Max Volbers

Max Volbers is one of those rare musicians who seamlessly bridges the worlds of Baroque and contemporary classical music, making his mark as both a recorder player and harpsichordist—plus, he’s increasingly stepping into the spotlight as a conductor and artistic director. Trained at the Mozarteum University Salzburg with heavyweights like Dorothee Oberlinger, Walter van Hauwe, Reinhard Goebel, and Florian Birsak, Volbers has racked up an impressive list of accomplishments: he’s a winner of the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb and the OPUS KLASSIK 2023, and you’ll spot him at major festivals from Verbier to Innsbruck, as well as onstage with the likes of Concerto Köln and Concentus Musicus Wien. Whether he’s performing with period-instrument ensembles or “modern” orchestras, Volbers brings a fresh curiosity to early music, often collaborating with living composers and exploring both historic and brand-new works—his debut solo album, Whispers of Tradition, was especially praised for its inventive approach to Baroque repertoire.

Alongside his concert career, Volbers teaches at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and regularly headlines masterclasses. His recent releases—from the exploratory Whispers of Tradition to Foreign Masters (a deep dive into the immigrant composers who shaped 18th-century London with harpsichordist Alexander von Heißen) and Bach vs. Scheibe (juxtaposing Bach and his contemporaries in a kind of musical debate)—show just how broad his musical palette is. What really stands out is Volbers’ knack for storytelling through music, whether he’s reviving forgotten gems or breathing new life into familiar classics. Expect lots of color, technical fireworks, and a joyful sense of discovery whenever his name’s on the bill.

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