大提琴家波特拉出生於蘇黎世，他是 Nancy Chumachenco 與 Boris Pergamenschikov 的學生，後來到薩爾茲堡與維也納向海德利希・席夫學習大提琴。由於馬友友因故取消某場與大衛辛曼／蘇黎世音樂廳管弦樂團的演出，當時 17 歲的波特拉臨危受命上台與樂團共同演奏艾爾加的大提琴協奏曲，大為驚艷，自此波特拉成為同世代最受矚目的大提琴家之一。

波特拉以大提琴家的身份，與慕尼黑愛樂、萊比錫布商大廈管弦樂團、漢堡 NDR 管弦樂團、奧斯陸愛樂、維也納交響樂團、班貝格交響樂團、皇家利物浦愛樂、羅馬聖塔西西里亞管弦樂團、巴黎管弦樂團、里昂國立管弦樂團、BBC 愛樂、薩爾茲堡合奏團、德意志布萊梅室內愛樂、歐洲室內管弦樂團與落杉磯愛樂合作，而合作過的指揮包括海汀克、夏伊、杜南伊、賈第納、史拉特金、安德魯戴維斯爵士、帕弗・賈維、佩倫柯與尼爾森斯。波特拉於 2006 年開始於美國演出，首演在紐約的艾利費雪廳，與美國交響樂團合作。

未來波特拉的演出行程包括與德意志交響樂團在柏林愛樂廳演出，與慕尼黑室內樂團、奧瑞岡交響樂團、聖保羅交響樂團合作。

波特拉也相當投入於室內樂的演出活動中，曾經與克萊曼、特茲拉夫、卡瓦科斯、弗斯特、凱瑟琳・史考特、弗格特、安斯涅等人合演，也與貝爾薩四重奏、徹赫邁爾四重奏合作過。2008 年他與內田光子在紐約卡內基廳與費城奇邁爾廳合作演出梅湘的《世界末日四重奏》。波特拉與小提琴家齊瑪曼、中提琴家塔梅斯提合作組成弦樂三重奏，在許多著名的音樂廳演出，包括薩爾茲堡音樂節與愛丁堡音樂節。2015/16 樂季，他們三人巡迴阿姆斯特丹、維也納、慕尼黑、馬德里、巴塞隆納、漢堡演出。

2004 年波特拉獲得 BB 信託獎（Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award），也被選為BBC新世代藝術家。2006-07 年他被歐洲音樂廳組織選為「明日之星」，2007 年首度在 BBC 逍遙音樂節演出，與 BBC 交響樂團合作。目前波特拉固定參與薩爾茲堡、琉森、柏林、維也納等地著名的音樂節。

波特拉的唱片目錄顯示他對大提琴曲目的積極探索，包括巴伯、魯托史拉夫斯基、杜替耶、申克、奧乃格、馬丁、托赫等人的大提琴協奏曲，還有普羅高菲夫、佛瑞、莫札特、聖桑、舒伯特的室內樂作品，這些錄音分別發行於 BIS、DG、EMI、Chandos 等唱片公司。而這些錄音也獲得樂評界的高度讚揚，獲得金叉獎、《留聲機雜誌》編輯推薦、《弦樂》的「弦樂之選」，以及 BBC 雜誌的當月推薦。目前波特拉固定於 BIS 灌錄新錄音，近來的發行包括亨德密特與華爾頓的大提琴協奏曲（與席普威／聖保羅交響樂團合作）、德弗札克與馬替奴的大提琴協奏曲（道斯嘉德／德意志交響樂團合作）。 波特拉目前演奏的大提琴是安東尼奧・史特拉底瓦里於 1711 年製的名琴「瑪拉」。

Born in Zurich, cellist Christian Poltéra was a pupil of Nancy Chumachenco and Boris Pergamenschikov before studying with Heinrich Schiff in Salzburg and Vienna. Since replacing Yo-Yo Ma performing the Elgar concerto with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich under David Zinman at the age of 17, Mr. Poltéra has steadily established himself as one of the most prominent cellists of his generation.

As soloist he has worked with eminent orchestras including the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, NDR Hamburg Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna and Bamberg Symphonies, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Orchestra Santa Cecilia in Rome, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de Lyon, BBC Philharmonic, Camerata Salzburg, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Los Angeles Philharmonic under such conductors as Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Chailly, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Leonard Slatkin, Sir Andrew Davis, Paavo Järvi, Donald Runnicles, as well as the leading conductors of the younger generation, such as James Gaffigan, Robin Ticciati, Vasily Petrenko and Andris Nelsons. Mr. Poltéra made his solo debut in the US in 2006 with the American Symphony Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall in New York.

Upcoming highlights include appearances with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester at the Berlin Philharmonie, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Oregon Symphony, and a three-week residency with the São Paolo Symphony.

Mr. Poltéra also devotes himself intensively to chamber music, working with such musicians as Gidon Kremer, Christian Tetzlaff, Karen Gomyo, Leonidas Kavakos, Martin Fröst, Kathryn Stott, Lars Vogt, and Leif Ove Andsnes, as well as the Auryn, Belcea, and Zehetmair Quartets. In 2008 he joined Mitsuko Uchida in performances of Messiaen's "Quartet for the End of Time", at Carnegie's Zankel Hall and the Kimmell Center in Philadelphia.

Together with violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann and violist Antoine Tamestit, Christian Poltéra has formed a regular string trio that performs at the most prestigious concert venues as well as at the Salzburg and Edinburgh Festivals. In 15-16 the Trio Zimmermann tours in Amsterdam, Vienna, Munich, Madrid, Bilbao, Barcelona, and Hamburg. With Juho Pohjonen and Karen Gomyo he performs in Toronto and Philadelphia in March, 2016.

In 2004 he received the Borletti-Buitoni Award and was selected as a BBC New Generation Artist. In 2006-07 he was a 'Rising Star' of the European Concert Hall Organization. He is a regular guest at renowned festivals (such as Salzburg, Lucerne, Berlin, and Vienna) and made his BBC Proms debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 2007.

Christian Poltéra's discography reflects his wide range of repertoire that includes the cello concertos by Barber, Lutoslawski, Dutilleux, Schoeck, Honegger, Martin, and Toch, as well as chamber music by Prokofiev, Fauré, Mozart, Saint-Saens and Schubert, on the labels BIS Records, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, and Chandos.

These recordings have won acclaim from the international press, and have been honored with the Diapason d'or, Gramophone Magazine's "Editor's Choice", Strad Magazine's "Strad Selection", and BBC Music Magazine's "Choice".

Now recording regularly for BIS, Mr. Poltéra's recent releases include the cello concertos by Hindemith and Walton (São Paulo Symphony Orchestra / Frank Shipway). CD releases in 15-16 include the Dvorak and Martinu Concerti with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester and Thomas Dausgaard. Christian Poltéra plays the famous cello "Mara", built in 1711 by Antonio Stradivari.