Universitat Mozarteum Salzburg Announces New Viola Professors

Violists Sào Soulez Larivière and Muriel Razavi will assume the role in the Fall of 2023

Founded in 1841, the Universitat Mozarteum Salzburg comprises 15 departments and over 2000 students. Starting in October, it will welcome Muriel Razavi and Sào Soulez Larivière as new members of the viola faculty.

Born in 1992, American-Iranian violist Muriel Razavi will also soon be teaching at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Trossingen.

She is currently doing her doctorate at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg under the artistic supervision of Daniel Barenboim, where she is researching re-orientalism in music.

"I am filled with gratitude and joy for being appointed Professor for Viola at the University Mozarteum Salzburg as well as Professor for Viola at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Trossingen from next Semester 23/24," Razavi wrote on social media. "I am looking forward to working with my dear students and to also welcoming new students and becoming part of their musical journey! Teaching is such a beautiful part of my musical career and it fills me with pride and warms my heart to see students grow and to also learn with and from them in lessons. I couldn’t have asked for more and look forward to this new musical and personal chapter."

This year’s winner of the Prague Spring Competition, Sào Soulez Larivière has performed at renowned academies such as the Verbier Festival, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Ozawa Academy, and IMS Prussia Cove.

He has also won top prizes at the Tokyo Viola Competition, Oskar Nedbal Viola Competition, Max Rostal Competition, Cecil Aronowitz Viola Competition, and Johannes Brahms Competition. A member of the Frielinghaus Ensemble, Larivière initially took violin lessons from Igor Voloshin, before receiving a scholarship to study with Natasha Boyarsky at the Yehudi Menuhin School.

He later graduated from the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” studying with Tabea Zimmermann, and began his master of music degree at the Kronberg Academy in 2022.

Larivière’s accolades include the 2023 ICMA “Young Artist of the Year” Award; the “Ritter Preis” on behalf of the Oscar and Vera Ritter Foundation; and the 2020 Fanny Mendelssohn Förderpreis, which saw him release his debut album “Impression” in 2021. 

“I am absolutely thrilled to share that I will be joining the faculty of the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg as Professor of Viola starting Autumn 2023!!” Larivière wrote. “It is an incredible honor and privilege to have been entrusted with this position, and I am delighted to welcome Salzburg as my new musical home. I really can’t wait to embark on this new and exciting journey, and to dive ever deeper into all things Viola together with my fellow students!”