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.
