Gerald Preinfalk

Gerald Franz Preinfalk (9 June 1971 in Freistadt, Austria) is an Austrian jazz and classical saxophonist and clarinetist.

Biography Preinfalk started taking clarinet lessons at age 9, and started playing saxophone at 15. In 1990 he began the instrumental studies at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien with Otto Vhrovnik and Wolfgang Puschnig. In 1993 he continued his studies at the Berklee College of Music with George Garzone, and in 1998 he studied classical saxophone at Serge Bertocchi in Paris.

Since 2000 Preinfalk has been a member of Klangforum Wien, with guest performances with orchestras such as the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland Pfalz and the Staatsorchester Stuttgart. He has also appeared as a performer of contemporary music with the "Ensemble xx. jahrhundert" and the "Ensemble Kontrapunkte". Bernhard Lang wrote a solo concert with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra for Preinfalk, in addition to chamber music by Roland Freisitzer (2011) and Norbert Sterk (2008) composed for him. As a studio musician he worked with Willi Resetarits and Maria Bill. He has also worked with Savina Yannatou, Lucía Pulido, Kurt Ostbahn and Krzysztof Dobrek.

Preinfalk also acted as a theater composer. For the Wiener Volkstheater he wrote the music to "Peer Gynt", "Job" and "You stay with me", each directed by Michael Sturminger. He also arranged Jewish songs with lyrics from poets murdered by Stalin's regime in 1952 ("Moscow 52", "Bukovina III").

2011 Preinfalk was appointed as a university professor of saxophone at the Kunstuniversität Graz.

Honors 2001: Awarded the Hans Koller prize as "Newcomer of the Year" in the Jazz genre.