Auryn Quartet

February 28, 2015 8:00pm at Battelle Auditorium

Matthias Lingenfelder, violin
Jens Oppermann, violin
Stewart Eaton, viola
Andreas Arndt, violoncello

Auryn Quartet Web Site

Artiest Bio

An outstanding career spanning three decades has made the Auryn Quartet one of the most sought-after and respected ensembles performing around the globe. The Quartet has not changed its personnel over this long period, and continues with its fresh and pioneering approach to all genres of music.

Matthias Lingenfelder (violin) was born in Germany in 1959, and started playing the violin at the age of 7. He studied with Klaus Eichholz, Max Rostal and Gerard Poulet. In 1981 he co-founded the Auryn Quartet. In 1982 the Quartet won prizes at international competitions in Portsmouth and Munich, and in Bratislava in 1989. Lingenfelder was concert master of the ECYO, and also was co-founder of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. It was as concert master with the COE that he also played as soloist under Claudio Abbado and Sir Georg Solti.

Jens Oppermann (violin) was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1960. While studying at the Albert-Schweitzer School, he started violin lessons with Prof. Marianne Petersen. In 1977 Jens Oppermann started working with the Hamburg City Opera Orchestra, continued his studies with Prof. Vlach and Prof. U. Heiberg, and was awarded the Koerber Prize two years in a row.?In 1980 Mr. Oppermann became a member of the EUYO and took part in master-classes with Gerard Poulet in Paris.?Soon after, he played with the chamber Orchestra of Europe, and became a founder member of the Auryn Quartet.

Stewart Eaton was born in Aylesbury, UK. He studied viola and piano at the Royal College of Music, receiving its prestigious Entrance Scholarship. He studied the viola with Frederick Riddle and Margaret Major, and took part in master classes with Hugh Bean and Yfrah Neaman. Mr. Eaton continued his studies with Piero Farulli, Hariolf Schlichtig, Peter Schidlof and Michael Tree. From 1979 to 1981 he was principal viola of the Orchestra Teatro alla Scala, at the invitation of Claudio Abbado. In 1981 Stewart Eaton co-founded the Auryn Quartet. His other chamber music work has included playing with Boris Pergamenschikow, Tabea Zimmermann, Isabelle van Keulen, Peter Orth, the Haydn Piano Trio of Vienna, Fontenay Trio, Trio Opus 8, and the Beethoven Piano Trio.

Andreas Arndt was born in Heidelberg, and at the age of 5 began his musical education, by playing the piano. At 12 years old he started playing the cello, studying with Georg Ulrich von Buelow. He continued his studies with Wolfgang Boettcher in Berlin, and Johannes Goritzki in Duesseldorf. Andreas Arndt was a prize-winner at many competitions, and received several scholarships. He also played in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and was a member of the ECYO, and the Guerzenich Orchestra in Cologne. From 1983-86 he taught at the 'Freien Kunsthochschule' in Alfter/Bonn. In 1981 he became a founder member of the Auryn Quartet. Apart from his worldwide activities with the Auryn Quartet, Mr. Arndt is a teacher and juror at various Master Classes and competitions.

The Auryn's main mentors were the Amadeus Quartet, and the Guarneri Quartet with which they studied between 1982 and '87 in Cologne, Germany, and at the University of Maryland, USA. Claudio Abbado was also an important influence on the Quartet's musical development, under whose baton they performed as string principles in the European Union Youth Orchestra.

The four musicians of the Auryn Quartet play on wonderful Italian instruments: a Stradivari violin (1722, ex-Joachim), a Petrus Guarneri violin, a Brothers Amati viola (1616) and a Niccolo Amati cello. Since 2003 the Auryn Quartet has been sharing its wealth of experience with musicians of younger generations, in the form of a teaching position at the Music Academy in Detmold, Germany, where they are professors for chamber-music.