Julia Neher (b. 1983) studied in Freiburg with the famous Wolfram Christ, and in Cologne with Antoine Tamestit. She has played in some of the key European orchestras, such as the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra (since 2005), the Berlin Philharmonic, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. From 2008 until 2011 she was principal viola of the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, and from 2011 until 2021 she was principal viola of the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. Since 2022, Neher has been principal violist of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. She is the recipient of several prestigious awards and grants, including the Wittner Förderpreis (2000), the Music Prize Schloss Waldthausen (2005), the grant of the Märkische Kulturkonferenz (2006), the Villa Musica grant (2005—2008), the 1. Carl-Seeman Prize of the Hochschule Freiburg (2007), and the promotion prize of the Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Wettbewerb, Berlin (2008). She has also appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras, such as Camerata Hamburg, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, and the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra Tromsø. Artist photos: Carl Christian Lein Størmer