Niklas Liepe, Opus Klassik award winner, is among the most fascinating young soloists of our time – an artist who pursues his own path with unwavering courage and creative vision. He is a musician who not only follows established traditions but constantly seeks new, innovative ideas – concepts that are bold both artistically and conceptually. A violinist deeply rooted in the classical repertoire, he simultaneously explores new directions to realize groundbreaking projects.

The upcoming seasons are defined by major milestones. In June 2025, his fourth album was released on Sony Classical, recorded with the NDR Radiophilharmonie under Joseph Bastian and featuring, among others, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. This marks the starting point of a season full of highlights: performances at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, a debut with the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra on a Mendelssohn tour, a debut with the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz performing the Violin Concerto by Academy Award winner Rachel Portman, appearances with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, and a debut with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.

In November 2025, a major release tour will follow, with concerts in Germany’s most prestigious venues, including the Konzerthaus Berlin, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, and Liederhalle Stuttgart, featuring works by Mendelssohn and Handel in an innovative production incorporating AI avatars under the direction of Raphael Merlin. Further highlights include an Asia tour with Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and the Asian premiere of Rachel Portman’s Violin Concerto Tipping Points in Bangkok.

With his unique Paganini Project, Liepe caused an international sensation and received outstanding critical acclaim. For this extraordinary project, he commissioned around twenty composers and arrangers to reinterpret Niccolò Paganini’s famous Caprices for solo violin – keeping the original violin part intact while adding newly orchestrated accompaniments ranging from foxtrot and tango to jazz and romantic opulence.

In 2017, together with his brother, pianist Nils Liepe, he founded the “Liepe & Co. Festival” in Hannover – a platform for innovative concert concepts and a testament to his passion for pushing the boundaries of classical music.

In autumn 2020, his second recording project, #GoldbergReflections, was released on Sony Classical with the NDR Radiophilharmonie under Jamie Phillips, followed by winning the Opus Klassik in 2021.

During the 2024/25 season, Niklas Liepe made his debuts at the Schubertiade, the Isarphilharmonie in Munich, and the Tonhalle Düsseldorf.

A special highlight was the world premiere of the Violin Concerto composed for him by Rachel Portman at the Beethovenfest Bonn, which he recorded with the WDR Funkhausorchester under Erina Yashima. This work was featured on his third album for Sony Classical.

Liepe has performed on leading stages such as the Rheingau Music Festival, the Musikverein in Vienna, La Seine Musicale in Paris, and the Beethovenfest Bonn. He has appeared with orchestras including the Munich Symphony Orchestra, the NDR Radiophilharmonie, the Munich Radio Orchestra, the WDR Funkhausorchester, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, and the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, and collaborated with artists such as Gidon Kremer, Yuri Bashmet, Fazıl Say, Christoph Eschenbach, and András Schiff.

He has been honored with numerous awards, including the NDR Cultural Prize, the German Music Competition, the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition in Poland, and the Kocian Violin Competition in the Czech Republic.

Liepe studied with Prof. Krzysztof Wegrzyn in Hannover, Prof. Zakhar Bron in Cologne, and at the Kronberg Academy with Prof. Ana Chumachenco and Prof. Mihaela Martin. He completed his Master’s degree in chamber music with Prof. Oliver Wille. Since 2022, he has been a lecturer in “Art Participation & Strings Diversity” at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg.