Informations
Facts
Born in Yokohama, Japan
Member since 01.09.2011
Biography
When her mother asked Marlene Ito if she’d like to learn the violin, the four-year-old girl had no idea what it was, but from her first lesson, she was delighted with the instrument. After studying at the conservatory in Sydney with Goetz Richter, in 2003 Marlene Ito went to Germany, where she continued her training at the Lübeck Musikhochschule as well as at the Universität der Künste in Berlin with Nora Chastain. While still a student she became a member of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Karajan Academy (2006-2008).
She also attended numerous masterclasses, including those of Pinchas Zukerman, Zakhar Bron, Walter Levin and the Artemis Quartet. In addition, she gathered orchestral experience as an intern with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the NDR Symphony Orchestra of Hamburg, and deputized in ensembles such as Berlin’s Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester and Cologne’s Gürzenich Orchestra.
Her first permanent engagement was in 2009, when she became first concertmaster of Berlin’s Komische Oper. In September 2011, she moved to the Berliner Philharmoniker. Since March 2020, Marlene Ito has been 1st principal of her violin section. She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the National Radio Orchestra of Ireland, the Berliner Symphoniker, the Hamburger Symphoniker and the Kammerakademie Potsdam, with conductors including Lorin Maazel, Ivan Fischer, Michael Sanderling, Georg Fritzsch and Richard Gill. Marlene Ito is also an active chamber musician. She is a member of the Varian Fry Quartet (all of whom are also members of the Berliner Philharmoniker), which has performed in Asia, the USA and Europe. Her chamber music colleagues include Andras Schiff, Tabea Zimmermann, and Vineta Sareika. She is a member of the Strings Faculty at the University of the Arts Berlin as Assistant to Nora Chastain.
Awards
Prizewinner, International Max Rostal Competition 2006
First Prize, Kendall National Violin Competition
Ensembles of the Berliner Philharmoniker
