The violinist was a member of the Berlin Philharmonic between 1962 and 1983, and founded the Brandis Quartet

Thomas brandis

Thomas Brandis, who served as a long-time first concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, has died at the age of 81.

Born in Hamburg, the violinist was a member of the Berlin Philharmonic between 1962 and 1983. In 1976, he founded the Brandis Quartet, which was active for more than 25 years.

A respected violin professor, Brandis taught at the Berlin University of Arts, the University of Music Lübeck, and at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Among his former pupils are a number of today's Berlin Philharmonic violinists.

'Thomas Brandis’s playing gives a condensed account of the qualities of the Karajan era: a rich, singing tone and an unerring sense of musical dramaturgy,' wrote Berlin Phil orchestral board member Knut Weber. 'Even after his retirement, he maintained a close friendship with the orchestra...We will miss him.'

Read: Former Berlin Phil concertmaster Thomas Brandis on working with Herbert von Karajan

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