MICHAŁ JURASZEK polish conductor born in Wrocław; principal conductor of the Vienna Ensemble; semi-finalist of the 8th International Conducting Competition Jeunesse Musicale 2017 in Bucharest. Juraszek gained attention after a concert at the Viennese Musikverein with the ORF RSO Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducting a program with polish music from Mieczysław Karłowicz. His opera productions of Mozart’s ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’ in 2018 and Massenet’s ’Werther’ in 2017 at the Neue Studiobühne in Vienna were both enormously successful and gave Juraszek a status of an extraordinary emerging talent. Besides Austria, Juraszek made his opera debut at the Opera na Zamku in Szczecin (Poland), conducting Verdi’s ‘Un Ballo in Maschera’. He collaborated with such orchestras as ORF RSO Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra in Bucharest, Polish Baltic Philharmonic in Gdańsk and Orchestra Giovanile Italiana. Michał Juraszek graduated with distinction (summa cum laude) from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna in June 2017, where he studied orchestra conducting with Prof. Johannes Wildner, choir conducting with Prof. Erwin Ortner and accompanied coaching for opera singers with Prof. Konrad Leitner. Juraszek was awarded the Appreciation Prize for extraordinary achievements during the entire time of studies from the president of the University - Prof. Ulrike Sych. Supplementary to his studies, Juraszek attended masterclasses with Kurt Masur, Gianluigi Gelmetti and Vladimir Kiradjiev. Juraszek's conducting skills are complemented by the orchestra experience gained as a violinist in many orchestras. His deep commitment to the opera begun during his work at the Theater an der Wien, where he performed on stage as a member of the Arnold Schoenberg Choir. The numerous collaborations with Nicolaus Harnoncourt on this occasion had a strong influence on Juraszek's approach to music.