Clemens Merkel

Violinist Clemens Merkel (b. 1968 in Freiburg, Germany) is considered one of the most versatile interpreters of contemporary music today. Integrating a large variety of different styles into his repertoire, he has performed at numerous concerts and festivals throughout Europe and North America. Pursuing a career as chamber musician and soloist he is a member of the Bozzini Quartet (Montréal), as well as playing regularly with Kore Ensemble (Montréal). Well known for his innovative and highly individualistic interpretations of such contrasting composers as Bach and John Cage, Merkel has made a name for himself for creating his own unconventional style, often characterized as intense, precise and sensitive at the same time. Merkel has lived in Montréal (Canada) since 1999. He studied at the Musikhochschule Freiburg with Joerg Hofmann and Nicolas Chumachenco and is a former member of Thuermchen Ensemble (Köln) and Ensemble SurPlus (Freiburg). He currently teaches at Concordia University in Montréal.