Ingrid Friedrich, Violin

“The COE for me feels like my musical home. When I joined the Orchestra after my audition, I was still a student. Making music with the COE meant to be a “soundbath” to my soul. The way to play orchestral music like chamber music always impressed me and was a lot of fun. I was excited by various conductors and soloists we had the honour to work with. Different dimensions of music-making and experiencing composers and works were fulfilling and greatly enriched my life at that time. I still carry many music pieces, and even just excerpts from them, within me as if I played and felt them yesterday. As a musician I was shaped by the COE work with enormous intensity and enthusiasm. As I lead the second fiddle group for many years I discovered different perspectives on the music score, and this has been so valuable. All through my musical life I kept playing first and second violin, even in quartets, and I love that. Then later it wasn’t easy to find such fulfilling music-making outside the COE but I really wanted to take responsibility for building a life outside the orchestra, it was very important for me.

Also I made many dear friends as we were so close in the COE’s everyday life. I am very thankful for that as well. I learnt a lot about life in general, different mentalities, communication, working together in this ambitious group of excellent players and exceptional people. That was as challenging as the playing. And it was great fun to be with the COE and to get to know so many interesting people, places and all the touring experiences.

I wish all the best to the COE and everyone in this special group and thank you for my time as a member and I always enjoy enormously coming back to play and meet my friends!”

BIOGRAPHY

Ingrid Friedrich studied with Tibor Varga, Gerhart Hetzel and Young Uck Kim. Master classes with Nathan Milstein, Wolfgang Schneiderhan and Max Rostal followed, as did chamber music courses, with Gidon Kremer amongst others. As concertmaster of the Lower Saxony Youth Orchestra, she gained her first orchestral experience. She joined the European Community Youth Orchestra and then was a member of The Chamber Orchestra of Europe for many years, which had a great influence on her and where she played for a long time as principal second violin. Today she is a guest in various symphony and chamber orchestras in varying positions. She was a member of the Rosamunde and Lenbach Quartets and dedicates her time to performing a wide variety of chamber music. Ingrid also enjoys working with students and chamber music groups of different ages and integrating their experiences through yoga teaching and the associated breathing work.