René Münch

René Münch is a German percussionist known for his work with the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra. Also an enthusiastic advocate for contemporary music, he has performed music by Fabrice Bollon, Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic, and Eckhard Kopetzki. Münch was born in Quedlinburg, Germany, and his musical aptitude became apparent at a young age. After attending a special school for musically talented children, he studied percussion at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar. Following his graduation, he worked as a freelance percussionist with major orchestras in Germany including the NDR Symphony Orchestra, Orchester der Niedersächsischen Staatstheater Hanover, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. In 2006, Münch joined the percussion section of the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra as deputy percussionist and timpani soloist. Additionally, his career as a guest performer has brought him to Japan, China, and on several tours in Europe. In a 2016 collaboration with soprano Carolina Krogius, cellist Daniel Gutierrez, and sound director Peter Helmut Lang, Münch performed innovative works that combined chamber music with electronically synthesized sounds and textures. This special program featured music by composers such as Lothar Voigtländer, Achim Müller-Weinberg, and Ludger Vollmer. He also worked with the EuropaChorAkademie in 2018 and 2020, and he performed crossover music in a percussion ensemble that accompanied vocalist Liliana Cortez in 2021. As a recording artist, Münch can be heard on the 2024 release Fabrice Bollon: In Taros Welt - A Musical Journey Through Time and Space.
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