Violist Joon Hurh likes to relax at home on weekends—his cat keeps him company. When he was a little boy, his parents thought that learning an instrument would be good for him. He started with the violin: “At first, it was very difficult to produce a beautiful sound. I decided to take on the challenge and kept playing. But I was very dissatisfied.” That changed when he switched to the viola at the age of 17. The British musician had fallen in love with its sound at a concert: “To this day, I'm glad I chose this path.”

His favourite composer is Robert Schumann. In another life, he might have played the cello or saxophone. Joon is happy that his profession allows him to “do something I love.” An alternative job would have to pay well, because he likes to buy “beautiful things.” Since he also enjoys trying out new violas and bows from different violin makers, he could well imagine collecting bows. Joon's favourite food is Korean.

On weekends, violist Zeyang Kan likes walking around Berlin as well as visiting museums, but also enjoys being at home. He got into music when his parents saw that many other children were playing an instrument and simply signed him up for lessons as well.

The musician from China loves Johannes Brahms and addition to his instrument, he would like to be able to play the guitar. In another life, he would probably be a stylist: “I just love anything about styling and fashion”. Zeyang collects records and bottle caps. His favourite dish: hotpot!

Listening to concerts, sports, and meeting up with friends are our academist Saara Lassila's usual weekend activities. The Finnish musician discovered her love for her current instrument at the age of 12 as a violinist in a string orchestra: She was immediately captivated by the deep sound of the double bass and soon began taking lessons. Saara finds it difficult to name a favourite composer. But there are two she particularly likes: Igor Stravinsky and Gustav Mahler. Another instrument she would like to master is the horn because she finds the sound so “beautiful and majestic.”

When he's not playing himself at the weekend, violinist Johannes Tentschert loves going to concerts: “Berlin's cultural and orchestral scene is so diverse that there are always interesting, high-quality concerts right on your doorstep.” Even as a child, he was fascinated by Gustav Mahler's symphonies ““ecause of the intoxicating sound of an orchestra.” The composer remains his favourite to this day. Because of the “harmonic possibilities and wonderful repertoire,” the violinist would also enjoy being a pianist.

As a big sports fan, especially soccer, he might have realized his childhood dream of becoming a sports reporter in another life.

Johannes loves “pretty much everything Italian cuisine has to offer” on his plate. At the top of the list: lasagna!

Karla Wulff enjoys listening to music in Berlin's numerous concert halls and opera houses in her spare time. Works by Jean Sibelius and Gustav Mahler are at the top of the Danish double bassist's list of favourite composers. An alternative instrument for her would be the cello, “so that I could also play in a string quartet.”
 

Our cellist at the academy, Yu-Ju Yen, comes from Taiwan. As a newcomer to Berlin, she likes to explore different neighbourhoods on the weekend to discover cafés. Of course, she also tries to practice a little. Yu-Ju remembers that as a little girl, she actually liked the horn, but her mother convinced her to learn the cello: “She probably thought that one wind or brass  instrument in the family was enough, since my older sister already played the oboe.” 

Johann Sebastian Bach is currently the cellist's favourite composer. Even today, the horn would still be her favourite alternative among the instruments: “To be honest, I would choose any of the brass instruments – a waterproof instrument is just so much cooler!”

Yu-Ju has been thinking a lot lately about what she would do in life if she weren't a musician: “I might try my best to get into medical school and become a gynecologist. Or I would invest  in a small organic veggie/farm business.”
 

Giorgio Bani came to the flute by chance: the other three available instruments were already occupied when he started middle  at the local music school after his older brother and two friends, so he took up flute lessons. But that was a lucky draw. Apart from that, Giorgio also likes the piano: “It's like having a whole orchestra under your hands”.

His favorite composer? “It sounds like an obvious answer, but Beethoven is the composer who touches me the most.” In an alternative life, he would see himself in a profession that brings him “into contact with nature”. And the favorite food of our flautist from Bergamo, Italy, is “definitely lasagna”.

Violinist Veronika Kahrer is still in the process of discovering her favourite places in Berlin during “outings with friends”, as her weekend schedule naturally often includes practice, rehearsals and concerts. The Austrian fell in love with her instrument at an early age: “I heard a string ensemble and told my mum that I wanted to play in it. She then told me that I had to learn the violin and I replied: Ok, I'll do that.” Said and done!

So, from that point on, her main goal was to make music with others – right now in our Second Violin section. In addition to the violin, Veronika would like to master the piano better and she also enjoys singing. If she weren't a musician, she would perhaps work “in the health sector, maybe as a physiotherapis”. She likes Mediterranean cuisine - preferably when family and friends are sitting round the table with her.

The fact that Pei-Ying Lee now plays in our first violin section as an academy member had to do with Berlin right from the start: “When I was three years old, I wanted to learn to play the violin because I watched a DVD of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Plácido Domingo conducted a “Spanish Night” at the Waldbühne and the violinist Sarah Chang played gypsy tunes by Pablo de Sarasate in 2001. It was very impressive for me and I told my mother that I wanted to play the violin. But my mother is a pianist, so I learned piano from her first. Two years later, I finally got my first violin lessons!”

The Museum Island with its historic buildings is the Taiwanese-born violinist's favorite place in Berlin. Her favorite composer is Mozart and apart from the violin, she plays the piano “and a bit of guitar”. If she weren't a musician, Pei-Ying would perhaps open a restaurant, because she loves “delicious food - especially Taiwanese beef noodles”.

Tigran Mirzoian, the academy's percussionist, likes the Berlin boulevard Unter den Linden: “I like how wide and open the street is. It reminds me of the city I come from - St Petersburg.” He would like to be able to play the cello and also the piano “at a professional level”. If he hadn't become a musician, you might have met him in the field of photography or in the film industry.

David Navarro plays in our second violin section and enjoys the different sides of Berlin: “I often relax quietly with a few friends. But when I have a few days off, I really like to go dancing, it's so much fun!” He doesn't have a favorite place here, he likes wherever he meets nice people. 

David doesn't have one favorite composer either, but many - “... Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Mahler...” depending on his mood. In an alternative world, he would probably be a psychologist, he suspects. It runs in the family, as it is his mother's profession. His father was a répétiteur at the conservatory in Valencia: “As a result, I always saw and heard a lot of violinists at home. I had my first lessons when I was three years old.” Oh, and “without a doubt” pizza is his favorite food!

Violist Yeunwoo Park comes from Korea. Her favourite place in Berlin is Treptower Park: “I go there when I have time, want to get a breath of fresh air or need a break.” When it comes to her alternative orchestral instrument, she's really sure: “Clarinet! I love the clarinet's timbre and the special atmosphere it creates and would love to learn to play it if I had the chance!” Asked for her favourite dishes, she effortlessly manages the balancing act between her current adopted country and her homeland: “I like German food with tarte flambée and Korean food with Korean pancakes best.”