Born in Vienna, Ottensamer commenced his musical studies in 1999 at the
University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna on piano and then on cello with Wolfgang Herzer and then from 2003
clarinet with
Johann Hindler. Ottensamer also enrolled as a student at
Harvard University in the United States. Ottensamer first gained his orchestral experience as substitute clarinet in the
Vienna State Opera and the
Vienna Philharmonic and is a former member of the
Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. In October 2009, he was a
fellow of the Orchestra Academy of the
Berlin Philharmonic. From July 2010 to February 2011, he was solo clarinettist of the
German Symphony Orchestra, Berlin and since March 2011 he has filled the position of solo clarinet with the Berlin Philharmonic. First prize winner of several competitions on clarinet, piano and cello, Ottensamer has performed as soloist and
chamber musician worldwide with partners such as the Vienna Virtuosi (members of the Vienna Philharmonic), the
Vienna Chamber Orchestra and performers including
Leif Ove Andsnes,
Angelika Kirchschlager,
Julian Rachlin and
Yo-Yo Ma. In 2005, together with father
Ernst Ottensamer and his older brother
Daniel Ottensamer (both solo clarinettists of the Vienna Philharmonic), formed the clarinet trio The Clarinotts. The ensemble gives concert tours in Austria, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, performs at festivals all over the world, appeared on TV and radio and in 1999 recorded a CD published by Gramola Vienna and Octavia Records. Ottensamer accompanied
Tori Amos on her 2011 album
Night of Hunters. In 2013 Ottensamer entered an exclusive recording agreement with Universal Classics's
Mercury Classics label, in partnership with
Deutsche Grammophon (DG). This makes him the first clarinettist to release exclusively through DG. His debut album,
Portraits – The Clarinet Album, was released in June 2013 internationally through Mercury Classics/Deutsche Grammophon and features concertos by
Domenico Cimarosa,
George Gershwin and
Aaron Copland, recorded with the
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and
Yannick Nézet-Séguin. As conductor he works with orchestras such as
NHK Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National du Capitol Toulouse,
Mozarteumorchester Salzburg,
Oxford Philharmonic, Basel Chamber Orchestra,
Seoul Philharmonic. In 2026 he conducted a production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera “Hansel and Gretel” at the
Houston Grand Opera. == References ==