Caroline Oltmanns is an internationally acclaimed pianist and educator celebrated for her exceptional artistry and profound expressiveness. A Fulbright Scholar and International Steinway Artist, she has released seven solo albums, including the highly acclaimed WIND (2022). Caroline has performed at prestigious venues such as Weill Recital Hall in New York and Redlands Bowl in Los Angeles, and has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras such as the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra. She is a passionate advocate for contemporary music and has premiered numerous works.

As a professor of piano at Youngstown State University, Caroline shares her extensive experience in masterclasses worldwide. Her honors include the 2022 and 2025 Steinway Top Teacher Award and regular adjudication of competitions such as the Cleveland International Piano Competition. Caroline Oltmanns remains an outstanding figure in the classical music scene, inspiring and moving with each of her performances and teachings.

Ewald Arenz is the eldest son of the Arenz family of artists and brother of the writer Sigrun Arenz and the actor and author Helwig Arenz, all three of whom published with ars vivendi. Ewald Arenz is also related to the sculptor Ewald Rumpf (uncle) and the writer Mara Winter (cousin).

Arenz graduated from the Heinrich Schliemann Gymnasium in Fürth and initially studied law at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. After a few semesters, he switched his major to English, American Studies, and History.

He has received numerous cultural awards for his literary work. Arenz hosts the program Das Feiertagsfeuilleton on Bayern 2 and directed the semester writing workshop at the Fürth City Theater from 2009 to 2012. From 2007 to 2010, he wrote the weekly literary column "Meine kleine Welt" (My Little World) for the Nürnberger Nachrichten newspaper. Together with his siblings Sigrun and Helwig, he continued it in a new form from 2015 to 2017 under the title Our Little World. Since spring 2024, he has written the biweekly column "How Was It at School" for ZEIT. In 2018, he moved to DuMont Buchverlag. Since 2020, he has been represented by the British publisher Orenda Books for the English-language editions.

Arenz is a teacher at the Johannes-Scharrer-Gymnasium in Nuremberg, where he teaches English and history. He is the father of three children and lives near Fürth. Together with his brother, Arenz regularly organizes literary events, such as the annual park readings in Fürth's city park with renowned authors.