Prof. Mark Pogolski

Mark Pogolski first studied composition at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in St. Petersburg with Prof. Sergey Slonimsky. He continued his studies with Prof. Dieter Acker at the University of Music and Theatre Munich until graduation. At the same time, he completed his studies at the Nuremberg-Augsburg Academy of Music, majoring in piano. In 2001, Pogolski was awarded the composition promotion prize of the Junge Philharmonie Brandenburg; in 2002, he received the 1st prize of the international Alfred Schnittke composition competition in Moscow.

In collaboration with choreographer Kirill Melnikov, Pogolski composed numerous stage scores, including »Cinderella«, »Nosferatu«, »Midsummer Night’s Dream alle bavarese«, »Gradus ad parnassum« (in cooperation with Bernd Redmann) and »ALPassioni«. In 2015 he was composer in residence at the International Conductors Masterclass »El Escorial« in Spain. With violinist Sabrina Zimmermann, Pogolski has made a name for himself internationally as a member of the Zimmermann Ensemble for Silent Film Music. With the ensemble, he has been invited to film festivals in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Great Britain, the Czech Republic and China.

In 2014, Pogolski took over the musical direction of the chamber opera Wertheriade, with performances at the Esterhazy Palace and Auditorio Nacional de Musica in Madrid. In 2017 he conducted the contemporary premiere of the original version of Carlo Coccia’s opera »Caterina di Guisa«.

Since 2009, Mark Pogolski has been musical director of the Ballet Academy of the University of Music and Theatre Munich, where he also teaches music theory and improvisation and leads the VOLTA Ensemble.