or the first time in the 140-year history of the Berliner Philharmonic, a woman will become its concertmaster.
Latvian violinist Vineta Sareika-Völkner won the audition for the position on Friday, the orchestra said.
A concertmaster is the principal first violin player in an orchestra and second to the conductor as leader in an orchestra.
Sareika-Völkner was born in Jūrmala, Latvia and began playing the violin at age five. She later studied at the Paris Conservatory with Gérard Poulet and at the Belgian Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel with Augustin Dumay.