Christian Eisenberger, Violin

Christian Eisenberger first performed with the COE in 1992 and joined as a member in 1996.

Born in Graz in 1965, Christian studied at the University for Music in Vienna with Günter Pichler and Ernst Kovacic from 1979 to 1993. However, the strongest influence he received came from Günter Pichler and Nikolaus Harnoncourt, with whom he had the honour of working on several occasions. Christian also worked with Claudio Abbado, Martha Argerich, Heinz Holliger, Herbert von Karajan, Gidon Kremer, Kent Nagano, Sir Roger Norrington, Murray Perahia, Sir András Schiff and Sir Georg Solti.

He has been concertmaster in many orchestras and ensembles including Orchestra ‘Recreation’ Graz, Mozart Orchestra Vienna, Strauss Festival Orchestra Vienna and Vienna Chamber Orchestra. He has also been invited to lead the Symphonic Orchestra Vorarlberg, the Orchestra Haydn Bolzano, the Wiener Kammerphilharmonie, the Philharmonia Vienna and Die Reihe. With these ensembles, and in particular the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Concentus Musicus Vienna, he had the opportunity to travel all around the world.

Over the years, Christian conducted a number of concerts, for instance with the Strauss Festival Orchestra Vienna in Japan and Romania, the Haydn Orchestra Bolzano in Italy, and the Wiener Ballett at the Wiener Volkstheater and in Asia (Hong Kong and Japan).
Christian is a keen chamber musician and is first violin in the Joseph Haydn Quartet in Vienna. He has performed at international venues and festivals. In 2007, he recorded the Mendelssohn octet together with the british violinist Daniel Hope for Deutsche Grammophon.

As a soloist, Christian played Mozart’s Violin Concerto in A major in 2006 during a tour to the US and Canada, performing in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Toronto and Montreal. Further solo work includes performances with Capella Istropolitana, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Vienna Mozart Orchestra.