Saskia Niehl (she/her) - violin, Germany
Jeffrey Armstrong (he/him) - violin, South Africa
Grae Leehan (she/her) - viola, New Zealand
Nadja Reich (she/her) - cello, Germany

United by their spontaneous and joyful approach to music-making, the four members of the Nerida Quartet captivate their audiences with an irresistible energy and sincere interpretations.

A brief initial encounter in chamber music as academists of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen sparked a long-term musical relationship. Their close connection was nurtured during this time by working with a number of great colleagues, conductors and soloists.

The ensemble's name, inspired by the Nereids of Greek mythology, draws reference to water as a powerful yet flexible element that can constantly take on new forms.

The Nerida Quartet has been playing in its current form since 2024, achieving remarkable success in a short time. Most recently, the ensemble was awarded third prize at the Irene Steels-Wilsing Quartet Competition. In January 2024, the ensemble was awarded the "Prize of the Federal President" for the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Hochschulwettbewerb 2024.

Invitations to international music festivals such as the Festival Musikdorf Ernen, Gent Festival van Vlaanderen and the Heidelberger Frühling regularly take the quartet to stages all over Europe.

The quartet is based in Bremen and is currently enrolled at the HMTM Hannover with Prof. Oliver Wille. It has also received tuition from renowned teachers such as Martin Funda, Patrick Jüdt, members of the Artemis Quartet and Cuarteto Casals, Hatto Beyerle and Johannes Meissl through the renowned European Chamber Music Academy.

The quartet has been part of the EU-funded MERITA programme since 2023.

Louisa Staples (she/her) - violin, United Kingdom
Johannes Brzoska (he/him) - violin, Germany
Gordon K.H. Lau (he/him) - viola, Hong-Kong S.A.R
Umut Saglam (he/him) - cello, Turkey

The Viatores Quartet is a young string quartet based in Berlin. In 2024 they were awarded first prize at the Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Competition and the prize of the Freunde Junge Musiker. In 2025, the quartet won second prize at the ISW Foundation String Quartet Competition in Heidelberg. The quartet is increasingly in demand on the concert stage, and has performed at renowned concert venues including the Berlin Philharmonic and Konzerthaus Berlin.

Recent performances include appearances at Villa Musica, Hindemith-Tage, AIMA Festival, Piano Salon Christophori, and Mainau Castle. Upcoming performances will take them to cities such as Cologne, Munich, Düsseldorf, and Trier, as well as to Austria, Turkey, and Great Britain. They will also perform at the Hitzacker Festival in 2025, the Schumann Foundation Frankfurt, and the Schwetzingen Festival in 2026. This year will also see the production and release of their first CD album.

The Viatores Quartet was founded in 2023 at the Hanns Eisler Hfm Berlin. The group is currently studying with Professor Tabea Zimmermann at the HFMDK Frankfurt and at the HMTMH Hannover with Professor Oliver Wille. They have also received artistic guidance from renowned musicians such as Christian Tetzlaff, Nora Chastain, and Areta Zhula of Julliard String Quartet.

The quartet takes its name from the Latin term "Viatores", which means travelers. As the name suggests, the quartet proudly represents four different origins and cultures, united by a common goal.