During the last years Markus has become highly regarded as a leader, specializing in directing ensembles and orchestras from the concertmaster desk.
His repertoire ranges from early and baroque music to works for large-scale orchestras, including major symphonic and romantic compositions of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Born in former East Berlin, after living and working in Frankfurt am Main, Leipzig, Hamburg and Italy, he is now based again in Berlin.
He studied at the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” Berlin and the Hochschule für Musik “Franz Liszt” Weimar.
He currently appears mainly as leader and director of several ensembles in Italy, such as Solisti di Pavia, Leonore Orchestra, Colibri Ensemble and La Fil Milano, among others.
He also gives masterclasses in the United States and South Korea.
Markus’ experience as a leader is rooted in collaborations with great conductors of the past and present, especially Claudio Abbado and Daniel Harding.
Together with Abbado and other musicians, he founded the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, which he led for several years, as well as the Lucerne Festival Orchestra.
After leaving the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, he supported the creation of the Orchestra Mozart (Bologna) and collaborated for many years with Abbado on El Sistema Venezuela.
He is also involved in other music-social projects such as Neojiba (Brazil).
Inspired by Abbado, he founded the elite ensemble Aldeburgh Strings in the UK (recordings available with Linn Records), which he directed in highly acclaimed and awarded recordings, conducting from the concertmaster desk.
In the same role, he has performed with the Munich Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble Modern, among others.
Markus has led major symphonic orchestras (as concertmaster and leader of the second violins), including the BBC Philharmonic, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig.
He also gained extensive orchestral experience playing as a guest with the Berliner Philharmoniker for many years, in both the first and second violin sections.
Over time, he has become a passionate chamber musician, collaborating with artists such as Alexander Lonquich, Louis Lortie, Christian Zacharias, Martha Argerich, Bruno Canino, Maria João Pires and Ricardo Castro, among others.
He founded three trios — ardeTrio and Massa Trio — and currently performs in a duo with Danusha Waskiewicz and in a piano trio with Louis Lortie and Knut Weber.
He plays a violin named “Apollo”, made by the German luthier Christoph Götting (Mainz).
