Praised for his infinite imagination (Forum Opera) & extraordinary creativity (klasikaplus.cz), his sensitive, poetic playing (Première Loge) and his crisp and fresh accompaniment (Orchestergraben), the prize-winning german lutenist and guitarist Elias Conrad is considered one of the most exciting and versatile musicians of his generation.
A graduate of University Mozarteum Salzburg and Schola Cantorum Basiliensis he has an active concert schedule performing all over Europe and Asia on a variety of historical plucked instruments, specialising in a wide repertoire from the 16th to 19th centuries.
Since 2026 he is teaching lute instruments at the University of Arts UDK Berlin.
As lutenist he was involved in numerous productions and recordings with famous soloists, such as Andreas Scholl and Amandine Beyer, conductors, such as René Jacobs, Alfredo Bernardini, Raphaël Pichon, Jörg-Andreas Bötticher, Andrea Marcon and Alessandro De Marchi, and orchestras and institutions, such as Gli Incogniti, Pygmalion, I Gemelli, Les Cornets Noirs, J. S. Bachstiftung St. Gallen, Abendmusiken Basel, Polyharmonique, Nordic Symphony Orchestra, Le Concert Idéal, Mare Nostrum, Altberg, Vienna Morphing Orchestra, L’Orfeo, La Banda, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Tiroler Festspiele Erl, Theater Basel, Opéra Royal Versailles, Opera du Rhin and Teatro Carlo Felice Genova.
He frequently performs on renowned stages and festivals like MAfestival Bruges, Oude Muziek Festival Utrecht, Festival Barocco Alessandro Stradella di Viterbo e Nepi, Innsbrucker Festtage der Alten Musik, Händelfestspiele Göttingen and Festival Grandezza e Meraviglie.
Repeatedly awarded he is laureate and winner of numerous competitions including the Culture Prize 2018 Coburg, Music Culture Prize Saar 2019 Saarbrücken, Concorso di Musica Antica Maurizio Pratola 2019 L'Aquila, London Early Music Competition 2020, Biagio Marini Competition 2021 Neuburg, Da Vinci Young Sounds 2022, Manhattan International Music Prize 2023, International Van Wassenaer Competition 2023 and International Young Artists Comeptition 2024.
In addition, he was awarded with scholarships of the CS Mare Foundation, the Werner Richard - Dr Carl Dörken Stiftung, Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, Association des Centres culturels de rencontre ACCR, Eeemerging and IYAP Laus Polyphoniae.
He is founder of the international ensemble Mozaïque, with whom he has won the Göttingen Händel Competition 2021, the title „Rheinsberger Hofkapelle“ for the season 2020/21 and two special prizes at the H.I.F. Biber Competition 2021 including a CD recording for Pan classics.
His discography includes CD productions for labels such as Aparté, Arcana/ Outhere, Pan classics, Evidence, cpo, Da Vinci, DUX, Evil Penguin Classic and Antarctica Records.
Besides being co-founder of several Renaissance, baroque and jazz ensembles, he is guitar tutor of the Bavarian Mandolin Youth Orchestra.