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Nik Bärtsch

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Nik Bärtsch (2016)

Nik Bärtsch(born 3 August 1971) is a Swisspianist,composer,bandleader,record producer[1][2]andauthorfromZürich.

Career

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The band Ronin (Thomy Jordi, Sha, Kaspar Rast) 2016
Nik Bärtsch (2008)

Bärtsch studiedpianoandpercussionbefore the age of ten, prior to his studies at the Academy of Music, he was taught for 5 years (1986-1991) by Boris Mersson (1921-2013). He was a comic fan and collector from an early age. He was particularly influenced by the classic style of the BelgianTintinillustratorHergé,theLigne Claire.This style of drawing a motif with a few strokes and a certain verve helped him more than studying the great musical role models.[3]At the age of 14, he was fascinated by the energy and music of the filmRanby the legendary Japanese directorAkira Kurosawa.Since then, he has been intensively involved with Japanese culture.[4]At the age of 18, his mother introduced him to Zen meditation and gave him the book "Zen Mind - Beginner's Mind" by Zen masterShunryu Suzuki.The book was an important inspiration for him. The idea of an open, curious and humble "Beginner's mind" has shaped his life.[5]

Before studying at the University of Music (Musikhochschule), he was taught by Boris Mersson for five years (1986-1991). He first studied music at the Zurich Musikhochschule (now Zurich University of the Arts) and graduated in 1997 with a classical piano diploma.[6][7][1]Additionally, he studiedlinguistics,musicology,andphilosophyat the University of Zurich from 1998 to 2001. He grew interested in the work of avant-garde composersJohn Cage,Steve Reich,andMorton Feldman.[1]He formed his band Mobile in 1997, and his band Ronin in 2001.Manfred Eichersigned the band Ronin to his label,ECM Records,and released 2006 the first albumStoa.[8]During the next year, Bärtsch became co-owner of a club in Zurich. Bärtsch's music has been called zen funk, but with the albumLlyria,he moved towardcontemporary classical music.[9]He was instructor of Practical Aesthetics at the Musikhochschule Zurich-Winterthur from 2000–2003.

Bärtsch lives with his wife, abiologistwith a doctorate,shiatsutherapist as well asaikidoteacher, and his three daughters in Zurich, where he plays every Monday in "Exil."

Influences and style

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Repetition and change are central motifs in Nik Bärtsch's music and performance practice.[10]

Nik Bärtsch's work is at the intersection of contemporary music,jazzandfunkinfluences. The use of repetition, as well as structures based on interweaving elements in his music suggests the influence ofminimalist music,and in particular of Steve Reich.[11]Bärtsch is also influenced by oriental philosophy and theostinatoofJames Brown.[11]He has also taken a close interest in the work of the American composersJohn CageandMorton Feldman.[12]

Bärtsch is fascinated by the JapaneseZenculture. His musical attitude is also influenced by his interest in the Japanesemartial art(Aikido) and Zen, among other things. It is his Zen practice ofawarenessthat does not get lost in the multiple, but reduces the multiple as much as possible and concentrates on the essential.[13]

For all the diversity of its influences, this music always reveals its own signature. Although elements from a wide variety of musical worlds have found their way into it - from funk and jazz to newclassical musicand the sounds of Japaneseritual music[14]- these forms are not juxtaposed or quoted in a postmodern way, but rather merge to form a new style. The result is a grooving, tonally and rhythmically highly differentiated music, composed of a few phrases and motifs that are combined and overlaid in ever new and varied ways.[15]

At the European jazz competition of the germanLeverkusenJazztage in 1995, Bärtsch reached the finals with Menico Ferrari's band Groove Cooperative. In 1999 and 2002 he was awarded the UBS Culture Foundation Promotion Prize. In 2002 he was awarded the Werkjahr of the Swiss city of Zurich. In 2004 he received the culture prize of the municipality ofZollikon(recognition prize). In 2007 he received a composition commission from Pro Helvetia for a music and dance program with Hideto Heshiki. Bärtsch was simultaneously supported by Pro Helvetia as part of the Priority Jazz Promotion 2007-2009. In 2015 he was nominated for the Swiss Music Prize of the Federal Office of Culture.[16]In 2016 he won the category "Rising Stars Keyboards" ofDownBeatmagazine.[17]In 2019 he received the Art Prize of the City of Zurich. In 2021 he won an award from DownBeat magazine for the second time, this time in the "Critics Poll" in the category "Rising star piano" piano ".[18]These awards are among the most important prizes in the jazz world.

Discography

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Year recorded Title Label Notes
2001 Ritual Groove Music Ronin Rhythm Records Nik Bärtsch's Mobile withDon Li,Mats Eser and Kaspar Rast
2002 Randori Ronin Rhythm Records Nik Bärtsch's Ronin with Björn Meyer, Kaspar Rast and Andy Pupato
2002 Hishiryo: Piano Solo Ronin Rhythm Records Solo piano and percussion
2003 Live Ronin Rhythm Records Nik Bärtsch's Ronin with Meyer, Kaspar Rast and Pupato
2004 Rea Ronin Rhythm Records Nik Bärtsch's Ronin with Meyer, Kaspar Rast, Pupato and guests Sha, Thomy Geiger and Michael Gassmann
2004 Aer Ronin Rhythm Records Nik Bärtsch's Mobile with Sha, Kaspar Rast and Mats Eser
2006 Stoa ECM Nik Bärtsch's Ronin with Sha, Meyer, Kaspar Rast and Pupato
2008 Holon ECM Nik Bärtsch's Ronin with Sha, Meyer, Kaspar Rast and Pupato
2010 Llyria ECM Nik Bärtsch's Ronin with Sha, Meyer, Kaspar Rast and Pupato
2012 Nik Bärtsch's Ronin Live ECM Nik Bärtsch's Ronin with Sha, Meyer, Kaspar Rast, Pupato and Thomy Jordi
2016 Continuum ECM Nik Bärtsch's Mobile with Sha, Kaspar Rast, Nicolas Stocker, string quintet with Etienne Abelin and Ola Sendecka (violin), David Schnee (viola), Ambrosius Huber and Solme Hong (Celli)
2018 Awase ECM Nik Bärtsch's Ronin with Sha, Jordi and Kaspar Rast
2021 Entendre ECM Nik Bärtsch solo, released in March 2021

As sideman

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With Menico Ferrari

  • About Roses and Thorns(Unit, 1995)

WithDon Li

  • Gen(Tonus Music, 2004)

As producer

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  • We Need to Repeat,Ingrid Lukas(Ronin Rhythm, 2009)
  • RACE,Dee Day Dub (Ronin Rhythm, 2014)
  • Demimonde,Ingrid Lukas (Ronin Rhythm Records 2015)
  • Echo,Ikarus (Ronin Rhythm Records 2015)

Books

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  • Nik Bärtsch:Listening - Music, Movement, Mind.Lars Müller publishers, Zürich 2021, ISBN 978-3-03778-670-3

References

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  1. ^abcNastos, Michael G.Allmusic: Nik Bärtsch BiographyArchived2017-12-01 at theWayback Machine,accessed May 25, 2018
  2. ^"Musiktipps von Nik Bärtsch" Was hörst Du? ""(in German). Deutschlandfunk.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-09-12.
  3. ^Paersch, Jan."»Meine Musik soll Räume öffnen«".nd-aktuell.de(in German).Retrieved2024-11-02.
  4. ^Stars extra: Nik Bärtsch - Play SRF.Retrieved2024-11-02– via www.srf.ch.
  5. ^Bärtsch, Nik; Pfisterer, Andreas (2021).Listening: music - movement - mind a useless guide for everything.Zurich: Lars Müller Publishers. pp. 21, ISBN 978-3-03778-670-3.ISBN978-3-03778-670-3.
  6. ^"FN - Biographies Jazz, Detail".www.fonoteca.ch.Retrieved2024-11-02.
  7. ^"Nik Bärtsch Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mor..."AllMusic.Retrieved2024-11-02.
  8. ^ECM Records: artist informationArchived2018-05-25 at theWayback Machine,accessed May 25, 2018
  9. ^Nastos, Michael G."Nik Bärtsch".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on 1 December 2017.Retrieved21 November2017.
  10. ^Bärtsch, Nik."Immer wieder, immer weiter".Schaffhausener Jazzfestival(in German).Retrieved2021-07-02.
  11. ^abLake; Griffiths, Steve; Paul (2007).Horizons touched: the music of ECM.Granta UK. pp. 361–362.ISBN978-1-86207-880-2.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^"Critique de Stoa, de Ronin".Pianobleu(in French). 2021-06-17.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-05-18.Retrieved2021-06-17.
  13. ^"Jazz und Zen"(in German). 2021-06-17.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-05-15.Retrieved2021-06-17.
  14. ^"Rohheit und Abstraktionswille"(PDF).Rohheit und Abstraktionswille(in German).Archived(PDF)from the original on 2020-01-27.Retrieved2012-06-18.
  15. ^"Module - zu meiner musikalischen Konzeption".Internet Archive.Archived fromthe originalon 2014-09-15.Retrieved2021-06-18.
  16. ^Bärtsch, Nik."Nik Bärtsch Nominierte 2015".Archivedfrom the original on 2019-02-17.
  17. ^"Washington, Iyer Among Winners in 2016 DownBeat Critics Poll".DownBeat Magazine.2016-07-01.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-06-13.
  18. ^"69th annual Downbeat critics poll".Downbeat August 2021 Critic Polls.DownBeat magazine.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-09-02.
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