Ralf Ehlers was born in Brazil in 1971 and begun studying the viola with Alberto Jaffé in São Paulo. Within five years, he had won the first prize at the 1988 Concurso Internacional Sul-América, and went on to tour Brazil as a soloist with many major Brazilian orchestras. In 1990 he went to Germany to continue his studies with Nobuko Imai and Thomas Riebl.

Ralf has performed extensively throughout Europe in many different ensembles, spanning a wide range of musical genres. As the former violist of the Pulcinella Quartet, he gave numerous concerts in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Italy France and Austria. He has also collaborated on many occasions with the Camerata Academica Salzburg, Ensemble Modern and Ensemble Inovación in Spain.

At the "Open Chamber Music" at Prussia Cove, he has played with such artists as Steven Isserlis, Imry Gillies and Ida Levin. Most Recently he was invited to be guest principal with the London Sinfonietta for the festival in Rouen, where he also gave the European Premiere with Garth Knox of George Benjamin's viola duo "Viola, Viola".