Zofia Neugebauer

Zofia Neugebauer was born in Wodzislaw Slaski, Poland, in 1994, and began playing the piano at the age of five. However, her fascination with the subtle possibilities of the flute led her to take up the instrument at the age of ten, and her continued passion for its rich and delicate sound blossomed into a rich and creative career. Her career as a solo flutist began when she performed with the Katowice Symphony Orchestra at the age of 13, subsequently leading her to perform, compete, and study in numerous prestigious musical centres across Europe.

To further her musical knowledge, Zofia completed her secondary education in Wroclaw, at the “Karol Szymanowski” Specialist Music School under the tutelage of Cezary Traczewski. During this period, she had the opportunity to meet and learn from several inspiring artists and teachers, including Professor Felix Renggli. Following a masterclass with him, Zofia decided to audition for his class at the Hochschule für Musik Basel. Over the following years, she worked closely with Professor Renggli on her musical development, while also discovering new opportunities to perform with small ensembles and orchestras at festivals in Germany and Switzerland.

Zofia completed her Bachelor’s degree (achieving the highest grade and a distinction) in Basel in 2016, and immediately began a Master’s in Performance at the same institution. However, her postgraduate studies were interrupted when she was selected as a member of the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 2017. Over the next two years, she continued to learn and develop within this prestigious institution, under the guidance of Mathieu Dufour. Since then, she has had the opportunity to perform at Europe’s most renowned music festivals, such as the Verbier Festival, the Gezeiten Konzerte, the Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Krzyżowa Music, and the Bad Kissinger Sommer.

Zofia was appointed principal flutist at the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, where she played from 2019 to 2021, relishing the opportunity to perform major works from the orchestral repertoire in a demanding and artistically excellent atmosphere. She now holds a temporary position with the Sinfonieorchester Basel. She also regularly appears as a soloist with orchestras such as the Gürzenich Orchester Köln, Camerata Zurich, and the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, having worked with conductors including Simon Rattle, Iván Fischer, Zubin Mehta, and Paavo Järvi.

She has also successfully participated in numerous competitions across Europe, and received a scholarship from the Mozart Gesellschaft Dortmund in 2018, as well as from Villa Musica in 2022. She was also a scholarship recipient of the Polish Ministry of Culture.

Through all these achievements and performances, Zofia remains committed to her artistic and personal development. She constantly seeks new avenues of expression. She composes her own works and artistic creations, which helps her deepen her understanding of emotions and classical music.