Axel Zielke

Axel Zielke, who was born in Düsseldorf, studied systematic musicology at the University of Hamburg. From 2007 onwards, he worked for ten years as artistic director of the Hip Hop Academy Hamburg. There, he organised projects with Chuck D of Public Enemy, Constanza Macras and the Ensemble Resonanz (»Sampled Identity«), amongst others.

He subsequently worked as a freelance project manager, including in the field of music management for artists such as Derya Yıldırım, Akua Naru, Rhonda and Sun Atlas. In collaboration with Theater Bremen, he has been staging the annual all-style dance event »Synergy« since 2020.

In 2022, he gave the introductory lecture for the Reflektor Festival with John Zorn at the Elbphilharmonie; since 2021, he has been a member of the RockCity advisory panel as an expert in music management.

Since 2019, Axel Zielke has been working closely with the Ensemble Resonanz – initially as a freelance project manager, and since 2025 as a permanent member of the orchestra.