Zuzana Schmitz-Kulanova was born in Slovakia and began taking violin lessons at the age of six. Her move to Igor Karsko at Lucerne Music College – where she obtained her diploma in concert and solo performance with honours – was followed by continued studies with Vesselin Paraschkevov at the Folkwang University of Arts in Essen.

Between 2007 and 2017, she was concertmaster of the Folkwang Chamber Orchestra in Essen and has held the same post with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra since 2016. The violinist is a very welcome guest performer with the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne and the Aachen Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, Zuzana Schmitz-Kulanova has frequently performed with the Folkwang Chamber Orchestra as well as with the Kosice State Philharmonic and the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra.

Her particular passion is for chamber music. She is a founder member of Ensemble Ruhr, with whom she performs regularly in a variety of chamber music formations. She has been a member of The Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen since 2017.

Anja Manthey was raised in Wilhelmshaven, not far from the orchestra’s current home city of Bremen. She left the North Sea town to study at the University of Music in Hamburg and Freiburg. She joined the then Chamber Orchestra of the Young German Philharmonic back in 1982.

Apart from a busy orchestra schedule and regular chamber music appearances in various ensembles, she is particularly interested in the humanities. In 2012, she graduated with distinction in Musicology, German and English. For many years, Anja Manthey has contributed her enthusiasm and wealth of experience in these subjects to organizing and holding the concert introduction events ›en passant‹ and ›Auftakt‹ (engl. ›Prélude‹) for the Bremen subscription concerts.

Her favourite leisure pastimes – beyond music and musicology – include reading. In 2020, she was awarded her doctorate (DPhil).

Ulrich König was first prizewinner in the national ›Jugend musiziert‹ competition and a member of the RIAS Youth Orchestra Berlin. He studied the oboe in Berlin, Hanover and Stuttgart. During this time, he played with the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie and the European Union Youth Orchestra.

He became a member of The Deutsche Kammerphil-harmonie Bremen in 1988 and was thus one of the first wind players to be admitted to the orchestra as a partner. He has also performed as a soloist with the Kammer-philharmonie and has made guest appearances for example at Gidon Kremer’s Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival and Lars Vogt’s ›Spannungen‹ chamber music festival at Heimbach Power Station.

Ulrich König also enjoys adapting and arranging pieces – ranging from classical works for The Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen’s wind soloists to pop music for his ensemble ›Das ABBArtige Quartett‹.

While still at school, Anette Behr-König regularly won national prizes in the ›Jugend Musiziert‹ competition, received art sponsorship awards from Südwestfunk and the state of Rhineland-Pfalz, played on various radio recordings and was a member of the European Community Youth Orchestra under Claudio Abbado, Sir Georg Solti and Leonard Bernstein. After finishing school, this Wiesbaden-born violinist first studied at Saarbrücken College of Music and then at University of the Arts Berlin. She was also very successful in several international competitions and subsequently gave many solo and chamber concerts, for example in a piano trio with Nicolai Schneider and Lars Vogt.

From 1992 to 1994, Anette Behr-König was co-leader with the Hessische Staatstheater Wiesbaden. She has been 1st Leader of Bremer Philharmoniker since 1994. In this role she regularly makes guest appearances with orchestras in northern Germany, such as the Hamburgische Staatsoper. In addition to her concert and opera activities, she also enjoys coaching violin groups, mostly young orchestras. Anette Behr-König also sees her annual work with the orchestra of the Music Academy of the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes as a wonderful opportunity to express her gratitude as a former scholarship holder for the support she once received.

Stephan Schrader studied in Detmold and Paris. He quit his first position as substitute principal cellist at the Staatstheater in Hanover in order to dedicate himself to chamber music and new ways of making music accessible. This includes working with actors, dancers, make-up artists or even a clown.

He has been a member of The Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen since 1996 and is actively involved in the orchestra’s educational projects. He particularly appreciates the structure and working practices of the orchestra because they allow him room to pursue other activities. These include a wide range of projects such as chamber music with the Trio Davidoff, solo concerts with all six Bach suites on a single day, programmes with jazz musicians or an overtone singer.

His solo show, CELLO-LOOP, (www.cello-loop.com) is unique. At the University of the Arts in Bremen Stephan Schrader teaches cello, chamber music and improvisation. He also enjoys hiking.