Founder and Management
Founder Wolfgang Habermayer and Gabriela Habermayer jointly manage Merito String Instruments Trust Ltd. The combination of economic and legal expertise, along with a passion for music and historical string instruments, forms the basis for this successful initiative.
Founding idea
Over the decades, the continuously rising prices of historical string instruments have made it increasingly impossible for musicians to acquire such instruments on their own. The purchase of renowned instruments can exceed a musician’s annual income by more than a hundredfold. High-quality historical instruments are essential for a successful career and are therefore required at an early stage of a musician's professional journey.
This demand inspired the founding idea to create a unique platform aimed at convincing music-enthusiast investors of the need to support musicians and to promote musical careers through the acquisition of instruments.
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Management
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Dr. Wolfgang Habermayer
More about the person
After studying at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, Dr. Wolfgang Habermayer completed a postgraduate program at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. His professional career began at Citibank, after which he moved to the Austrian subsidiary of Standard Chartered Bank, where he advanced to the board of directors within a few years. Further steps followed as a board member of the Austrian subsidiary of Westdeutsche Landesbank and as spokesman for the management of Deutsche Bank Austria. In 2000, Dr. Habermayer was appointed to the board of Bank Austria AG. This was followed by two business ventures: MERITO Financial Solutions GmbH, a securities firm licensed by the FMA, founded in 2005, and Merito String Instruments Trust GmbH, established in 2014.
Alongside his professional career, Dr. Habermayer has shared his expertise through long-term academic teaching engagements at the prestigious IESE Business School in Barcelona and the Vienna University of Economics and Business.
Since 2007, Dr. Habermayer has been a member of the board of trustees of the Wiener Konzerthaus.
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Dr. Gabriela Habermayer
More about the person
During her eight years of training at the Vienna Conservatory of Music in the master class for piano, Gabriela Habermayer decided to pursue a law degree at the University of Vienna. After earning her doctorate in law (Dr. iur.), she completed a judicial clerkship and a postgraduate program at the College of Europe in Bruges. Her professional career led her to the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Vienna, where she served for over 30 years as Head of the Trade Policy Department, actively shaping Austria’s positions in the context of EU accession, EU trade negotiations with third countries, and the World Trade Organization.
Parallel to her career, she maintained her passion for music by frequently attending concerts and opera performances.