Jochen Vogel, born in 1964, built his first harp in 1984 under the guidance of Germany's leading harpist Rüdiger Oppermann. The Instrument he built was a metal-strung harp, better known by the Gaelic name of "clairseach", the harp of the Irish and Scottish bards for at least 800 years until its last player, Dennis Hempson, died in 1807 at the age of 112.

Jochen Vogel learned the basics of his playing technique from American clairseach player Ann Heymann, who in the 1970s was the first to undertake serious research on the ancient music of the wire-strung harp.

Instead of focusing on the ancient music of Ireland and Scotland, Vogel started improvising on the clairseach and composing, using contemporary influences from jazz, pop and Indian music as well as more traditional elements. This work was acclaimed with several prizes, such as the "Trophee Carolan" for composition in 1989 and the "Trophee Improvisation" in 1992, both in Dinan/Brittany.

In 1992 he published his first solo CD "New Light", which features the clairseach as a solo instrument as well as an equal partner for electric guitar and saxophone. From 1989 to 1997 Vogel was a member of the German world music quintet "Moka Efti", with whom he released two CDs: 1992 "Moka Efti", 1996 "Pangaea".

In 1998 Vogel published his second solo recording. "Wege" shows Vogel as a singer and songwriter for the first time, in addition to his complex harp-playing.

Vogel's current CD "Celtic Air" is a bow to the tradition, utilising many Irish, Scottish and Breton influences and combining the harp with uillean pipes, fiddle, bodhran, guitar, oboe etc. under the guidance of brilliant producer Tato Gomez.

Jochen Vogel now plays the "Sirr Harp", a slightly modified copy of an 18th century Irish clairseach, designed in collaboration with and made by the German harp-maker Frank Sievert. The semitone levers (the first to work properly on metal-strings) were designed and produced by the English harp maker Peter Brough.

Besides his solo work and his playing with Moka Efti, Jochen Vogel's musical encounters include such big names as the English rock trio "Fischer Z", jazz saxophonist Charlie Mariano, jazz harpists Deborah Henson-Conant and Park Stickney, the aforementioned Rüdiger Oppermann, Dutch classic rock legend Thijs van Leer (on a Christmas record) and the improvisational harp trio "Trio Modal".

Jochen Vogel now lives in Cologne, teaches harp at the "Studienhaus für keltische Sprachen und Kulturen" in Königswinter and works as a lifeguard.