Also this year, the fanfare for the Science Ball will be composed by students from the Music and Arts Private University Vienna (MUK).

Chiara Joos introduces the participants

Louis Prades sets the tempo, rhythm, entrances, and pauses. Two years ago, the 24-year-old Student came from Spain to Vienna to pursue a Master’s in Conducting at MUK. Now, he practically oversees 13 musicians and a composition. He received the submitted scores just five days before the rehearsal – little time, a lot of stress. During the rehearsal, 20 minutes per composition are allocated to ensure that both Louis and the brass ensemble and drummers can grasp the feel of the piece.

During the ensemble selection process, it quickly becomes clear which pieces strike the right chord for the Science Ball. The musical intuition of the students influences the decision, but the final word comes by the instructors Jean Beers, Wolfgang Liebhardt, and Roman Rindberger. The ultimate decision on which fanfare will open the Science Ball 2024 is made just a few days before the event. Out of the original six pieces, the compositions of students Naol Kim and Edwin Zúniga Flores have made it to the final round after the selection process.

Naol Kim’s composition was significantly influenced by inner impulses, while the classical melodies provided by the university had only a minor impact on her. Her intense reflection process on the melody spanned over a month before completing it in less than two weeks under the pressure of the deadline. Now, her fanfare is in the final selection.

Edwin Zúniga Flores, raised in Vienna, the “City of Music”, is well-versed in music. The 26-year-old student composes orchestral pieces for both himself and others. Within a month, he created a “powerful and solemn” fanfare for the Science Ball, inspired by thoughts on the magnitude of science.

You can read the full text in the 2024 ball magazine, which will be published on the evening of the ball.