Chiara Sannicandro

Germany/Italy

City of residence: Berlin

Age: 28

“I really love the sound of the violin. Its singing quality, exploring all kinds of colours and **vibrati*, expressing yourself, communicating and connecting with others and having the chance to learn different kinds of languages through different repertoire – it’s all wonderful to me.”***

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German-Italian violinist Chiara Sannicandro, born in Salzburg, captivates audiences with her expressive and sincere playing. Both of her parents being pianists, she was introduced to music at a very young age. “We were always listening to all styles of music in the house. One day, I told my parents that I wanted a blue violin, and that was the beginning of my musical journey.” Chiara completed her Bachelor’s degree at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, Bloomington, and her Master’s degree at the Musikakademie Basel. She is now studying at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin under Antje Weithaas.

Chiara reflects on what makes a performance memorable: “The performances I most enjoy are the ones where you feel really connected to the audience, where you share the energy of the hall and you are completely in the music… when you are able to move the audience and get something back from their listening and energy as well.”

A prizewinner at major competitions such as the International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition (2021), the International Johannes Brahms Competition Pörtschach, the Hudson Valley String Competition, and the Rahn Musikpreis Zürich, she has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the NDR Hannover, the Göttinger Symphonieorchester, the Philharmonie Salzburg, and the Camerata Bern. Festival appearances include the Heidelberger Frühling, the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Davos Festival, the Lockenhaus, and the Elba Music Festival. A passionate chamber musician, she has played with Gidon Kremer, Vilde Frang, Enrico Pace, Beatrice Rana, and others.

Chiara plays a 1723 Matteo Goffriller violin on loan from the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben.