Katja Werker
Biography Katja Werker
Katja Werker
This was just one of the many headlines journalists have written about this exceptional artist, primarily describing Katja's incredible voice, which touches the heart directly.
Mainstream pop isn't Katja's thing. It's her unique blend of folk, pop, and indie elements that has made her famous throughout Germany and beyond.
The Essen native not only stands out vocally, but she is also a luminary of the German singer-songwriter scene. The delicate, profound poetry of her lyrics is unparalleled. Werker's songwriting talent has also been recognized by renowned artists such as Marie Boine, Gitte Haenning, Stefan Stoppok, and Ian Melrose, who have covered Katja's songs for their own albums.
However, mainstream pop isn't Katja's forte.
In the "Best Songs" list, Katja's songs reached #2 and #5, and several tracks were recently nominated for the "Just Plain Folk" Award 2017.
Furthermore, after graduating from high school and completing her art studies, Katja won numerous talent competitions at the beginning of her musical career, including the "Hamburger Stimmtreff" at the Pop Academy Hamburg, before signing the first of three major record deals in 2000. Her debut album, "Contact Myself" (BMG/RCA), coupled with an appearance on the RTL series "Hinter Gittern" (Behind Bars), unexpectedly entered the German album charts and is still considered a milestone in German pop music by music lovers and critics alike.
Furthermore, after graduating from high school and completing her art studies, Katja won several talent competitions at the beginning of her musical career, including the "Hamburger Stimmtreff" at the Pop Academy Hamburg, before signing the first of three major record deals in 2000.
In the ZDF TV crime series "Marie Brandt," Katja's song "Carried the Cross" was used as the score, which helped her album "Contact Myself," now 24 years old and featuring the song, reach the top 12 of the Amazon sales charts.
Katja enjoyed considerable media attention at times. For example, the magazine "Brigitte" dedicated a six-page story to her, and she appeared on the talk shows "Nachtcafé" on SWR and "Kölner Treff" on WDR, sharing stories from her eventful life.
Since 2008, Katja has primarily written her songs in German.
Since 2009, Katja has been touring with her ever-evolving solo program, characterized by her close connection with the audience and the entertaining and witty stories she shares between songs. Here, someone doesn't just play their songs; they live and breathe the artist's life. Katja accompanies herself in her own unmistakable style with her guitar.
Katja has shared the stage with artists including David Knopfler, Alanis Morissette, Biber Herrmann, David Munyon, Erich Schmeckenbecher (Zupfgeigenhansel), Cynthia Nickschas, Nadine Fingerhut, Stefan Stoppok, Astrid North, Martin Gallop, Sebastian "Sebel" Niehoff, and Manfred Maurenbrecher, and has performed countless solo house and club concerts throughout Germany.
On her studio albums, she was accompanied by, among others, Laurent Duclouet (drums), Gert Neumann (guitar), Volker Kamps (bass), Wolfgang Engelbertz (bass), Werner Neumann (guitar), Nippy Noya (percussion), Sven Regner (Element of Crime) (trumpet), Stoppok (guitar/vocals), Dave King (bass), Manfred Leuchter (accordion), Ian Melrose (guitar), and Beo Brockhausen (piano).
Katja sang the song "Cruel Love" for the internationally renowned ambience duo "Blank & Jones," and for four years she sang the theme song for the TV commercials of the online dating service "Parship."
Katja sang the song "Cruel Love" for the world-renowned ambience duo "Blank & Jones," and for four years she sang the theme song for the TV commercials of the online dating service "Parship."
With her album "Lieder vom Küchentisch" (2014), Katja fulfilled a long-held dream and founded her own one-woman record label, "Küchentisch Productions," on which she now releases her albums with complete artistic freedom.
With her album "Lieder vom Küchentisch" (2014), Katja fulfilled a long-held dream and founded her own one-woman record label, "Küchentisch Productions," on which she now releases her albums with complete artistic freedom.
"I've been active as a musician, songwriter, and singer since 1997. Authenticity and warmth have always been very important to me in my music.
I've navigated many challenges with my music, and the connection with my audience means a great deal to me, in addition to the pure joy of playing my guitar and writing songs. It constantly shows me exactly where I stand and always surprises me anew.
Traveling as a musician to my concerts has taken me to major cities as well as the most remote corners of our country, and many of these impressions and encounters with people of all kinds find their way into my songwriting.
Thus, my work as a musician is a constant cycle of periods of great seclusion, during which I write new songs and set out on my journey—and I'm very happy that I've been able to pursue this profession for 25 years now." (Katja Werker, November 2023)
