Christian started his musical career at the age of three in the local music school in Wörgl with 'early education in music for kids'. One year later he started to play the recorder and a year after that clarinet but because of his short fingers, he had to play an E flat clarinet. After two years he got a soprano clarinet in B flat. His teacher was Josef Rangger.

Since 2008 he is a student of Walter Seebacher at the Tyrolean Conservatory. He also took lessons in saxophone (Josef Rangger), conducting (Barbara March, Harald Ploner) and music-theory (Jo De Corte, Ralph Schutti). At the moment he takes lessons in piano (Roman Zadurowicz), saxophone (Harald Ploner), singing (Aleksandar Jovanović) and composing (Ralph Schutti). He has participated in master classes for clarinet with Werner Mayrhuber, Joachim Celoud, Kathrin Moser, Stephan Moosmann, Walter Seebacher and Stefan Prommegger and for saxophone with Peter Rohrsdorfer.

Over the years he has won several prizes at the Austrian national competition Prima la Musica: 1st Prize in the ensemble category with MTC-Clarinet-Trio in 2006, the 1st Prize in the ensemble category with MFC-Saxophone-Trio in 2008, the 2nd Prize in the ensemble category with the Grenadillworms-Clarinet-Trio in 2010, the 1st Prize in the ensemble category with Three_And_A_Half_Men Saxophone Quartet and with Sax'n'Socks Saxophone Quartet in 2010. He has also won at the same competition the 2nd Prize in 2005 and the 1st Prize in 2007 and 2009 as a solo clarinettist and the 1st Prize in 2009 as a solo saxophonist.

Currently he is also successful in composing many pieces for soloists, ensembles and orchestras. His major composition 'Concert for Tuba' for strings, woodwinds, percussions and solo tuba was premiered in May 2010 by the Orchestra of the Music High School Innsbruck and soloist Denis Leopold Leiss. The performance can be seen here. His latest bigger composition is named “mood swings” for wind orchestra. As a clarinettist and saxophonist he is performing with different orchestras, among others with 'Bläserphilharmonie Tirol'.

Christian plays an Othmar Hammerschmidt Soprano-Clarinet serial 'OH-240' in B flat, a Karl Hammerschmidt Piccolo-Clarinet in E flat, a Yamaha Bass-Clarinet in B flat, a Selmer Paris Alto-Saxophone serial II 'Firebird' in E flat, a Klingsor Tenor-Saxophone in B flat. He plays on plastic reeds. On piccolo- and soprano-clarinet he uses the 'PlayEasy' permanent-system by Nick Kückmeier.

Christian was awarded the Youth Cultural Award of the city Wörgl in 2009.

More information about Christian can be found on his website http:// spitzenstaetter.eu.

Christian was invited by EMCY to perform in a special concert with German, European and Japanese prize winners in Neubrandenburg, Germany as part of Jugend musiziert 2011.

Repertoire

Solo:

O. Messiaen, Abîme des oiseaux (clarinet)
C. Spitzenstätter, Burleske (clarinet)
C. Spitzenstätter, Clareffects (clarinet)
C. Spitzenstätter, Das Leben ist Wunderbar (clarinet)

With piano:

J. Brahms, Sonata E flat Major (clarinet)
J. Castérède, Pastorale (saxophone)
A. Chailleux, Andante and Allegro (saxophone)
P. Creston, Sonata (Op. 19) 2nd movement (saxophone)
G. Finzi, Five Bagatelles (Op. 23) (clarinet)
N. Gade, Phantasiestykker (Op. 43) (clarinet)
B. Heiden, Sonata (saxophone)
P. Iturralde, Pequena Czardas (saxophone)
W. Lutoslawski, Dance Preludes (clarinet)
B. Martinu, Sonatina for clarinet and piano
D. Milhaud, Petit Concert (clarinet)
D. Milhaud, Scaramouche (saxophone)
F. Poulenc, Sonata (clarinet)
J. Rueff, Chanson et Passebied (saxophone)
R. A. Schumann, Fantasiestücke (clarinet)
C. Spitzenstätter, May 25 (saxophone)
C. Spitzenstätter, Small piece for clarinet, cowbell and piano (clarinet or bass-clarinet)
C. Spitzenstätter, NullAchtNullFünfZehn (bass-clarinet)
C. Stamitz, Clarinet Concerto No. 3 in B flat Major (clarinet)
H. und N. Toshiyuki, Jazz Etude - Session IV (saxophone)
C. Stamitz, Clarinet Concerto No. 10 in B flat Major (clarinet)
C. M. von Weber, Concertino (Op. 26) (clarinet)
C. M. von Weber, Grand Duo Concertant (Op. 48) (clarinet)

Chamber music:

F. Bramböck, ANG-quartet (saxophone quartet)
F. Bramböck, Der Tanz ums goldene Zelt (clarinet sextet)
F. Bramböck, Madrugada (clarinet sextet)
F. Bramböck, Sunny Island (saxophone quartet)
F. Bramböck, 'Was kummt, kummt…' (saxophone quartet)
R. Clerisse, Introduction et Scherzo (saxophone quartet)
Y. Desportes, Caractère (clarinet sextet)
F. Farkas, Old Hungarian Dances (saxophone quartet)
J. Françaix, Petit Quatuor (saxophone quartet)
G. Gershwin, Oh lady, be good (clarinet quartet)
J. Harbison, Trio Sonata(clarinet trio)
J. F. Hummel, Trio for three clarinets (clarinet trio)
R. Jettel, Theme and Variations (clarinet trio)
M. Kibbe, Shtetl Tanzen (clarinet trio)
A. Mader, Kleines Stück zum Zeitvertreib (saxophone quartet)
W. A. Mozart, Divertimento No. 5 (clarinet trio)
W. A. Mozart, Ouverture zur Zauberflöte (clarinet sextet)
A. Piazolla, Histoires du Tango (saxophone quartet)
L. Pollack, That's a Plenty (saxophone quartet)
M. Poot, Terzetto (clarinet trio)
J.-B. Singelée, Premier Quatuor (Op. 53) (saxophone quartet)
B. Smetana, Dance of the Comedians (clarinet quartet)
C. Spitzenstätter, 'C_U_T' (saxophone quartet)
C. Spitzenstätter, Die drei Grinsbacken (clarinet trio)
C. Spitzenstätter, Klarinettenschwankungen (clarinet octet and soloist)
C. Spitzenstätter, Schräginettentrio (clarinet trio)
C. Spitzenstätter, Schräginettenquartett 1 (clarinet quartet)
C. Spitzenstätter, Schräginettenquartett 2 (clarinet quartet)
C. Spitzenstätter, Short fanfare (saxophone quartet)
A. Uhl, Divertimento (clarinet quartet)

With orchestra:

B. Crusell, Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in E flat Major (Op. 1) (clarinet)
B. Heiden, Diversion for saxophone and band (saxophone)
F. Schubert, Offertorium 'Totus in corde langueo' in C Major (D136) (clarinet)
C. Stamitz, Concerto for two clarinets (clarinet)

If you are interested in working with Christian, please get in touch with the EMCY Office.