Berlin Philharmonic appoints first woman concertmaster

Berlin Philharmonic appoints first woman concertmaster

News

norman lebrecht

February 17, 2023

The orchestra has appointed the Latvian violinist Vineta Sareika-Völkner to its vacant concertmaster position, the first woman to occupy that coveted seat in 140 years.

Vineta has been playing in the first violins for the past ten months. She was previously first violin of the Artemis Quartet for nine years until its acrimonious break-up in May 2021. Before playing in the quartet, she was was 1st concertmaster of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic in Antwerp.

The Berlin position is high pressure and high visibility. She’s had less than a year to get used to the orchestra and its traditions.

Comments

  • Samach says:

    “Concertmistress”, thank you very much.

    Or even better, “Concertleader”, to avoid any association with “master” (and slave)

    But definitely not “Koncertführer”, please!

    • AD says:

      That’s interesting. I guess the word ‘master’ comes from the Latin ‘magister’ that became the Italian ‘maestro’. In Italian there is also the word ‘mastro’ that defines a very skilled, usually the head, worker (usually carpenter, or anyway related to artisan/manual works). I think in the music context this i valid as well. And so, i don’t think ‘concertmaster’ has nothing to do with the master/slave relationship.

      • Petros Linardos says:

        Well said.

        The term I am used to seeing, also with top orchestras, is Konzertmeister.

      • Del-boy says:

        More English language misunderstandings.

        “Master” is a wholly gender neutral term e.g. certain Judges until quite recently were called “Master” regardless of gender, and Masters of Foxhounds similarly regardless of gender going back hundreds of years. A Mistress is quite another thing in the English language!

    • Cuthbert J. Twilly says:

      Concert Individual.

    • Hercule says:

      Certainly not. It would be “Koncertführerin”

    • Snark Shark says:

      You sound like you have one of those rainbow “In this house” signs in your front yard.

    • NYMike says:

      “Concertmaster” is a gender-neutral term. Would you say, “conductress?” Enough of this BS!

    • Anthony Guterwicz says:

      And what is the connotation of “mistress”?

    • Pat says:

      Thats American!

      • Samach says:

        That’s right, and when the BP visits Carnegie Hall next year and the year after and…, they better figure out the American term they are going to use, because the American New York Times will surely have an American say in the matter.

    • Hugo Preuß says:

      Why on earth would a German orchestra use an English term for that position? There is nothing wrong with “Konzertmeister” or “Konzertmeisterin”, if you prefer. “Meister/Meisterin” in German has no connection to slavery whatsoever and it is used in a variety of perfectly innocent variations (for champions in sports, for instance).

    • Viola says:

      The term ” concertmistress” is unique to the US. It is not used in Europe.
      ” Mistress means something rather different!”

    • Pat says:

      In Europe we do not have ” mistressclasses” or take ” mistresses degrees”….. please leave us be.

    • John McEnroe ("You cannot be serious?") says:

      Poking fun at the Woke Brigade with Satire – that’s brave!!

    • Rosario says:

      Well, for one it’s Konzertmeister in German. And yes, she is officially called a Konzertmeisterin (the female version) by the Berlin Philharmonic.

  • Major Monarch says:

    Great pickup from Berlin. Amazing violinist. Congratulations to all involved.

  • Axl says:

    Niice!! Congrats to her and orchestra! Fun fact that it was couple days ago when I was thinking that who will be the successor of Stabrawa and now that has been announced Now just waiting concerts with she as in her new role

  • Norman LeFraud says:

    “The Berlin position is high pressure and high visibility. She’s had less than a year to get used to the orchestra and its traditions.”

    Would you have said the same if it were a man who had just picked up the violin just yesterday? Probably not…

    What are you insinuating?

    • Emily says:

      Agreed. I doubt such patronizing things were written when Noah Bendix-Bagley was appointed several years ago (with even less “experience”).

  • Philip says:

    That last paragraph is wholly unnecessary. If you’ve ever heard Artemis quartet play you know how incredibly capable a player this person is. What an incredibly perfect pick by Berlin

  • Eric Weber says:

    Where is Noah going ? Always enjoyed his performances.

    • Axl says:

      If you don’t know – Berlin and almost all European big orchestras have 2 or more (1st) concertmasters who share that job 50-50 and so on. Other Berlin concertmasters Noah B-B and Daishin Kashimoto do also their own active solo careers and both also teaching in Karajan Academy. So I’m guessing Noah B-B is performing on something other place, teaching or just have his own free time

    • trumpetherald says:

      He and Daishin aren´t leaving…..She is a the successor of Daniel Stabrawa,who retired last year after 38 years..

    • doubleBassGod says:

      Berlin Phil has 3 slots for 1st concertmaster.

  • CarlD says:

    “Acrimonious” cries out for an explanation please, Norman.

  • Tamino says:

    „ She’s had less than a year to get used to the orchestra and its traditions.“

    Well then she had more than any of the others, who had zero time with the orchestra when being appointed concertmaster.
    Also going by Berlin Phil‘s appointments in that position in the last decades, apparently they do not look for someone aligned with a certain tradition, but simply outstanding musicians.

  • NYMike says:

    She becomes one of their three 1st concertmasters.

  • Sara K. says:

    More awake pc pr virtue signaling?!

  • Cordula Merks says:

    Wonderful news!

  • MacroV says:

    Well sure, it’s a high-pressure position; you have to sit in front and lead a section of brilliant violinists (in rotation with two extraordinary virtuosos in Daishin Kashimoto and Noah Bendix-Balgley) in the most famous and popular orchestra in the world. And replacing Daniel Stabrawa after he held the position for 35 years. Congratulations to her; I look forward to seeing her in action.

  • Karl says:

    She is an amazing musician and instrumentalist.

  • Hugh says:

    Many congratulations to the Berliners’ new 1. Konzertmeisterin!

  • SK says:

    A prestigious position of leadership in one of the world’s great musical organizations. Congratulations to Vineta Sareika-Volkner!

    One thing should be made clear, however. The CM title is somewhat different at the Berlin Phil.

    Typically in US and UK orchestras, one violinist is Concertmaster (in the UK, Leader); that person is the regular and ongoing leader of the players. The BPO, however, has no less than four CMs. They occupy the first chair on what appears to be a rotating basis. Officially or unofficially, one of them is the chief CM and is presumably the one playing solo lines on BPO recordings (in recent years, until his retirement, that evidently was Daniel Stabrawa).

    The BPO website currently has both Noah Bendix-Balgley and Daishin Kashimoto listed as 1st CM, and Krzysztof Polonek as CM. The appointment of Ms. Sareika-Volkner as CM now fills out the quartet of leaders.

    • MacroV says:

      Sort of correct: There are three First Concertmasters, all of equal stature, though perhaps seniority gives one first dibs on program choice or such.

      Back in the day, maybe there was a first among equals (seems like Michel Schwalbe was always on the Karajan recordings), but now I’m pretty sure they’re all equal and just divvy up the schedule – sometimes one plays, sometimes two, never all three. The “Concertmaster” (without “First”) is what in North America would probably be Associate CM. And seems to get one or two programs a year in the first seat. In a U.S. orchestra the CM often sits out concertos and most non-subscription concerts, and the Associate CM leads.

  • J.McEnroe says:

    Ps – my comment above was in response to Samach, not the post itself! Congratulations to the orchestra on an excellent appointment.

  • Gerry Feinsteen says:

    Nice pick! What are Artemis’ other players up to now?

  • Kyle Wiedmeyer says:

    I’m going to be a bit naïve and ask, what kinds of traditions must she get used to? The orchestra has never struck me as being traditional in the vein of, say, the Vienna Philharmonic. It’s a very fine orchestra, certainly, but it’s not *that* distinguishable from other European orchestras of a similar, even equal, caliber.

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