Saskia Niehl began learning to play the violin at the age of five and has been active in numerous orchestras since the age of nine. She completed her bachelor’s degree at the Freiburg College of Music and her master’s degree in orchestral music at the University of the Arts, Berlin. This young violinist has been a member of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie since 2016. She was concertmaster of the University Orchestras in Freiburg and Berlin and at Hanover College of Music, Media and the Arts where she is currently a member of Elisabeth Kufferath’s soloist class.

In addition, Saskia has performed as soloist with the Brandenburgische Staatsorchester Frankfurt (Oder) and has deputised with many other orchestras such as the Kammerakademie Potsdam or the Hamburg Camerata.

Saskia is also equally at home in the realm of chamber music. Since 2018, she has been a member of the NERIDA Quartet, with which she has already received several prizes, including the Boris Pergamenschikow Competition Berlin and the Orpheus Swiss Chamber Music Competition.

During his studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Jeffrey Armstrong was awarded numerous prizes, most notably the Principal’s Prize for outstanding contribution to the life of the conservatoire. He is currently enrolled in the solo class of Elisabeth Kufferath at the Hanover College of Music, Media and the Arts. In addition, Jeffrey has worked with and received memorable masterclasses from musicians such as Leonidas Kavakos, Lawrence Power, Antje Weithaas, and Eberhard Feltz among others

As a soloist, this young violinist has already performed many concerts including with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra, and the Kwazulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra in South Africa. He recently won first prize in the UNISA National Music Competition, leading to a performance and recording with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Jeffrey regularly appears as a guest at the Wye Valley Music Festival in England. This violinist is also involved in other projects including the Cape Chamber Music Collective, which he jointly founded in South Africa, as well as the musical education project ›Arco Project‹ for disadvantaged children in Soweto, Johannesburg.

7歳でヴァイオリンを始め、11歳でヴィオラも習い始める。オークランド大学でスティーブン・ラーセンに師事し、両方の楽器を学ぶ。その後、ヴィオラに専念することを決め、シュトゥットガルト音楽演劇大学でアンドラ・ダルツィンスに師事し、現在修士課程修了に向けて研鑽を積んでいる。

これまでに室内楽、オーケストラ、ソロ演奏など幅広い音楽教育を受ける。室内楽に情熱を注ぐグレースは、主要コンクールで受賞歴を持つ様々なアンサンブルに参加経験があり、現在はNERIDAカルテットのメンバーとしても活躍。ソリストとしても、ニュージーランド全国コンチェルト・コンクールやギズボーン国際音楽コンクールで入賞している。オーケストラでは、ニュージーランド交響楽団、ナショナル・ユース・オーケストラ、シュレースヴィヒ＝ホルシュタイン祝祭管弦楽団などと共演。また、クライストチャーチ交響楽団とオークランド・フィルハーモニア管弦楽団にもアカデミー生としてスタートの後、在籍していた。