Kontai Ensemble

Kontai is a fluid string ensemble from Munich, centered around violinist Teresa Allgaier and cellist Juri Kannheiser who have collaborated for many years in classical chamber music, live-bands and for studio recordings, as well as in interdisciplinary contexts. With Kontai, they focus on contemporary chamber music, working with emerging international composers such as Sophia Jani, Viktor Orri Árnason, Ralph Heidel, Friederike Bernhardt, Theresa Zaremba, Annamaria Kowalsky or Matīss Čudars. All the musicians behind Kontai are classically trained and share a long-standing collaboration on projects across various genres. The ensemble was founded during their collaboration with composer Sophia Jani for her debut album Music as a mirror (2022 via Neue Meister). In 2024, they recorded the soundtrack to the reading "Das andere Leben" by the theatre group Formation d 451, composed by Therese Strasser. Kontai will release their new EP ‚Trost’ featuring commissioned works for violin and cello in 2026.