Although the Leopoldinum has been shaped by a whole line of musical celebrities, it was Karol Teutsch who exerted the most profound influence upon its artistic character. He was both an outstanding violinist and an illustrious conductor. It was him who started the tradition of artistic directors capable of combining virtuosity of delivery with conducting skills, as well as of bringing out and merging the best skills of individual musicians, members of a small string orchestra, with whom they remain in close contact. Invitation to undertake permanent collaboration and assume artistic directorship extended to Mr Kovacic is not only a sign of recognition of his illustrious achievements; it also expresses our conviction that there exists a bond of tradition and artistic concepts shared by the musicians of the orchestra and its future artistic director. Unquestionably, Mr Kovacic represents both the highest performance level, and – as conductor of several excellent chamber ensembles – excellence of accomplishments.
 
Ernst Kovacic manages to combine the best tradition of European classical chamber music with virtuoso success in the field of both classical and contemporary music, which he performs with the best orchestras in Europe and elsewhere. True to tradition, he works as a teacher, yet simultaneously contributes to the development of the main trends of the 20th and 21st century violin music.
 
Born in Southern Austria and brought up in a family of musical traditions, it was already in his teenage years that he played the majority of Mozart’s, Haydn’s or Beethoven’s string quartets. Permanently associated with Vienna, Ernst Kovacic runs the class of violin at the Viennese Academy, closely collaborates with the world centres of Schönberg’s and Krenek’s music, and was for several years director of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra. On the international level, he enjoys greatest popularity in England, where his concerts with the Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra and several other British ensembles directed by world-famous conductors received excellent reviews.
 
As chamber musician, he has collaborated with such ensembles, as the Scottish Chamber, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, English String Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Oslo Chamber Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, and Vienna Klangforum. For three seasons (1996-1998) he was Artistic Director of Vienna Chamber Orchestra. Ernst Kovacic collaborates with Alban Berg Quartet, soloists: Raphael Wallfisch and Thomas Larcher, and pianist David Owen Norris.
 
The artist plays a 1754 Guadagnini violin. Earlier he used instruments by Lupots, Montagnan and Vuillaume.