Grace Leehan

Born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand, Grace Leehan began learning the violin at age 7 and the viola at age 11. She studied both instruments throughout her Bachelors at the University of Auckland with Stephen Larsen before furthering her music studies on viola at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart with Prof. Andra Darzins.

Chamber music being one of her passions, she has been active in various ensembles and chamber music formations, winning awards in both New Zealand and Germany, and in 2022, she became a member of the Nerida Quartet. Orchestral experiences include the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra: National Youth Orchestra, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival Orchestra, and the Academy of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. As a soloist, she has been a prize winner of the New Zealand National Concerto Competition and the Gisborne International Music Competition.

She is currently a member of the Academy of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra. Outside of music, Grace occupies her time with the latest films, going on walks by the Bremen river, taking photos (especially of her friends), trying to finish a book every month, and she is rarely seen without her headphones on.