The Berlin Philharmonic has announced that Latvian violinist Vineta Sareika-Völkner will be its first female concertmaster since its establishment in 1882, joining in April 2023.

After successfully auditioning for the role, Sareika-Völkner takes her position just 10 months after joining the orchestra in April last year.

Vineta Sareika-Völkner. Photo supplied.

Currently holding the position of Professor of Chamber Music at Berlin University of the Arts, Sareika-Völkner has previously served as concertmaster for the Royal Flemish Philharmonic between 2011 – 2013, and has joined both the Brussels Royal Opera Orchestra and Brussels Philharmonic. 

Since 2012, she has also performed as a violinist in the Artemis Quartet until it announced an indefinite hiatus from performing and the dissolution of its current lineup in May 2021. She has also performed as a soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Chamber Orchestra and the Belgian National Orchestra.

Sareika-Völkner has studied at the Paris Conservatoire National and the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, in Belgium. She is a laureate of the Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition, and has also been the recipient of several...