BIOGRAPHY
"Phenomenal, this is true musicianship!"
Lynn Harrell
The German–Icelandic violinist Sindri Lederer is regarded as one of the defining chamber musicians of his generation. As a founding member and first violinist of the internationally acclaimed Notos Quartet, he plays a decisive role in shaping the ensemble’s artistic profile. The quartet has been celebrated by press and audiences alike as “one of the outstanding chamber music ensembles of our time” (FONO FORUM).
Since the founding of the Notos Quartet in 2007, numerous international concert tours have taken him to Europe’s most important concert halls, including the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Vienna Konzerthaus, Wigmore Hall London, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Tonhalle Zurich, BOZAR Brussels and Teatro La Fenice in Venice. In addition, he has performed in North America, Australia and Asia, including appearances in the USA, China, Japan and South-East Asia, as well as at renowned festivals such as the Rheingau Music Festival, the Schwetzingen Festival, the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, Lockenhaus and Montpellier Radio France.
As a member of the Notos Quartet, Sindri Lederer has received six first prizes and numerous special awards at international competitions in Europe and Asia. Among the most prestigious distinctions are the ECHO Klassik Awardand the Würth Prize of Jeunesses Musicales Germany.
A central focus of his artistic work lies in the combination of core classical repertoire, contemporary music and music-historical exploration. Numerous works dedicated to him and to the ensemble have received their world premieres with his participation, including compositions by Beat Furrer, Bernhard Gander, Garth Knox and Bryce Dessner. At the same time, Sindri Lederer is deeply committed to the rediscovery of forgotten works, a commitment vividly reflected in the award-winning recordings of the Notos Quartet released by Sony Classical. Particular international attention was drawn to the world premiere recording of Béla Bartók’s Piano Quartet, which has been acclaimed as a reference recording of major music-historical significance.
Alongside his work as violinist of the Notos Quartet, Sindri Lederer regularly performs as a soloist on both violin and viola, as well as in chamber music, and is a frequent guest concertmaster with leading orchestras. His chamber music partners have included, among others, David Geringas, Jens Peter Maintz, Ingolf Turban, Daniel Gaede, Wolfram Christ, Sebastian Klinger, Gregor Sigl, Nina Tichman, Dominik Wagner, Wies de Boevé, Tobias Feldmann and Fabian Müller.
In addition, Sindri Lederer has realised a wide range of interdisciplinary projects with partners such as Bjarne Mädel, Angelika Richter, Gerit Kling, Jonathan Bepler and the German Federal Youth Ballet, and has appeared as a guest with visionary ensembles including O/Modernt, Skark and Ensemble Ruhr.
His work has received wide media coverage through numerous concert broadcasts, portraits and interviews on ARD, ZDF, Deutschlandfunk, BBC, France Musique, ORF, NHK Japan and IPR USA.
Beyond music, Sindri Lederer takes a clear stand on social issues. In 2018, together with the Notos Quartet, he returned the previously awarded ECHO Klassik in protest against antisemitic and inhumane content associated with the ECHO Pop Awards, thereby triggering a far-reaching cultural and political debate.
A passionate pedagogue, he is deeply committed to supporting young musicians. He has taught at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, led international masterclasses and is a co-founder of the Notos Chamber Music Academy, which has taken place since 2019 in cooperation with Jeunesses Musicales Germany. Since 2025, Sindri Lederer has been teaching violin at the Lübeck Academy of Music.
Sindri Lederer received his musical training with Prof. Uwe-Martin Haiberg at the Berlin University of the Arts and with Prof. Günter Pichler at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid. His artistic mentors have also included members of the Alban Berg Quartet and the Mandelring Quartet, as well as Menahem Pressler, András Schiff and Clemens Hagen.
Sindri Lederer plays a violin by Nicolò Gagliano and is a Pirastro Artist.