Axel Porath

Born 1972 in Hagen, Axel Porath studied viola with Hermann Voss and Gunter Teuffel at the Stuttgart Musikhochschule, with Hubert Buchberger in Frankfurt and in Karlsruhe with Jörg-Wolfgang Jahn, as well as undertaking studies in string quartet playing with the Melos Quartet. He also attended courses given by the Borodin Quartet.

As a chamber musician, he has enjoyed successful collaborations with the Abegg Trio, the Odeon Quartet, the Tübinger Kammersolisten and other ensembles. He was lecturer at the 8th – 10th Symphonische Akademie Baden-Württemberg, and from 2000 to 2003 was principal viola in the Heidelberg Symphony Orchestra, also performing as a guest with the SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra.

He performs contemporary music as a member of the ensembles Gelber Klang and ZEMENTWERK. He was a lecturer at the International Stuttgart/Krakow New Music Workshop in 1997-98 and has since then appeared on many radio and CD recordings.

“Meeting and working with Helmut Lachenmann sparked my interest not only in his work but in new music in general. I am always excited by the fascinating sound-worlds of new music, its broad stylistic range, and the creativity and flexibility it demands of the performer, especially in direct collaboration with composers.”

Since 2002 he is a member of Ensemble Musikfabrik.

As of June 2017