Those who succeed in being invited to participate in the International Summer Academy of the mdw—affectionately known as “isa”—can expect more than just master classes with top-flight artists. isa’s numerous event venues also invite one to discover the Semmering-Rax region’s immense culturohistorical significance.

With its 2023 theme of “We and Me”, the international exchange at this year’s isa will focus on the tension between the individual and the collective, between the personal and the communal. isa23 is taking a deeper look at music’s social components.

At this year’s 32nd edition of isa, whose motto “Always anew” invited participants to place the positive power of creativity and the motivation to start over and reinvent oneself at the centre of their artistic work and reflection, Israeli pianist Yuval Shmila was among the students. Yuval allowed mdw Magazine to spend an entire day accompanying her.

For the 32nd time, isa will see the mdw bring together outstanding students and prominent musicians from all over the world in several history-steeped communities nestled amongst the Vienna Alps. The special combination of natural beauty and historico-cultural significance to be found in this region of southern Lower Austria provides the ideal backdrop for high-intensity artistic encounters.