Born in Austria, Daniela Lehner studied in Vienna, Salzburg and the GSMD in London. A committed recitalist, she has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Musikhalle Hamburg, De Singel Antwerp, the Klavier Festival Ruhr, Kölner Philharmonie, as well as the Aldeburgh Festival, Chichester Festival and Oxford Lieder Festival. Prizes include a Georg Solti Scholarship, Rotary Prize, Prize of the Académie Musicale de Villecroze and First Prize in the Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition. She received a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award in 2008. Daniela Lehner has received scholarships to study on the Ravinia Festival Young Artists Programme, Britten-Pears Young Artists Programme and the Music Academy of the West. She has participated in masterclasses with Marilyn Horne, Christa Ludwig, Graham Johnson, Martin Katz, Margo Garrett, Roger Vignoles, Malcolm Martineau and Ferenc Rados. As part of Yehudi Menuhin's scheme "Live Music Now!" she is giving numerous workshops and concerts in community environments, such as schools for special needs, hospitals, nursing and care homes and hospices. She has participated in Graham Johnson's complete Schumann song recordings for Hyperion Records and has performed live for BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, ORF and NDR. Daniela recently made her Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut, singing the role of Hermia in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream. She is currently on the BBC New Generation Artist scheme. Forthcoming engagements include recitals in Wigmore Hall (with Roger Vignoles), Austrian Embassy Berlin, Linz Capital of Culture, a concert with the Wiener Kammerorchester (Konzerthaus Wien), Austrian Cultural Forum London, Aldeburgh Festival (with Bernard Labadie), City of London Festival, BBC Proms, and a concert with Mitsuko Uchida in the Philharmonie Berlin.
Photograph taken by Elisabeth Blanchet
I cannot thank the Borletti-Buitoni Trust enough for giving me this award and all the support that goes with it. It came to me at a very crucial moment and has made a big difference to my life. I would like to thank all the people involved in this Trust for their dedication and enthusiasm. Your support and your belief in my talent has been second to none, and I will always be deeply grateful for the help I received.