Paul Pötsch, born in Brandenburg in 1988, is a freelance musician specializing in theater music and lives with his daughter and family in Hamburg. He studied philosophy and musicology (LMU Munich) and psychology (FU Berlin). Musical training with Laurenz Wannenmacher (piano, harmony, ear training) and Eckhard Lipske (acoustic and electric guitar). Founding member of the bands »Hotel Rimini« and »Trümmer«.
He received the German Record Critics' Award for his band projects, was nominated for the Critics' ECHO, and was awarded the Hamburg Music Prize HANS as Newcomer of the Year. He continuously releases recordings and regularly tours nationally and internationally, including on behalf of the Goethe-Institut.
Various assistant directing and internship positions at the Thalia Theater Hamburg (including with René Pollesch, Antú Romero Nunes, Schorsch Kamerun, and Stefan Pucher) led him to the theater in 2009, and since then he has worked continuously as a musical director, sound designer, composer, songwriter, choir director, and stage musician for Stefan Pucher at the Thalia Theater Hamburg (»Charles Manson – Summer of Hate«), Claudia Bauer (»Meister und Margarita«) at the Schauspiel Leipzig, for Karin Henkel at the Salzburg Festival and at the Münchner Kammerspiele (»Liebe« based on Michael Haneke), for Christiane Rösinger at the Hebbel am Ufer Berlin (»Die große Klassenrevue«) and Milena Mönch at the Volkstheater Wien (»Halbe Leben«). He has created his own theatrical works for Kampnagel Hamburg (GDR music revue »Wir treiben die Liebe auf die Weide«), among others.
At Theater Heidelberg, he most recently worked as musical director and sound designer for »Kaukasischer Kreidekreis« (directed by Holger Schultze). In the 2025/26 season, he is collaborating with Holger Schultze once again and is responsible for the composition, live music, and children's choir arrangements for »Die Katze auf dem heißen Blechdach.«