Christian Poltéra cello

Award Winner 2004

Christian Poltéra was born in Zurich in 1977. After working with Nancy Chumachenco and Boris Pergamenschikow, he studied with Heinrich Schiff in Salzburg and Vienna. Besides his appearances as a soloist with numerous renowned European orchestras, he dedicates himself intensively to chamber music, playing with partners such as Leonidas Kavakos, Gidon Kremer, Julius Drake, Lars Vogt, Christian Tetzlaff, Leif Ove Andsnes, Mitsuko Uchida, the Auryn, Guarneri, Artemis and Zehetmair Quartet. Furthermore, he works regularly with the pianists Kathryn Stott and Polina Leschenko. In 2006 Christian Poltéra made his US-debut as the soloist of the American Symphony Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall New York. He is frequently invited to festivals like Salzburg, Lucerne, Lockenhaus, Heimbach, Risør, among others. His recordings on CD which include cello concertos by Dvořák, Toch, Martin, Schoeck and Honegger as well as chamber music appear on the BIS, EMI, Chandos, Naxos, Pan Classics, Avanti Classics and Tacet labels. Between 2004 and 2006, Christian Poltéra was a member of the prestigious New Generation Artists scheme of the BBC Radio 3. In 2006/07 he has been nominated by Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels to take part in the renowned concert series Rising Stars together with the pianist Polina Leschenko, including concerts in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Vienna, New York Weill Hall (Carnegie Hall), among others. In November 2007, Christian Poltéra will perform together with Frank Peter Zimmermann and Antoine Tamestit during a concert tour in Europe.

Photograph taken by Marco Borggreve