Markus Steiner

The Tyrolean Markus Steiner has been playing as the first Percussionist at the Gärtnerplatz theater Munich since 2006. He studied in Innsbruck with Norbert Rabanser, in Vienna with Horst Berger and in Munich with Arnold Riedhammer. After his studies, Markus Steiner was an academic with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra for two years. During this time there were also several concerts on the drum set with the famous Brass Band “Blechschaden”.

Inspired by his childhood with brass band music and early experiences in the Gad Gastein salon orchestra, he discovered – holder of the Golden Youth Musician Achievement Badge – his love for operas, musicals and operettas, which corresponds exactly to the repertoire of the State Theater at Gärtnerplatz in Munich.

He also plays and has appeared as a guest with orchestras such as the NDR ElbphilharmonieOrchestra, the BR Symphony Orchestra, the Munich and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, the Bavarian and Nuremberg State Operas, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra. He was also a member of the Aljoscha Zimmermann Ensemble for over 20years, with whom he accompanied silent film concerts around the world. He also enjoyed passing on his knowledge to music students in various music schools and workshops. In 2024, Mr. Steiner will play with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra as a percussionist.

Georgi Varbanov

From an early age, Georgi Varbanov sought to express himself musically and began playing his mother’s piano. During a concert, he discovered percussion… This was a revelation. Thus, began his passion for percussion. At only seven years old, Georgi won the most important national competition of Bulgaria. During his studies in preparatory music school in Pleven, then at the National Academy of Music in Sofia, at the Richard Strauss ConservatoryIn Munich with Adel Shalaby and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg with Peter Sadlo, he won more than twenty prizes in numerous national and international competitions (First Prize at Pendim International Competition for Percussion Instruments, a Yamaha scholarship, a prize from the Kulturkreis Galstag in Munich). He has also received First Prize, as well as the André Jolivet Prize for best interpretation and the audience prize, at the International Competition for Percussion in Luxembourg (2005) with the Via Nova Percussion Group.

In 2009, Georgi Varbanov was named first solo percussionist with the Orchestre national d’Île- de-France. He has since performed ceaselessly with the group, in chamber music or as an orchestral soloist. He has also devoted himself to developing and refining percussion instruments and mallets in collaboration with, Adams Percussion, Erho Sticks and Eckermanndrums. In 2023 he joined the percussion section of Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ines Wein

Ines Wein was born in Eichstätt/Germany. She studied viola, chamber music and musicology in Munich and completed her studies with the Masterclass Diploma. Additionally she studied baroque viola and viola d’amore at the Institute for Historical Perfomance Practice in Munich. Chamber music and Early Music are the major interests and she performed with many ensembles widely in Europe.
Since 2008 Ines has been a member of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. Ines is the leader and co-founder of the Doha Baroque Ensemble.

Shaza Oweda

Born and raised into a musical family, Shaza’s passion for music started at a young age. She is the daughter of the Egyptian composer, Abd El-Azim Oweda.

She began studying the violin at Cairo Conservatory by the age of 8, under Professor Mona Garrana and resumed her education with Professor Marlis Yunuskhanov, then with Professor Hassan Sharara. Shaza proceeded to obtain her bachelor’s degree in 2006 at Cairo Conservatory, where she graduated with excellence with honours. She is a trained classical violinist with over fifteen years of orchestral experience.

Numerous masterclasses and workshops have been components of her comprehensive musical education. The musical expertise she has acquired encompasses the knowledge and understanding necessary for the performance of classical violin music within the Western and Arabic canons on a professional level basis.

As a professional violinist, Shaza was a member of the Cairo Opera Orchestra and the Egyptian Philharmonic Society Chamber Orchestra with the Egyptian conductor Dr. Ahmed El Saedi. In 2007, she participated with the Cairo Conservatory Symphony Orchestra at Beethoven’s Festival in Bonn. Along with the several concerts she has taken part in with the Cairo Symphony Orchestra and Bibliotheca Alexandria Chamber Orchestra.

Several recitals and chamber music performances have been given by Shaza in numerous Cairo and Alexandria venues, including Cairo Conservatory, Cairo Opera House, the Russian Cultural Center, Bibliotheca Alexandria, Alexandria Center of Arts, and others. And also performing as a soloist with Cairo Conservatory Orchestra and Cairo Symphony Orchestra in multiple occasions.

In 2008, Shaza joined The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and continues to this day.

Reem Khoury

Born is 1983, Reem Khoury did all her musical studies in Switzerland. She got a Concert and a Teaching Diploma from the High Conservatory of Music in Geneva, and a Master degree in Musicology from the University of Geneva.

She studied with famous teachers like Edward Gyr, Armene Stakian and Robert Zimansky. Reem is a part of the West Eastern Divan Orchestra under the baton of Daniel Barenboim. She has performed in most European cities, in the United States, Arab countries and Latin America.

Reem joined the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra since its beginning in 2006, and has performed with world class conductors.

Georges Yammine

Born in 1979, in Zekrit- Lebanon, Georges Yammine took his first violin lesson at the age of 14 in the Lebanese National Conservatory in Beirut with Professor Michel Kheirallah. Six years later, in 1999, he received a scholarship from the West Eastern Divan project and the Barenboim-Said Foundation to study in Germany at the “Franz Liszt Hochschule” in Weimar with Professor Friedemann Eichhorn, and in Berlin with Mathis Fischer.

He completed his studies in 2003 with an Artistic Diploma in Violin, then moved to Paris where he studied for two years and received his Golden Medal in Chamber Music from Conservatoire of Montreuil. Since 1999, Georges Yammine is a member of the West Eastern Divan Orchestra directed by Maestro Daniel Barenboim. And since 2008, he is a member of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

In addition to his musical performances around the world, he has established an international career as a Fine Art Photographer and exhibited his work in Qatar, USA, Germany, Switzerland and Australia. In 2014, he published his first book: “Funkelnde Hoffnung”, (A Spark of Hope).

Tobias Gette

Born in Halle – Saale, Germany on September of 1977. At the age of 4 he began studying the violin under the tutelage of his father. In the coming years he attended schools with an arts and music focus, eventually being accepted into the prestigious Latina August Hermann Francke School, an institution with a strong curriculum and tradition in musical training. During his high school years, he supplemented his school education with additional violin study under Professor Antje Weithaas in Berlin.

Upon graduating from Gymnasium, Gette moved to St. Petersburg, Russia to continue his studies with Professor Mischa Estrin at the St. Petersburg Conservatory (1997-1999). From the year 2000 he began studying with Professor Isabella Petrosian at Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Hamburg, graduating in 2006 in the class of Professor Christoph Schickendanz.

After touring extensively in Europe with a number of prominent chamber orchestras and ensembles, Gette relocated to Qatar as a founding member of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra at its launch in 2008. Today, in addition to the regular orchestra performance schedule, Gette appears frequently in the QPO’s chamber music and spin off projects and performances.

Pavlo Dovhan

Born in a family of musicians in 1973 Lviv, Ukraine. His first public performance took place in Lviv with the Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra in 1986, was performed Symphony Espagnole by E. Lalo. From 1991 to 1996 he studied in the class of Professor L. Shutko (assistant of D. Oistrakh in Moscow).

In 1992, Pavlo gained II prise in First International Violin competition named after M. Lysenko (Kiev, Ukraine). Between 1992 to 1996 he received special scholarship from the President of Ukraine. From 1999-2001 he lived and worked in Switzerland and took master-classes from Ana Chumachenko, Professor of Munich High School, Pierre Amoyale, Professor of Lausanne Music High School, and Mr. Viktor Tretiakov, and received the best recommendations.

Over the years he has extensively been playing solo as well as in accompaniment with different orchestras and chamber music with colleagues-musicians. Pavlo has numerous recordings from SDR – Freiburg, Germany, SAT-1 Warsaw, Poland, and National TV and Radio of Ukraine.

Michaela Linsbauer

Born in Vienna. Supported by musical parents, she had her first violin lesson at age 4. Michaela studied in Vienna at the University for Music (Professor Frischenschlager and Professor Kamilarov) at the Vienna Conservertoire, and at the Conservatoire national de musique et danse in Paris and gained her diploma with distinction.

Master classes with international musicians such as Shlomo Mintz, Zakhar Bron, Igor Oistrakh, Sergei Fatkoulin, and Erich Gruenberg completed her training. She was a fellow of the Academy of the Symphonieorchester des Bayrischen Rundfunks (Munich), and as a member of the Tonkunstler Orchestra she has performed in Vienna.

Invitations for solo and chamber music performances have taken Michaela throughout Europe and Asia.

Lorena Manescu

Motivated by a lifelong fascination for Islamic philosophy and culture, Lorena Manescu joined QPO since it’s founding in 2008, after graduating with distinction from the prestigious Vienna Conservatory. Born in 1986, in Romania, she spent her early childhood in a mountain village, Polovragi, with her grandparents Maria and Marin Chiritescu, renowned preservers and teachers of traditional music.

Inspired by their enthusiasm for folklore, Lorena started to play the violin at the age of 5 under the tutorship of her grandfather. She then attended the primary and secondary music school in the town of her birth, Ramnicu-Valcea, afterwards joined Dinu Lipatti boarding high-school for music in Bucharest.

Lorena was granted a scholarship by the Vienna Conservatory where she studied with highly acclaimed professors. She won many prizes and awards at national and international competitions, performed concerts and recitals on some of the most prestigious stages around the world (Royal Albert Hall-London, Konzerthaus, and Musikverein-Vienna, Teatro alla Scala-Milan, Gasteig- Munich, Kennedy Center-Washington D.C, United Nations-New York, etc.), and appeared as a soloist with several orchestras, and participated in numerous TV and radio broadcasts, and has been involved in numerous recordings (one of which is the Qatar Airways boarding soundtrack).

Lorena is very fond of QPO and it’s distinguished musicians, and considers it as her second larger family. Within QPO, she is also an active chamber music player, as a member of Doha String Quartet and founding member of CineMoon ensemble. Besides being a passionate orchestral, chamber music and solo performer, Lorena is a devoted educator. Since 2010 she teaches violin at Qatar Music Academy.

Lorena Manescu embraces Qatar Foundation’s mission of “unlocking human potential”, and works ceaselessly to deliver soulfulness and cultural enrichment.