Philharmonic Chamber Music: In search of the “I”

Cornelia Gartemann has been a member of the second violin section of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2003. She received her first violin lessons at the age of six. At the age of 15, she studied under Eckhard Fischer at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold, where she continued her training under Thomas Christian after completing her artistic matriculation examination. She also attended master classes held by Saschko Gawriloff, Rainer Kussmaul, Herman Krebbers and Yfrah Neaman. Cornelia Gartemann has won prizes at various national and international competitions; she was a scholarship holder of the Jürgen Ponto Foundation, the German Foundation for Musical Life and the German Music Council. She performs as a soloist and chamber musician in concerts and at festivals in Germany, other European countries and Asia. In 2000, the violinist founded the Duo Vialto with her sister Julia Gartemann (viola).

Julia Gartemann studied viola at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold under Nobuko Imai and at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia under Michael Tree. She was subsequently a scholarship holder at the Berliner Philharmoniker’'s Karajan Academy. Julia Gartemann enjoyed success in various competitions and was awarded numerous prizes and scholarships (German Foundation for Musical Life, German Academic Scholarship Foundation, among others). In November 2000, the musician was accepted into the viola section of the Berliner Philharmoniker.  Julia Gartemann gives guest performances as a soloist and as a chamber musician in Germany and abroad. She is also involved in Philharmoniker chamber music groups (Venus Ensemble Berlin, Brahms Ensemble Berlin) and with her sister Cornelia in the Duo Vialto. She also teaches as a lecturer at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin.

Solène Kermarrec comes from Brest (France) and completed her cello studies at three renowned institutions: at the Conservatoire national supérieur de Musique in Paris under Jean-Marie Gamard, at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest under Miklós Perényi and at Berlin University of the Arts in the class of Wolfgang Boettcher. She has been awarded several prizes, including first prize at the Domenico Gabrielli Competition in 2003. Since January 2007, Solène Kermarrec has been a member of the cello group of the Berliner Philharmoniker and consequently also of the internationally successful ensemble of the 12 cellists; she also plays in the Venus Ensemble Berlin.

Christoph von der Nahmer started playing the violin at the age of five. He studied under Thomas Brandis, the long-time first concertmaster of the Berliner Philharmoniker, and was a scholarship holder at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. This was followed by solo performances with the Landesjugendorchester NRW, the Baden-Baden Philharmonie and the Berliner Symphoniker. In 1997, Christoph von der Nahmer was accepted into the second violin section of the Berliner Philharmoniker while still a student. It was not until the following year that he took his concert exam at Berlin University of the Arts. In addition to his work in the orchestra and solo performances, the violinist is involved in chamber music with the Philharmonic Camerata.

The Turkish-American pianist Özgur Aydin has performed as a soloist with various orchestras in Germany and Turkey and made guest appearances at festivals including those in Schleswig-Holstein, Edinburgh and Ravinia. In addition, the keen chamber musician regularly performs with members of the Berliner Philharmoniker and has played with Midori, Kolja Blacher and Clemens Hagen, among others. Aydin was born in Colorado (USA) and began his music studies at the conservatory in Ankara. He then continued his education at the Royal College in London and at the University of Music, Drama and Media Hanover. In 1997, he won the renowned ARD International Music Competition in Munich and the Nippon Music Award in Tokyo. Özgür Aydin lives in Berlin and teaches at Berlin University of the Arts.