Berliner Philharmoniker Ensembles
Mozart versus Salieri

Salieri vs Mozart?
Myth and truth of a rivalry 

Antonio Salieri’s reputation in the music world is clouded. He is rumoured to have been a mediocre composer, and suspected of poisoning his rival, Mozart. During his lifetime Salieri was an immensely successful composer, described by peers as a likeable person. But is his music equal to that of Mozart? At the beginning of March a chamber concert with members of the Berliner Philharmoniker offers a chance to examine this question more closely.

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

Johanna Pichlmair

Johanna Pichlmair began playing the violin at the age of six and was taught by Alexandra Rappitsch until she began university. She studied at the Mozarteum Salzburg with Igor Ozim, then continued in Berlin at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler with Antje Weithaas and Feng Ning, as well as at the University of the Arts with Nora Chastain. From 2014 to 2016, she was a member of the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker and furthered her education in masterclasses with Pinchas Zukerman, Lewis Kaplan, Eberhard Feltz, and others. In 2017, she joined the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; since March 2020, she has been a member of the first violin section of the Berliner Philharmoniker.

Rachel Schmidt

Rachel Schmidt performed as a soloist with the Philharmonic State Orchestra Bremen at the age of twelve. From 1988, she was a junior student at music academies in Hamburg, Lübeck, and Saarbrücken. Between 1991 and 1995 she studied with Valery Klimov at the Hochschule des Saarlandes, and from 1998 to 2000 with Thomas Brandis at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin. She received support from the German National Academic Foundation, the Villa Musica Foundation, and the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben. Since 2001, Rachel Schmidt has been a member of the second violin section of the Berliner Philharmoniker, and she regularly performs with chamber music ensembles, including the Scharoun Ensemble Berlin and the Brahms Ensemble Berlin.

Tobias Reifland

As a seven-year-old, Tobias Reifland chose to learn the viola because he felt drawn to the instrument’s dark, warm sound. He studied at the Frankfurt University of Music and at the Munich University of Music with Roland Glassl. He received  additional training at the Kronberg Academy, the Detmold Summer Academy, and the Accademia Musicale di Chigiana in Siena, as well as in masterclasses with Atar Arad, Barbara Westphal, and Tabea Zimmermann. Born in Stuttgart, he was principal violist of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra until he joined the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2022.

Kyoungmin Park 

Kyoungmin Park began playing the violin at the age of six, but switched to the viola at eleven, drawn to its dark sound. In 2003, the South Korean musician moved to Vienna to study, and in 2008 she went to Berlin, where she studied at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler, first with Walter Küssner and later with Tabea Zimmermann. She also attended master classes with Wilfried Strehle, the former principal violist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, who acquainted her with the orchestra’s ideal sound. Since 2018, she has been a member of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Kyoungmin Park plays a viola made by Patrick Robin (Angers, 2012) on loan from the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben.

Moritz Huemer

Moritz Huemer began cello lessons at the age of five with Josef Hofer at the Liechtenstein Music School. From 2015 to 2018, he was a junior student with Rafael Rosenfeld at the Music Academy Basel. He completed his bachelor’s degree with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt in Weimar and his master’s degree with Jens Peter Maintz at the Berlin University of the Arts. He received additional artistic inspiration in master classes with Thomas Grossenbacher and David Geringas. From 2022 to 2024, Moritz Huemer was a scholarship holder of the Karajan Academy. His first position took him to the Komische Oper Berlin as associate principal cellist, before he joined the cello section of the Berliner Philharmoniker—and thus the 12 Cellists—in May 2025.

László Gál 

László Gál comes from a family of musicians—both his father and grandfather were principal horn players in Budapest orchestras. From an early age, he knew he wanted to learn the horn and become an orchestral musician. In 2015, László Gál moved to Berlin to study at the University of the Arts with Christian Friedrich Dallmann. He then attended the Orchestra Academy of the Staatskapelle Berlin and gained his first orchestral experience playing third horn in the Staatskapelle, before joining the Berliner Philharmoniker in May 2022—an orchestra he has felt connected to since childhood.