Artist in Residence
Janine Jansen, Sunwook Kim, and Members of the Berliner Philharmoniker Artist in ResidenceJanine Jansen, Sunwook Kim, and Members of the Berliner Philharmoniker

In matters large and small
The Chamber Music tradition of the Berliner Philharmoniker 

Chamber music means engaging in a dialogue between equals and creating a shared artistic identity as a group. Naturally, the musicians of the Berliner Philharmoniker are passionate about this art form. Violist Julia Gartemann and cellist Knut Weber talk about their experiences.

Biography

Janine Jansen

For Janine Jansen, music is an existential experience.  “I want that intensity,” she says. “As a musician, I always want to give everything, and never hold back.” Her playing is often described as having a speech-like quality, and she pays keen attention to the shaping of individual notes.  Janine Jansen was born in Soest, near Utrecht. At the age of 19, after completing her studies and making her debut at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam in 1997, she launched her international career. Her debut album was released in 2003, followed a year later by a recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons that became a worldwide success. 

Sunwook Kim

Sunwook Kim has been praised by The Guardian for “his technique and the extensive range of his tone colours.” Born in Seoul in 1988, Sunwook Kim was the first Asian pianist and youngest person in 40 years to win the prestigious piano competition in Leeds, England; he was 18 years old. In June 2021, Kim made his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker – and was immediately invited back.

Marlene Ito

Marlene Ito studied in Sydney before continuing her training at the Lübeck University of Music and the Berlin University of the Arts. During this time, she held a scholarship from the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker. She gained her first orchestral experience with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as well as with leading German symphony orchestras. In 2009, Marlene Ito became associate concertmaster of the orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin. In 2011 she joined the Berliner Philharmoniker, where she now serves as principal of the second violins.

Thomas Timm

Thomas Timm studied violin in Leipzig, Lübeck and Bern. He has received numerous prizes and scholarships from prestigious competitions and foundations in Germany and abroad. Since 2000, he has been principal second violin of the Berliner Philharmoniker. He has performed as a soloist with the MDR-Sinfonieorchester and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Concert tours have taken him throughout Europe, as well as to Japan, China and the United States. Thomas Timm is a member of the Philharmonische Stradivari-Solisten Berlin and has been teaching at the Karajan-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker since 2003.

Christophe Horák

Christophe Horák studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and received musical inspiration from Zakhar Bron, Toru Yasunaga, as well as from members of the Melos Quartet and the Borodin Quartet. From 2000 to 2002, the violinist was a member of the Karajan Academy; a year later he joined the second violins of the Berliner Philharmoniker, where he has served as section leader since June 2009. Since then, Christophe Horák has also taught at the Karajan Academy. As a chamber musician, he is active with ensembles such as the Scharoun Ensemble Berlin and the Berlin Piano Quartet.

Amihai Grosz

Amihai Grosz has been principal violist of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2010. The Jerusalem-born musician switched from violin to viola at the age of eleven. He studied with David Chen at the Jerusalem Academy of Music, with Tabea Zimmermann at the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin, and with Haim Taub at the Keshet Eilon Music Center. Amihai Grosz played for many years in the Jerusalem Quartet before deciding to pursue a career as an orchestral musician. In addition, he is a sought-after soloist and chamber music partner.

Naoko Shimizu

Naoko Shimizu first studied violin in Tokyo before switching to viola in 1992. In 1994 she moved to Germany, where she continued her studies with Nobuko Imai in Detmold. She won prizes at competitions including the ARD Music Competition in Munich and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in the United States. Naoko Shimizu has been solo violist of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2001. As a soloist, she has appeared with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Budapest Strings, and numerous Japanese orchestras.

Ludwig Quandt

Ludwig Quandt studied at the Musikhochschule Lübeck with Arthur Troester, who served as principal cellist of the Berliner Philharmoniker from 1935 to 1945—a position Quandt himself would assume nearly 50 years later as Troester’s last student. During and after his studies, he attended masterclasses with Boris Pergamenschikow, Zara Nelsova, Maurice Gendron, Wolfgang Boettcher and Siegfried Palm. In 1991, he became a member of the Berliner Philharmoniker, and since 1993 he has served as its principal cellist. He performs worldwide as a soloist and chamber musician and is a member of various ensembles within the orchestra.

Bruno Delepelaire

Bruno Delepelaire studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Philippe Muller, at the Berlin University of the Arts with Jens Peter Maintz, and with Ludwig Quandt at the Karajan-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker. He also attended masterclasses with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, François Salque and Wolfgang Boettcher. Since 2013, he has been principal cellist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, appearing regularly as a soloist in the orchestra’s concerts. Bruno Delepelaire also performs frequently as a guest with other orchestras and can be heard in chamber music with the Berlin Piano Quartet and the 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic.

Stefan Dohr

Stefan Dohr is principal horn of the Berliner Philharmoniker and enjoys a reputation as an outstanding soloist and chamber musician. He studied in Essen and Cologne and held principal horn positions with the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin before joining the Berliner Philharmoniker in 1993. He is committed to the classical, Romantic and contemporary repertoire and regularly appears as a soloist. In addition to his teaching at the Karajan-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker, he teaches at leading music academies in Berlin, Helsinki and London.