Stewart Eaton, Principal Viola

Stewart Eaton became co-principal viola of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in 2007, having played with the Orchestra from its very beginning, in 1981.

During that early period, his projects with the COE included recording the Schubert symphonies in Vienna with Claudio Abbado, a European tour playing the Brahms D-major Serenade, also with Abbado, and working with Harnoncourt at the Styriarte in Graz.

Stewart took part in the Beethoven and Brahms cycles under the direction of Bernard Haitink in Lucerne, Paris and Amsterdam, as well as tours and residencies under conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

He studied at the Royal College of Music in London, with Frederick Riddle and Margaret Major. Further teachers were Hariolf Schlichtig, Peter Schidlof and Michael Tree.

From 1979 to 1980 Stewart was principal viola of the Orchestra of La Scala Milan and in 1981, he decided to concentrate on the COE and co-founding the Auryn Quartet, which is based in Cologne, Germany. His other chamber music work has included playing with Boris Pergamenschikow, Tabea Zimmermann, Isabelle van Keulen, Peter Orth, the Haydn Piano Trio of Vienna, Fontenay Trio, Trio Opus 8, and the Beethoven Piano Trio. Frequent solo appearances have recently included performing at the Rheingau festival and at the EXPO 2000 in Hanover.

Stewart is professor for chamber music at the Hochschule für Musik, in Detmold.