 - © Markus Tordik
 - © Markus Tordik
 - © Markus Tordik
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Born in Vienna, Michael Lakner studied at the Vienna Music School (Piano with Prof. Hilde Langer-Rühl, Prof. Irena Barbag-Drexler and Prof. Frieda Valenzi, Composition with Prof. Friedrich Neumann, Conducting with Prof. Karl Österreicher, Voice with Prof. Svanhvit Egilsdottir) as well as at the Vienna Conservatory of Music (Lied accompaniment with David Lutz) and took acting lessons with Julia Gschnitzer, Ariane Calix and Traute Foresti. Parallel to his music studies, he also found time to study law at the University Vienna.
Since 1982 he has performed as a concert pianist as well as with many fine singers (among them, Angelika Kirschschlager, Silvana Dussmann, Eteri Lamoris, Maya Boog, Martina Serafin, Robert Holzer and Harald Serafin) as a Lieder accompanist. Concert tours have taken him to the USA, Japan, Egypt, South Africa, Spain, Finland, Great Britain, France, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and to Switzerland.
In 1988, he had his film debut as the leading man in the Austrian film, “Borderline”, directed by Houchang Allahyari; his piano solos of the works of Franz Liszt are featured on the soundtrack.
From September 1988-August 1991, he worked as an agent for the Viennese artists management of Dr. Raab and Dr. Böhm.
He has hosted numerous musical shows and opera performances and was a presenter on the Austrian television series, “Masters of Tomorrow”, introducing young musicians.
From 1991 to 2001, Dr. Lakner was artistic director of the Graz Opera (General Director, Dr. Gerhard Brunner). He worked with the stage directors Peter Konwitschny, Martin Kusej, Christof Loy, Hans Hollmann, Christian Pöppelreiter, Werner Schneyder, Rudolf Buczolich and Georg Schmiedleitner.
May 1994, CD release, “Honeymoon” featuring songs from famous films.
He was a member of the judges panel for various voice competition, including the prestigious International Belvedere competition, Vienna.
1999, acted in the Austrian film, “Born in Absurdistan.”
In the summer of 2001, the magazine Opernwelt named the Graz Opera, “Opera House of the Year.”
In the season of 2001/2002, Dr. Lakner joined the Theater Basel as Director of Opera. (Artistic Director, Michael Schindhelm). There he collaborated with such directors as Stefan Bachmann, Claus Guth, Nigel Lowery, Joachim Schlömer, Katharina Thalbach, Herbert Wernicke and Karin Beier.
Since January of 2004, he has been the General Director and business manager of the Lehár Festival in Bad Ischl, working closely with the director Leonard Prinsloo. Directorial debuts of Dolores Schmidinger and Ulrike Beimpold.
From September 2008 on he will be teaching voice interpretation (opera, operetta, musical comedy and lied) at the Wiener Musikseminar, Vienna.
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