Berlin Philharmonic confirms three new violinists
OrchestrasThe orchestra has granted tenure to Roxana Wisniewska, Harry Ward and Eva Rabchevska.
Roxana is Polish with Spanish roots, the daughter of two violinists.
Harry, who is Australian, studied in the Karajan Academy with Berlin Phil concertmaster Noah Bendix-Bagley.
Eva, a Ukrainian from Lviv, has been studying with Antje Weithaas since April 2022 at the Hanns Eisler University of Music in Berlin.
photo: Stefan Höderath
I actually have a very specific and unforgettable memory from my first time visiting the Philharmonie Berlin last year, just days after the October 7 massacre, when a reading by Jakub Hrůša of the Dvořák Stabat Mater was preceded by a whisper-quiet, several-minutes long period of silence, all of us standing in total solidarity (this would sadly dissipate over the ensuing year).
Point being, I had never seen musicians so engaged with each other visually besides musicality, and it was Roxana Wisniewska in particular whose eyes were often fixed on other players at every opportunity, coordinating and soaking in their performances totally. We all too frequently see these world-class ensembles looking disengaged and just going through the motions. But I saw something very special in Berlin, and today is another example of true talents once again receiving their rewards.
No diversity….
Roxana is a highly qualified young woman being tenured into Berlin’s first violin section. That’s way ahead of the diversity in many orchestras.
Anyway, it’s diversity in everything but opinion. Didn’t see that coming!!!