Ariadne Daskalakis

Ariadne Daskalakis is Professor of Violin and Prorektorin (Vice-Rector) at the Cologne University of Music and Dance since 2000. She holds a distinguished international career as a violinist specializing in modern and baroque performance practice, alongside leadership roles including Artistic Director of the Palazzo Ricci Montepulciano Academy (recipient of the 'Mercurio' Cultural Prize) and founder of the 'Music from Land’s End' festival in the USA.

Education: Trained at the Juilliard School, Harvard University, and Hochschule der Künste Berlin under mentors including Eric Rosenblith and Szymon Goldberg.

Research & Artistic Focus: Her work bridges historical performance practice with contemporary pedagogy, emphasizing:

• Violin technique across baroque and modern instruments
• Chamber music direction and ensemble leadership
• Reconstruction of historical repertoires (e.g., Biber, Schubert, Bach)

Awards & Honors:

• Internationaler Wettbewerb der ARD München
• Dortmund Mozart-Gesellschaft
• Harvard Music Society Award
• Christa McAuliffe Award (Framingham State University)

Leadership & Outreach: Directs interdisciplinary programs at the NRW Arts Collegium Montepulciano and mentors students who win international prizes and positions in major orchestras (e.g., Leipzig Gewandhaus, WDR Symphony).