Oliver Potratz

Oliver Potratz

Oliver Potratz was born in 1973 in Hamburg, Germany.

He began his career as a violinist and electric bass player. At the age of 20 he started playing double bass and after just one year he managed to pass the audition for the famous Berlin Conservatory.

There he studied classical double bass with Michael Wolf and graduated with honors. During his classical studies he also started studying Jazz at the Berlin conservatory with David Friedman, Jerry Granelli and Sigi Busch. He completed his studies with John Hollenbeck and bass with Greg Cohen and received a masters degree with summa cum laude.

Since then he has worked as a sideman and bandleader in over 50 countries at various international jazzfestivals all over the globe. Oliver has played classical soloconcerts with renowend german orchestras, has played contemporary classical music and has composed works for orchestras in Usbekistan, Afghanistan and was invited to the Buenos Aires tango festival.

He has 40 recordings to his credit and has worked with among others Rolando Villazon, Thomas Stanko, Kudsi Erguner, Gitte Haenning, Wencke Myhre, Rolf Kühn, David Friedman, Kalle Kalima, Frank Gratkowski, John Schröder, Jiggs Wigham.

In 2008 he won the german jazz award with the band „Klima Kalima“ and in 2009 the second prize with the Carsten Daerr Trio. In 2015 he was awarded an artistic scolarship from the city of Berlin.

Since 2016 he has been the director of the German-Afghan safar-project which originated at the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar.

You can find more informations about Oliver on www.oliver-potratz.de.