Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Announces New Principal Violist

Lativian violist Santa Vižine will assume the position, effectively immediately

Vižine first joined the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO) in 2017 as a tutti violist and also participated in the Academy of the Concertgebouworkest during the 2012-13 concert season.

“We are over the moon proud and immensely excited for this young lady to have just won the solo viola position,” commented Camerata RCO members on Facebook.

 

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Vižine was born in Riga, Latvia, and is a graduate of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Music Academy. A laureate of several Latvian and international competitions, her mentors include Dace Birzāja, Inara Miracles, and Arigo Strala.

Her professional career includes substituting in Gidon Kremer’s Kremerata Baltica chamber orchestra and serving as its principal violist from 2009 to 2017.

In that role, she worked with soloists such as Martha Argerich, Mikhail Pletnev, Daniil Trifonov, Lisa Batiashvili, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Didier Lockwood, Mischa Maisky, Mate Bekavac, and Sergei Nakariakov.

Vižine’s own solo engagements have included Sinfonia Concertante, Kremerata Baltica, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, Gothenburg Symphony, and Sinfonietta Riga.

VIOLIST SANTA VIŽINE | CONCERTGEBOUWORKEST | DOMINIC SELDIS | 2021