Do you play the zither or are you a zither-enthusiast?
(today, one would say “zither-follower”)
Zithersound is the place where you can hear, see, and read about the characteristic features of the zither.
You can find all answers and even more on this blog, on Instagram, and on the Zithersound YouTube Channel!
If you have already asked yourself one of the following questions, this is the place to be!
- How does modern music sound when played on the zither?
- Why is the style of playing the Viennese Zither an intangible cultural heritage of the UNESCO?
- How can I stay motivated to practice playing the zither?
- How can I, as a non-engineer, easily record my music?
- How should I bring my old instrument on the attic back to life?
Since 2019, the project Zithersound is refined by three people – David, Anna and Lisa. The trio does not only play new, modern songs, but also wants to bring the zither closer to younger people.
Their current programme includes well-known classical compositions and traditional Viennese songs, as well as soundtracks (e.g. Star Wars, Game of Thrones, …). Their large repertoire includes compositions for all occasions, ranging from Christmas or birthday parties to background music. Moreover, it is possible to play in any combination – solo, duo or trio (though, obviously, trio is the greatest fun for all three).
Who is behind ZITHERSOUND?

David Riepl
Zithersound was founded in 2017 by David Riepl. David has been an enthusiastic zither player and technology freak for more than 20 years. He made it his goal to combine his musical and technical skills and share his experiences with other zither players and zither fans – worldwide (from Austria to Argentina to Japan and back again).

However, the zither is a rare instrument today, it is important to preserve its music and how to play it. One way of doing this is to spark interest also from a younger audience. This is the main reason for David to share not only traditional literature on Zithersound, but also present modern music.
Anna Karnthaler
While Anna takes care of small and large animals as a vet during the day, she spends a large part of her free time on her musical and artistic skills. She sings, plays the piano, arranges compositions for our zither-trio and also illustrates specialist literature with her beautiful drawings.

For many years, Anna has been playing every kind of song she could get (especially soundtracks, ranging from Disney to Game of Thrones). Since 2019 she is an active member of Zithersound.
Lisa Trattner
Lisa works enthusiastically in the field of medical research and loves to spend her spare time in nature, particularly in the local mountains. There are not many things which can distract her from her thrilling experiments. However, music and especially the Zither are definitely one of these.

Lisa plays both as zither-soloist and in various ensemble formations. She performs at different occasions – ranging from regular concerts, to performances during events or benefit performances. She is a member of Zithersound since 2019 and wants to share her musical projects with the whole world. Together with Rudi Hausmann she connects music with literature. In addition she is a member of ZitherAct, an ensemble in Salzburg / Upper Austria.
Vienna Zither Company
Additionally to their work at Zithersound, David, Anna and Lisa are members of the Vienna Zither Company.
The Vienna Zither Company is a shared music-project, which was funded 2005 in Ottakring (16th municipal district of Vienna). Their goal is to preserve the art of playing the Viennese Zither and breathe new life into it. The Zithersound-Trio regularly plays concerts with other zitherists of the Vienna Zither Company, which are actually now spread across Europe.