Violinist Daniel Austrich, At Home Here In Oberlin By Joanna Chang
			Daniel Austrich, '05, is a new face here at Oberlin. You may have seen him in the Conservatory lounge between classes, or in the computer lab checking email. But more than likely, wherever you’ve seen him, his violin is nearby. Although for many Oberlin students it is a combination of factors that brings them to the College, for Daniel (or "Danya", as most of his friends call him), his reason for attending Oberlin is simple: the opportunity to study violin with Conservatory faculty member Alla Aranovskaya. Ms. Aranovskaya is the first violinist in the St. Petersburg String Quartet, currently the quartet in residence at the Oberlin Conservatory. Daniel was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1984 and began studying the violin when he was seven years old. Two years later he entered the St.Petersburg Conservatory where he studied for the first time with Ms. Aranovskaya. During that time, he performed as a soloist with orchestras at the Grand Philharmonic Hall, Yusupov Palace, and other prestigious concert venues in St. Petersburg. He has performed concerti by Prokofiev, Sibelius and Vivaldi with the St.Petersburg Chamber Orchestra and the St.Petersburg State University Orchestra under conductor Peter Ash (BBC). Daniel and his family moved to Hamburg, Germany in 1997. There, he attended a performing arts high school from 1999 to 2001. In September of 1999, Daniel won first prize at the Steinway & Sons competition in Hamburg. Most recently, in May of 2001, he received first prize at the Jeunesses Musicales Competition in Germany. Next January, he will record for the North German Radio (NDR) in Hamburg, and later next year he will perform Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.4 with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Despite having left his family and friends behind in Germany and Russia, so far Daniel has found living here in Oberlin quite enjoyable. "I like (Oberlin) a lot. When I visited here last winter to audition, I felt comfortable immediately. I knew it would be a good place for me to be." Of all his classes, Daniel enjoys his chamber music coachings the most. "I like my (string) quartet members, and my coach happens to be my violin teacher. That’s an added bonus." In his spare time, which Daniel says is not always easy to find, he likes "to email friends, watch films, and play with (his) teacher’s (Ms. Aranovskaya’s) dog." When quizzed on whether his experience at Oberlin has had any surprises, Daniel had this to say: "I knew that Oberlin was a very good music school, but what I did not realize until a few weeks ago was how amazing the Cleveland Orchestra is. I went to hear them at Severance Hall, and I was so impressed. They must be the best orchestra in the world! No one told me before I came here how good they were." Daniel says he can’t wait to see the Cleveland Orchestra when they are here on campus in December in Finney Chapel. In the meantime, he says he’ll be practicing his violin, and his English, and continuing to enjoy the Oberlin community.
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