Ariadne Daskalakis is a unique performer of both baroque and modern violin. The American violinist of Greek descent studied in Germany, where she currently resides. She has concertized in major venues around the world, appearing as soloist with ensembles including the Dortmund Philharmonic, the Akademie for Ancient Music Berlin, the Norwegian Baroque Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Munich, the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, the Brünn Philharmonic and the Athens National State Orchestra. In the dual role of leader and soloist she has worked extensively with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Oriol Berlin and the New Rhine Chamber Orchestra. Following the release of her Vivaldi recording “7 with one Stroke” with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, she was praised as a “universal specialist” by MDR German Radio. Of her Biber Rosary Sonatas recorded for BIS, Benjamin Dunham of Early Music America wrote “With this release, Daskalakis propels herself into the front rank of historical violinists.”
Her versatility is reflected in a wide-ranging discography which includes concerti by Tartini, Haydn, Vivaldi and Kalliwoda and Sonatas by Biber, Handel, Fauré, Raff and Lutosławski. Her CDs have been “CD of the month” at Tacet and Naxos, and her Tartini and Handel recordings “Selection of the month” in the magazine “The Strad”. She has worked with contemporary artists on creating new works and genres such as Caspar Johannes Walter’s Violin-Concerto Zeichnungen and Christoph Coburger’s “Opera Mono” Herr K und Frau N which includes video installation.
She is a founding member of Ensemble Vintage Köln and gives frequent recitals with piano, fortepiano or harpsichord. She worked with the Manon Quartet Berlin for over 10 years, playing baroque and classical repertoire on period instruments as well as romantic and contemporary works with “modern” set¬up. Ariadne Daskalakis won prizes at the ARD International Competition and the St. Louis Symphony Strings Competition, as well as from the Mozart Society Dortmund, the Harvard Musical Association and Framingham State University, which awarded her the first Christa McAuliffe Medal.
Ariadne Daskalakis enjoyed an education in music and humanities at the Juilliard School, Harvard University and the Hochschule der Künste Berlin. Her mentors included Eric Rosenblith, Szymon Goldberg, Ilan Gronich and Thomas Brandis. She is a Violin Professor at the Cologne Conservatory of Music and Dance (HfMT Köln). In 2015 she was named Artistic Director of the European Academy of Music and Art “Palazzo Ricci” in Montepulciano, Italy. She is also the Artistic Director of the international chamber music festival “Music from Land’s End Wareham”, founded in 2012 in Wareham, Massachusetts.