Claas Harders began learning viola da gamba at the age of seven. He continued his studies with Jaap ter Linden and Sarah Cunningham at the Akademie für Alte Musik Bremen as well as at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon with Marianne Muller.

Further studies with Freek Borstlap, Paolo Pandolfo, Wieland Kuijken, Jordi Savall, Wendy Gillespie, and Ariane Maurette.

In addition to the viola da gamba, he is a much sought-after lirone player. He plays regularly with chamber music ensembles throughout Europe and has appeared at festivals such as Ambronay (France), Abu Gosh (Israel), Styriarte (Austria), Barockfest Münster, Musikfest Bremen, Bachfest Leipzig and at the Festival Oude Muziek (Netherlands).

Besides having tought viol as guest lecturer at the Kunstuniversität Graz, the Conservatorio Lissabon, the Akademie Hamburg für Musik und Kultur, the Hochschule für Künste Bremen, he enjoys teaching his private pupils  (Videos here)!