Graham Oppenheimer – Viola

"Beauty of sound would be hard to beat" was The Gramophone's comment of Graham Oppenheimer’s playing and he now holds a position as one of the UK's foremost and respected violists. He studied with Atar Arad at the Royal Northern College of Music and Eastman School USA, Thomas Riebl at Slazburg Mozarteum and Peter Schidlof at International Musicians Seminar. In 1989 he was the leading British violist at the Munich ARD Viola Competition and went on to give solo recitals at Wigmore Hall and the Purcell Room. Graham’s first professional position was as a member of the English Chamber Orchestra and he went on to become a founder member and principal viola of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under Claudio Abbado. As a soloist he has performed with orchestras such as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony, East of England Orchestra and Lapeenranta Symphony Orchestra in Finland.

He has appeared in chamber music with such artists as Yehudi Menuhin, Paul Tortellier, James Galway, Murray Perahia and Jack Brymer. He was violist and founder of the Schidlof Quartet and has appeared as guest violist for Quintets with groups including the Lindsay, Australian, St Lawrence, Petersen, Vogler, Vermeer and Pacifica Quartets. Mr Oppenheimer founded the Leicester International Music Festival and is founder and Artistic Director of the Lincoln International Chamber Music Festival. Graham is Artistic Director of the University of Lincoln International Concert Series and Artistic Director of the DMH International Chamber Music Series in Leicester. A frequent chamber music collaborator, current invitations include festivals in Germany, France, Ireland and Canada. His recordings can be heard on the RCA and Linn labels, and on radio throughout the world from the BBC in the UK to the ABC in Australia.