Amongst conductors and orchestras world-wide Detlef Tewes’ name is synonymous with the virtuoso mandolin. He completed his studies with a performance diploma at the Cologne School of Music in 1989, as early as 1979 he had already won first prize in the German national competition „Jugend musiziert“ as well as the Culture Prize of the City Essen and, in 1983 another prize in the German Federal Republic’s 28th annual contest for „Young Soloists on the Podium“.

In addition to his solorecitals, widely documented in radio and television broadcasts and CD recordings, Detlef Tewes regularly works with conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez, Sylvian Cambrelin, Friedrich Cerha, Michael Gielen, Peter Eötvös, James Levine, Lorin Maazel, Kent Nagano, Sir Simon Rattle, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Arturo Tamaro, Hans Martin Schneidt and Frank Zappa and with leading orchestras.

He lays particular emphasis on his involvement with 20th-century music, with Berlin Philharmonic’s Scharoun Ensemble, the Ensemble Klangforum Wien, the Elision Ensemble Melbourne and above all the Ensemble Modern Frankfurt a. M., with whom he has collaborated in several premières including Frank Zappa’s The Yellow Shark.

In addition to these works, Detlef Tewes conducts the Mandolin Concert Society of Wuppertal and the Mandolin Orchestra of Bayer Leverkusen and the Youth Orchestra of Plucked Instruments based in Baden-Württemberg. His leading role in this field is further underlined by his regular teaching commitments, at all levels, with the German Federation of Plucked Instrument Players

As both conductor and soloist Detlef Tewes has undertaken concert tours throughout Europe, the USA, Brazil, Venezuela, Japan, Korea, China and Australia.