Mentor
Monika Eigensperger
Born in Vienna in 1959, Monika Eigensperger began working as a freelancer for ORF in the Ö3 service editorial department in 1980 and then worked as a music and program designer (Ö1, Ö3) and as a reporter. At ORF television she worked for the TV hit parade “Die Großen Zehn” and “Am Schauplatz”. From 1983, she was entrusted with the development of several Ö3 youth programs; until 1985, she hosted the programs “ZickZack” and “Treffpunkt Ö3,” among others. In 1992 she became head of department for magazine programs and the youth bar, and in 1993 permanent deputy head of Ö3. In 1996, Eigensperger took over as head of the youth culture station FM4, and in 1999 she was appointed FM4 station manager. Eigensperger, who was awarded the Heinrich Treichl Prize of the Austrian Red Cross and the Golden Decoration of Merit of the Province of Vienna, took over as ORF radio director on January 1, 2017.
Mentee
Nina Braith
Nina Braith is a singer, songwriter, producer and vocal coach from Vienna, Austria. She completed her Master degree in instrumental and singing pedagogy with second instrument piano at the Institute for Popular Music (ipop) at the University of Music and performing Arts in Vienna. Further studies lead her to Barcelona and New York. At the moment Nina Braith is working as a freelance musician in Austria and Germany and as a vocal coach at the University of Music and performing Arts in Vienna. She has given lectures including „Singing in popular styles“, „Vocal Performance“ and „Experimenting with your voice“ in different places all over Austria and Germany and once a year she is teaching at the Summer Academy Zakynthos, Greece (Sommerakademie). She was nominated one of Austria ´s Newcomer talents in Jazz (MM Jazznachwuchsförderung) and in 2011 she was chosen as the young talent of Pop Music by the National Radio Station Ö1 and the „Festival für Klassik und Pop“ in Styria. She has performed at different international festivals with her A capella Band project „Beat Poetry Club“ and other formations including her solo project “iNANA” (produced by the film & multi media music composer Iva Zabkar). Their recent single „Tears Dry“, which was a collaboration with the producer and singer „The Unused Word“, has been chosen as the final song for the TV series „Am Anschlag – Die Macht der Kränkung“, which was shown in ORF and ARD. Nina Braith released various albums, last ones were the LP “We talked all night – Beat Poetry Club” and the EP “How is the air – iNANA” including original songs. Furthermore she founded the label and collective „Beatzarilla“ for FLINTA* producers and musicians in the field of urban music and is curating events and festivals in and around Vienna.