Berlin Philharmonic Appoints First Female Concertmaster, Vineta Sareika-Völkner

After ten months in the orchestra, Sareika-Völkner will become the first female concertmaster in the 141-year history of the orchestra

A member of the Berliner Philharmoniker since May 2022, Latvian violinist Vineta Sareika-Völkner will take on her new role as first concertmaster in April 2023.

Born in Jūrmala, Latvia, Sareika-Völkner studied at the Paris Conservatoire National under Gérard Poulet and at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium under Augustin Dumay.

Known for her work as the first violinist of the Artemis Quartet from 2012 to 2021, she has also served as the first concertmaster with the Royal Flemish Philharmonic (2011-2013) under the direction of Edo de Waart and Philippe Herreweghe. She regularly plays as a guest concertmaster with the Brussels Royal Opera Orchestra and the Brussels Philharmonic.

A laureate of the Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition and several ECHO CLASSIC Awards, Sareika-Völkner was also given the Award of the Ministry of Culture of Latvia, named the Instrumentalist of the Year 2009 by the Latvian Radio, and recently honored with the country's most prestigious cultural award, the Great Music Award.

As a soloist, she has performed with the likes of the London Philharmonia Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra, and the Belgian National Orchestra. She has worked with conductors such as Andris Nelsons, Paul Goodwin, Gilbert Varga, Jean-Bernard Pommier, and Gérard Korsten, and performs regularly on famous stages such as Carnegie Hall, Berlin Philharmonie, Sidney Recital Hall, Kennedy Center Washington, and Wigmore Hall.

As an educator, Sareika-Völkner teaches chamber music at Universität der Künste Berlin and the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium.