Born in Hannover, Volker Jacobsen first studied with Christian Pohl and then with Barbara Westphal at the Musikhochschule in Lübeck. His chamber music mentors and teachers include Walter Levin, members of the Emerson Quartet, the Juilliard Quartet and the Alban Berg Quartet. A founding member of the Artemis Quartett in 1989, the ensemble’s international stature was established by winning First Prizes at the ARD Competition in Munich in 1996 and soon thereafter First Prize at the Premio Borciani in Reggio Emilia.
Following his years with the quartet, Volker Jacobsen became viola professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover.
He is widely known and appreciated as a teacher and is a very sought after chamber musician; his chamber music partners include Renaud and Gautier Capuçon, Leif Ove Andsnes and Juliane Banse.