein, Theresa Leopold, Christoph Eggner, Avedis Kouyoumdjian, and Stefan Mendl. He also received specialized training in vocal accompaniment from David Lutz, Markus Hadulla, Wolfram Rieger, and Charles Spencer.

Hausknecht is a multiple prizewinner of prestigious international piano competitions, including the Prague Junior Note (2004), the International Carl Czerny Competition (2005), Virtuosi per Musica di Pianoforte (2007), the Anton G. Rubinstein Competition in Dresden (2009), and the Brahms Competition in Pörtschach in both the solo and chamber music categories (2012, 2013). In 2017, he was also awarded the ADA SARI Prize for Vocal Accompaniment in Poland.

His debut CD was released in 2018 by Schwechtenstein-Records, featuring works by Leoš Janáček, recorded on the composer’s original, restored piano.

Since 2019, David Hausknecht has been working as a Senior Lecturer and collaborative pianist at the Anton Bruckner Institute of the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. In addition, since 2024, he has been teaching the seminar “Music in Vienna” in the program of Wake Forest University, focusing on Austrian and Central European music history.

In recent years, David Hausknecht has increasingly specialized in contemporary music performance. He is among the preferred interpreters of new works by composers Johanna Doderer, Ákos Banlaky, Nicholas Ansdell-Evans, Michael Berkeley, Wolfram Wagner, and others. Another central focus of his artistic work is his collaboration with the Exilarte Center of the mdw, where he is committed to the rediscovery and performance of works by exiled composers of the 20th century. In cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), he has curated and presented concert programs in New York, Luxembourg, Riyadh, London, Jakarta, Prague, Sarajevo and other cities worldwide.

Hausknecht maintains an ongoing artistic collaboration with members of the RSO Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna and the Vienna Philharmonic. Since 2025 he has also been active in the chamber music series of both ensembles – in “Aus nächster Nähe” of the RSO Vienna and in the “Chamber Music of the Vienna Philharmonic”.