Salomé Bonnema (2001) is a violinist who conveys music to her listeners with passion and conviction. In 2023, she received a 10 with honors on her Bachelor’s final exam for “exceptional and sincere artistry,” and in 2024, she was awarded the prestigious Oskar Back Prize, the top prize at the Dutch Violin Competition. The jury said of her playing: “The intensity of her playing leaves no one unmoved. She takes the audience on an adventure, from the first note to the last.”
After completing her bachelor’s degree at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague under Vera Beths, she went on to pursue a master’s degree at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel (Switzerland) under Prof. Rainer Schmidt, violinist of the Hagen Quartet.
Salomé has performed as a soloist with the Residentie Orkest under the direction of Jonathan Bloxham at TivoliVredenburg, toured Switzerland as a soloist with the Atheneum Chamber Orchestra, and appeared as a guest at various festivals, such as the Storioni Festival, the Delft Chamber Music Festival, and the Oranjewoud Festival.
In addition to her work as a soloist, Salomé cherishes her love for chamber music. As first violinist of the Viride Quartet—winner of the Kersjes Fund’s string quartet grant in 2019—she performs in the most renowned concert halls in the Netherlands. From 2019 to 2023, the quartet served as Quartet in Residence at the Zeister Muziekdagen, and since October 2023, they have been participating in the Residency program of the Amsterdam String Quartet Biennale. They are also part of the European platform MERITA, where they developed the interdisciplinary performance “Lost & Found,” which will have its international premiere this season.
Salomé is grateful for the beautiful Jean Baptiste Vuillaume violin and her Charles Peccatte bow from the “Tettelaar” collection of the Musical Instrument Fund.
