Two musicians, one unique sonic cosmos. With guitar and cello, Christian Heidenbauer and Christof Unterberger blend minimal music, neoclassical influences, electronic textures, and acoustic elements into a captivating sound journey. Their program is versatile, experimental, interactive, and pure emotion.
Their performance is a fascinating interplay between two artists who share an intuitive connection. They are virtuosic sound poets with a passion for unconventional sounds.
An electric guitar played with a sponge and a violin bow, a cello processed through guitar effect pedals, a nylon guitar transformed into a synthesizer. But their secret sauce is improvisation.
Some pieces emerge spontaneously on stage. That’s why the duo’s name embodies their musical concept:
Pars Momentum – In the moment of the present.
Born in Bregenz, Austria, he received his first musical training at the Graz Conservatory. From 1991 to 1995, he studied at the prestigious Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris, first under Klaus Heitz and later with Philippe Muller, under whose guidance he completed his concert diploma in cello performance.
In recent years, Unterberger has increasingly explored musical genres beyond classical music. Performances with Plácido Domingo, Soap & Skin, Kenny Werner, Arkady Shilkloper, Ulrich Drechsler, Etta Scollo, Patricia Kaas, Michael Bolton, Sarah Brightman, Natalie Cole, Marque, and André Heller led him into the worlds of jazz, soul, pop, and world music.
Since 2006, he has been composing and producing film music. Among his most notable works are contributions to Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs movie and the action film Iceman 3D, starring Donnie Yen.
Selected Awards:
Vienna Film Music Award
"Moondance Columbine Award" at the International Moondance Film Festival, Hollywood
Based in Vienna, he studied popular music guitar at ipop at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, from 2001 to 2006, under Martin Kelner and Peter Legat.
His musical work is characterized by a wide stylistic range—spanning from classical and pop to avant-garde. He has played as a sideman on some of Europe’s most prestigious stages and festivals, including the Elbphilharmonie, Lovestream Festival, the main stage of Donauinselfest, and Poland Rock Festival. Additionally, he has performed in major arenas such as Lanxess Arena, Mercedes-Benz Arena, and Olympiahalle—among many others.
Since 2012, Christian Heidenbauer has performed at over 200 concerts for Michael Patrick Kelly and has been involved in numerous TV, radio, live, and studio productions.
A particularly notable highlight of his career was his collaboration with Arthelps on the Resistruments project in Ukraine—a unique art and social initiative. This extraordinary project has received multiple awards, including the renowned 2024 Webby Award.