Saskia Viersen studied in Amsterdam with Herman Krebbers and Davina van Wely, among others.
Saskia Viersen
Associate first concertmaster
After winning first prize at the Oskar Back Competition in 1991, she continued her studies with Thomas Zehetmair and Thomas Brandis at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin, where she subsequently lived for almost 20 years.
From 1999, Saskia was first violinist of the Berlin Athena Quartet. The quartet studied with the Alban Berg Quartet, won international prizes (including the Concours de Genève) and gave many concerts. The quartet received a Diapason d'Or for its 2011 CD release on Neos/WDR featuring all of György Kurtág's string quartets.
As a soloist, Saskia Viersen has performed with the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, the Netherlands Philharmonic, the Orchestra Philharmonica Buenos Aires, and the Berliner Symphoniker, among others.
In addition to her current orchestral position as deputy first concertmaster with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, she plays in several chamber music ensembles, including the Athena Ensemble in Germany.