Concert information
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Violinist Pinchas Zukerman is a musical legend – not only as a soloist, but also as a chamber musician. He has played chamber music since his first violin lesson, he says, and the most important thing it taught him was how to listen. In this programme, Zukerman joins members of the Berliner Philharmoniker in three richly Romantic works for strings: Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s exuberant Second String Quintet, Johannes Brahms’s joyous String Sextet No. 1 and the dreamy sextet with which Richard Strauss opens his opera Capriccio.
Artists
Pinchas Zukerman violin
Members of the Berliner Philharmoniker:
Thomas Timm violin
Amihai Grosz viola
Naoko Shimizu viola
Bruno Delepelaire cello
Olaf Maninger cello
Programme
Richard Strauss
Capriccio, op. 85: String Sextet
Felix Mendelssohn
String Quintet No. 2 in B flat major, op. 87
Interval
Johannes Brahms
String Sextet No. 1 in B flat major, op. 18
Additional information
Duration ca. 1 hour and 45 minutes (incl. 20 minutes interval)
Dates and tickets
Chamber Music Hall
18 to 41 €
Introduction
19:15
with Meike Pfister
Background
Biography
Pinchas Zukerman
Violinist Pinchas Zukerman is known for his full-bodied tone, lyrical playing and technical assurance. “Sound,” he said in an interview for the Digital Concert Hall, “is everything to a musician.” He began his training in Tel Aviv with Ilona Feher, a pupil of Jenő Hubay, before moving to the United States in 1962 to study with Ivan Galamian at the Juilliard School. Isaac Stern was an important mentor, helping him pursue his studies in New York. Zukerman has appeared regularly with the Berliner Philharmoniker since his debut in 1970 and also conducted the orchestra in 1990.
His discography comprises more than 100 recordings and has earned him 21 Grammy nominations and two awards. Chamber music has been central to his career, including his performances and recordings with Jacqueline du Pré and Daniel Barenboim. He now plays in the Zukerman Trio with cellist Amanda Forsyth, his wife, and pianist Shai Wosner.
Alongside his performing career, Zukerman has chaired the Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music for more than 30 years. He has also taught at institutions in the UK, Israel, China and Canada.
Thomas Timm
Thomas Timm comes from a family of musicians in Leipzig and has been first principal of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s second violins since autumn 2000. He studied with Klaus Hertel, Zakhar Bron and Igor Ozim and began his orchestral career as first concertmaster at the Semperoper Dresden, joining the Philharmoniker shortly afterwards.
As a soloist, he has appeared with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the MDR Symphony Orchestra and the Berliner Philharmoniker, most recently as one of the soloists in Mozart’s Concertone. He also performs regularly in chamber concerts with members of the orchestra, including a programme with Janine Jansen in April 2026. He has taught at the Karajan Academy since 2003.
Amihai Grosz
Amihai Grosz has been principal viola of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2010. Born in Jerusalem, he switched from violin to viola at the age of eleven. He studied with David Chen at the Jerusalem Academy of Music, Tabea Zimmermann at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin and Haim Taub at the Keshet Eilon Music Center. He was also a member of the Young Musicians Group of the Jerusalem Music Center.
Before joining the Berliner Philharmoniker, Grosz spent many years with the Jerusalem Quartet. He continues to perform as a soloist and chamber musician, appearing with fellow orchestra members in Ensemble Made in Berlin and the Philharmonic Octet. In January 2025, he was the soloist in the world premiere of Donghoon Shin’s viola concerto Threadsuns.
Naoko Shimizu
Naoko Shimizu has been principal viola of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2001. She initially studied violin in Tokyo before switching to viola in 1992. In 1994, she moved to Germany to continue her studies with Nobuko Imai in Detmold. Her competition successes include prizes at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in the USA. As a soloist, she has performed with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Budapest Strings and numerous Japanese orchestras.
Shimizu is a member of the Philharmonic String Quartet, alongside colleagues from the orchestra. Her chamber music appearances also include the festivals in Lockenhaus and Marlboro. She gives masterclasses in Germany and abroad.
Bruno Delepelaire
Bruno Delepelaire has been principal cello of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2013. He studied with Philippe Muller at the Paris Conservatoire, Jens Peter Maintz at the Berlin University of the Arts and Ludwig Quandt at the Karajan Academy. He also attended masterclasses with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, François Salque and Wolfgang Boettcher.
As a soloist, Delepelaire has appeared on several occasions with the Berliner Philharmoniker and with other orchestras internationally. His chamber music ensembles include Quatuor Cavatine, which he co-founded in 2011, the Berlin Piano Quartet and the 12 Cellists of the Berliner Philharmoniker.
Olaf Maninger
Olaf Maninger joined the Berliner Philharmoniker in 1995 and was appointed principal cello the following year. He studied with János Starker and Boris Pergamenschikow and is a member of the 12 Cellists of the Berliner Philharmoniker, also performing in other ensembles with orchestra colleagues.
Alongside his performing career, Maninger has helped shape the orchestra’s media activities. He served as managing director of the Berliner Philharmoniker GbR from 1997 to 2002 and played a key role in developing the Digital Concert Hall. Since 2008, he has been managing director of Berlin Phil Media GmbH. He also serves on the orchestra’s media board and is a deputy member of the Foundation’s executive board.
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