Markus Schäfer studied voice and church music in Karlsruhe and Düssseldorf and won the national competition in singing in Berlin and the Caruso competition in Milan.  He greatly enjoys singing the role of Bach's Evangelist, to give lieder recitals and to perform in Mozaart operas, playing Ferrando, Don Ottavio or Tamino.

Markus Schäfer works together with a wide range of well-known conductors, including René Jacobs, Sigiswald Kuijken, Paul McCreesh, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Michael Gielen, Stefan Soltesz, Helmut Müller Brühl, Martin Haselböck, Kent Nagano and Yakov Kreizberg.

Numerous CD and radio recordings document the comprehensive repertoire and the wide stylistic range of Markus Schäfer.  Among others, he has participated in the extraordinary recordings of "Cosi fan tutte" under Sigiswald Kuijken with his ensemble La Petite Bande, as well as with the St Matthew Passion with the Concentus Musicus Vienna under Nikolaus Harnoncourt, which was awarded with the Grammy.