Five finalists faced the jury on Saturday. ORF Styria broadcast the competition live throughout Austria.

It was very exciting on Saturday afternoon at the final round of the ‘Styrian Harmoni ka Competition 2024’ in the Steinhalle Lannach. All five finalists – Philipp Herbst, Nina Jeitler, Matthias Moritz, Dominik Peiser and Philip Pscheidt – demonstrated their outstanding skills. The young musicians each presented a compulsory and a freestyle piece and wowed the audience on site and a large audience in front of the TV screens. A prominent jury of experts (Christine Gutzelnig, Christian Hartl, Karl Lenz and Franz Posch) had the difficult task of It was very exciting on Saturday afternoon at the final round of the ‘Styrian Harmonika Competition 2024’ in the Steinhalle Lannach.

Deutsch: Samstagnachmittag bei der Endrunde des „Steirischen Harmonikawettbewerbs 2024“ in der Steinhalle Lannach, stellen alle fünf Finalistinnen und Finalisten ‒ Philipp Herbst, Nina Jeitler, Matthias Moritz, Dominik Peiser und Philip Pscheidt ‒ ihr hervorragendes Können unter Beweis. Die jungen Musiker präsentierten jeweils ein Pflicht- und ein Kürstück und begeisterten damit die Zuseher vor Ort und ein großes Publikum vor den TV-Bildschirmen. Eine prominente Fach-Jury (Christine Gutzelnig, Christian Hartl, Karl Lenz und Franz Posch) hatte die schwierige Aufgabe, die einzelnen Darbietungen zu bewerten und den besten Nachwuchs-Harmonikaspieler der Steiermark zu küren.

First place in the Styrian harmonika competition goes to Weiz to the only 13-year-old Philip Pscheidt who achieved a total of 76 points with his performances: ‘Tanzboden Landler’ (compulsory piece), ‘Im Eilschritt nach St. Peter’ (freestyle piece) – and thus won the ‘Styrian Harmonika Competition 2024’ as well as the first prize, a Styrian harmonica from the company ‘Strasser’. The jury was particularly impressed by his freestyle piece ‘Im Eilschritt nach St. Peter’ and awarded it four times ten points, the highest possible score.
Dominik Peiser (14) from Gratwein-Straßengel took second place (71 points) with his performances of ‘Übelbacher Franze’ (compulsory piece) and ‘Bormann Landler’ (freestyle piece), earning him a Styrian harmonica from ‘Harmonika-Erzeugung Schmidt’.

Philipp Herbst (14) from St. Radegund near Graz (compulsory piece: ‘Gruß aus Bärnbach’, freestyle piece: ‘Weiß-Blau Marsch’. 64 points) in third place

Nina Jeitler (14) from Dörfl/Ilz (compulsory piece: ‘Schnapsflaschl Boarischer’, freestyle piece: ‘Durch’s Joglland’. 63 points)

Matthias Moritz (14) from Voitsberg (compulsory piece: ‘Der geht eini’, freestyle piece: ‘Lahousen Marsch’. 60 points) were awarded valuable prizes from the Austrian Organisers’ Association. All five finalists also received non-cash prizes from the Styrian Folk Song Organisation.

(by ORF Regine Schoettl / https://www.kleinezeitung.at/)