Dirk Solo
Saturday, 09 August 2008 09:33
There are no translations available.

Solokünstler

Dirk Amrein

 

Dirk Amrein was born in Degerfelden, Germany in 1969. He studied at Hochschule für Musik in Basel with Heinrich Huber and Hochschule für Musik in Cologne with Michel Becquet. In addition, he studied privately under Denis Wick in London.  Master classes include studies with Joseph Alessi, Branimir Slokar, and Malte Burba, and others.

He has played in many major orchestras under conductors Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Chailly, Sir Neville Marinner, Franz Welser Most, Andras Schiff, Eliah Inbal, Pierrre Boulez, and  Sir Colin Davis ,Karl Heinz Stockhausen  ,a.s.o. In addition, he has played countless first creations as a soloist and a chamber musician.

He has also worked with some of the most influential composers of our time, such as Karl Heinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Pierre Boulez, Helmut Lachenmann, Jürg Wyttenbach, Peter Eotvos, Georg Friedrich Haas, Olga Neuwirth, Luciano Berio, and  Wolfgang Rihm.

As a crossover artist he has worked together with the Swiss Jazz Orchestra, Jim McNeely, Bert Joris ,Jens Winther ,George Gruntz, Juan MUnguia,Joe Haider ,Pepe Lienhard, Steamboat Switzerland, Gustav, and Christoph Baumann Large Orchestra.

Through his command of a variety of instruments and styles he is able to perform very unconventional concerts. For example, he has played recitals on 5 different instruments per performance. He has also collaborated in many improvisational multimedia pieces with artist Wolfgang Froese. In addition, he has combined his talents to create artworks together with Marc Yeats from England, including new pieces for electronics and computer.

He has toured extensively with various musicians in a variety of venues throughout Europe, The United States, Mexico, Australia ,Russia, and China. In 2009 he toured with pianist Jürg Henneberger to Malaysia, Singapore,  Mexico and The United States


jürg wyttenbach s D(h)ommage an die Freu(n)de !! nicht diese töne




World premiere of trombonist from hell , written by new york composer merrill clark performed by dirk amrein april 17th 2008 in trompetenmuseum bad säckingen



For Peter




Firstly, a quick introduction of the Swiss Jazz Orchestra.

The Swiss jazz orchestra consists of Swiss jazz musicians which have established themselves as band leaders. The orchestra was founded to function as a professional big band with full time members. They have concerts to showcase our work weekly on Mondays like the legendary Duke Ellington did in the past. They have also released a number of CDs that are highly acclaimed worldwide. These include works featuring Markus Stockhausen, Bert Joris and Jim Mcneely, who are leading jazz composers in the world. More information about them can be found at www.swissjazzorchestra.com.

Describe your stint with the orchestra. Do you have any memorable experiences that you wish to share?

I am not a steady member of the Swiss Jazz Orchestra, but I play very often with them. I personally love to play in the band especially a professional big band. It is totally fun to play with, they are a real hot bunch! We had a lot of great moments with them so far. One of the best moments was when I introduced the Swedish Anders Bergcrantz, a jazz trumpet soloist, to the orchestra. He taught at the jazz hochschule1 and performed his pieces in a concert with the big band. 1 -The term Hochschule can be used to refer to all institutions of higher education in Germany that confer academic degrees like specialized (primarily vocational or technical) universities and colleges in the Anglo-American education systems.

What influenced you to take on Jazz music? Any particular people that you wish to mention?

There are really too many people to mention. Jazz is very different from classic performances; it’s more free and in some cases more enjoyable. A jazz musician is always able to play in time, while a classic musician without a conductor is very seldom able to. Improvisation really opens up your mind and encourages creativity. When I was young, the jazz trombone soloists I listened to deeply influenced me to pick up the trombone.

Do you have a few jazz pieces that you enjoy performing?

I like to play groovy and funky stuff. I also love to play Latin repertoire, modern compositions and any good tunes in general.

Who in your personal opinion are jazz legends in the world?

Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie parker, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarret, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Theolonius Monk, Cannonball Adderly, Freddie Hubbard, Albert Mangellsdorff and a lot more!

How different is it playing the trombone in a Jazz orchestra and a Symphony Orchestra?

In a jazz orchestra you play with the band, in an orchestra you mainly play with the section. Both styles are very different. The sound and phrasing is also totally different.

Most people think that Jazz music is all about improvisation. What do you have to say about this?

This is actually quite true. Improvising is the biggest part in jazz. However, it is important that we have good tunes, compositions and arrangements.

What advices or tips do you have for people who have just started learning / playing jazz music?

Listen to a lot of jazz, explore the different styles and watch as much concerts as you can. Do not be afraid of improvising; making mistakes is normal and only through your mistakes you will learn.

How and why did you start to be involved in the contemporary music scene?

When I was studying, nobody was interested in practicing all the new music genres. I was always open-minded and listened widely to a lot of provoking music like free jazz which was quite avant-garde when I was very young. I am doing this music now for more then 20 years and still improving and trying to find new expressions and interpretations of the different compositions.

Do you write your own contemporary works? How do you compose them?

I have not ventured into composing so far. There are people better than me in this aspect. I am a performer by far.

Most people do not understand contemporary music but performers seem to enjoy it. Do you think that’s what makes contemporary music more unique?

I think the reason people are not interested in contemporary is due to the fact that they are not used to listening to it. They are usually afraid of hearing something they do not know about. It is a thing I could explain when I have more time but this involves a little about the programming of the brain.

Modern music is very challenging most of the time especially for brass players which usually get bored in the orchestra due to the repertoire. Orchestras which play the interesting literature for brass are a rarity. It keeps me very fresh always working with new stuff; reading more complex stuff keeps your mind in good shape.

Visit Dirk Amrein’s page at www.dirkamrein.com; or listen to his music at http://www.youtube.com/user/amrein http://profile.myspace.com/dirkamrein



Georg Friedrich Wagenseil  Concerto




Alphornimprovisation " over an unknown melody"