Berlin Philharmonic Appoints New Violinist

After her probationary period, Austrian violinist Johanna Pichlmair officially joins the orchestra's violin section

Johanna Pichlmair has been playing in the first violin section since March 2020. The 31-year-old violinist studied at the Mozarteum University Salzburg under Igor Ozim, at the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin under Antje Weithaas and Feng Ning, and at Berlin University of the Arts under Nora Chastain. From 2014 to 2016, she was a scholarship holder of the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker.

In July 2018, Pichlmair received the first prize at the Ysaye International Music Competition in Liège, and in 2019, she won second prize at the International Max Rostal Violin Competition and at the Montreal International Violin Competition.

Among her other distinctions are prizes from the Ibolyka-Gyarfas-Competition in Berlin, the Fritz-Kreisler-Competition in Vienna, the competition “Pacem in Terris” in Bayreuth as well as at the International Bodensee Music Competition.

Pichlmair previously was a member of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks since 2017. She currently plays violins by Camillo Camilli, Mantua 1734, and Giuseppe "filius Andrea" Guarneri, 1730-35.

Regarding the most recent news, Pichlmair wrote on her website, "Great news, a dream has come true!"