Fabian Otten is principal percussionist in the Philharmonische Staatsorchester Hamburg and a composer of contemporary music for chamber ensembles, orchestras and music theatre.

He began his percussion studies at Hamburg College of Music and Drama in 2012 with Massimo Drechsler, Stephan Cürlis and Cornelia Monske. He continued his studies at the Hanns Eisler College of Music with Franz Schindlbeck and Rainer Seegers and the percussion soloist Li Biao. His first orchestral position was with the Philharmonie Südwestfalen in 2014. He has also played as a soloist in the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie. He was a finalist at the international competition of the Percussive Arts Society in Italy, won 2nd prize at the international competition ›Marimba Festival‹ in Bamberg, a special prize from the Bavarian Radio and the Eduard Söring Prize 2020. Since the summer semester 2023 he has held a teaching position for marimba at Leipzig ollege of Music and Theatre and has been a member of the Philharmonische Staatsorchester Hamburg since the 2017/18 season.

Since 2020, he has composed several works for percussion and chamber music – his composition ›Samsara‹ – a work that deals with the basic principle of Buddhism – won the ›2021 Interstellar Composer Competition‹. Two further works which deal with philosophical and social issues were premiered to great critical acclaim by the Philharmonische Staatsorchester Hamburg in the Elbphilharmonie. Since then, his compositional repertoire has expanded through various commissions (including Edition Svitzer, Philharmonische Staatsorchester Hamburg, Hamburg Ballet, Festival WinterMUSIK Altona) with pieces for chamber ensembles, orchestra, music theatre and dance. He is currently finishing his master’s degree in composition with Fredrik Schwenk at Hamburg College of Music and Theatre. Vladislav Parapanov directed his miniature opera ›Drei Szenen einer Frikadelle‹, which recently premiered at the Hamburg Staatsoper.

Jonas Krause studied Percussion with Andreas Boettger, Guido Marggrander, Erich Trog and Hilko Schomerus at Hanover College of Music, Drama and Media. In 2014 he earned himself a coveted place in the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie. He is co-founder of ensemble reflektor and a member of The Orchester im Treppenhaus, both of which are classical ensembles that devote themselves to alternative and innovative performance styles. As well as classical music, this percussionist also has a deep connection with Jazz. Crucial to this was his one-year course in Popular Music at the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists in Minnesota, USA, as well as his private lessons on the drum kit with the renowned Jazz musician Holger Nell.

Jonas Krause began the 2016/17 season as Academy Student with the Essen Philharmonic, transferring as Principal Percussionist to the Mecklenburg Staatskapelle Schwerin in March 2017. He has won the Jugend Musiziert competition several times and also won prizes at the Minneapolis Jazz Festival and the Eau Claire Jazz Festival during his stay in the USA. As well as in America, he has also given concerts in Africa, Europe and Asia. He has been Principal Timpanist with his favourite orchestra – the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen – since August 2019.

David Panzer comes from Worms am Rhein, where he attended the junior music school and  received his first percussion lessons at the age of six. In addition to percussion, he also played the clarinet there for many years. He gained his first orchestral experience at a young age through his membership of the Landesjugendorchester Rheinland-Pfalz.

After leaving school he went on to study percussion with Dennis Kuhn, Jens Knoop and Jasmin Kolberg at Mannheim College of Music and Performing Arts. In addition to his classical orchestral studies, he also took part in a number of ensemble projects with the ›Mannheimer Schlagwerk‹.

In the 2013/14 season, David Panzer won a scholarship to the Rhein-Neckar Orchestral Academy and gained further experience in the orchestras of the Nationaltheaters Mannheim, Theater Heidelberg and the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. As a member and board member of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, he was particularly involved in the orchestra’s education projects.

David Panzer has been principal percussionist of the Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe since the 2016/17 season.

As a schoolchild, Ulrike Höfs realized that all she wanted to become in life was a musician. After participating successfully in several music competitions and gaining first orchestra experience in the regional and national youth orchestras and the Young German Philharmonic, Ulrike Höfs originally studied under Prof. Renate Greiss-Armin, then with Prof. Peter-Lukas Graf. She already played with The Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie during her student days. As a partner, she has been a permanent member of the orchestra since 2003.
For her, the special thing about her favourite orchestra is the energy flow onstage and the supportive way the team pulls together.

Apart from her work with the orchestra, Ulrike Höfs enjoys playing chamber music and devoting time to her family. She loves the beaches of northern Germany, white wines from her native region of Rhine Hesse, good food and books.