Australian violinist Glenn Christensen was born and raised in the regional Queensland town of Mackay, where he received his early music education through the Suzuki Method with local teacher Diane Powell. Glenn then studied with Michele Walsh at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University and graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Music, First Class Honours. He was also the first person ever to be awarded the three highest prizes – the Conservatorium Medal, the Music Medal and the University Medal.

From late 2020, Glenn has appeared as Principal 2nd Violin with Die Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen. From 2014 to 2020, Glenn was a core member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and has held the position of Principal First Violin in the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Concertmaster of the Australian Youth Orchestra. He has performed as Guest Concertmaster or Principal with each of these orchestras, as well as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, Glenn has performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Metropolitan Orchestra, Sydney. He was a finalist in the 2014 ABC Young Performer Awards, and in 2009 won every category in the prestigious Kendall National Violin Competition.

Nuala McKenna initially began learning the piano with her father at only four years old before switching to the cello soon thereafter. After completing her studies with Ulf Tischbirek at Lübeck College of Music, with Jean-Guihen Queyras in Freiburg, Ivan Monighetti (Basel) and Conradin Brotbek (Stuttgart), she then went on to take a Master’s degree with Conradin Brotbek. This German-Irish musician has been a member of the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble since 2012 and has performed regularly with the Camerata RCO since 2014. During the 2013/14 season Nuala McKenna was an Academy Student at the Concertgebouw Orchestra and from 2015 to 2017 she was also an Academy Student with The Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen.

As a chamber musician, McKenna has already performed with renowned musicians such as Maria João Pires, Boris Garlitsky, Augustin Dumay, Miguel da Silva and Olli Mustonen. In addition, this cellist has appeared at various festivals including Verbier Festival, the Southwell Music Festival and has also founded her own family festival: The Musikfest Kahleby. In 2018/19 McKenna was a finalist in the Dutch Classical Talent Awards which took her on a solo tour through all the well-known halls of The Netherlands. Her debut album of works for solo cello will be released in 2021.

As a schoolchild, Ulrike Höfs realized that all she wanted to become in life was a musician. After participating successfully in several music competitions and gaining first orchestra experience in the regional and national youth orchestras and the Young German Philharmonic, Ulrike Höfs originally studied under Prof. Renate Greiss-Armin, then with Prof. Peter-Lukas Graf. She already played with The Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie during her student days. As a partner, she has been a permanent member of the orchestra since 2003.
For her, the special thing about her favourite orchestra is the energy flow onstage and the supportive way the team pulls together.

Apart from her work with the orchestra, Ulrike Höfs enjoys playing chamber music and devoting time to her family. She loves the beaches of northern Germany, white wines from her native region of Rhine Hesse, good food and books.

Anja Manthey was raised in Wilhelmshaven, not far from the orchestra’s current home city of Bremen. She left the North Sea town to study at the University of Music in Hamburg and Freiburg. She joined the then Chamber Orchestra of the Young German Philharmonic back in 1982.

Apart from a busy orchestra schedule and regular chamber music appearances in various ensembles, she is particularly interested in the humanities. In 2012, she graduated with distinction in Musicology, German and English. For many years, Anja Manthey has contributed her enthusiasm and wealth of experience in these subjects to organizing and holding the concert introduction events ›en passant‹ and ›Auftakt‹ (engl. ›Prélude‹) for the Bremen subscription concerts.

Her favourite leisure pastimes – beyond music and musicology – include reading.