Nik Bärtsch

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Nik Bärtsch (born 3 August 1971) is a Swiss pianist, composer and producer from Zurich. He lives in Zurich and Berlin. He began studying piano and percussion at the age of 8. In 1997 he graduated from the Musikhochschule Zürich. Between the years of 1989 and 2001 he studied philosophy, linguistics and musicology at the University of Zurich. He was an Instructor for ‘Practical Aesthetics’ at the 'Musikhochschule Zürich/Winterthur' (2000–2003). In 2003/2004 he lived in Japan for half a year.

Music and career

Nik Bärtsch currently works in three parallel musical settings: as a solo artist, with the acoustic group Mobile and with the 'zen-funk' group Ronin. As a solo artist he performs his own compositions on prepared piano with percussion. Mobile plays purely acoustic music, performed in rituals of up to 36 hours, which include lighting- and room design. Ronin, by contrast, is more flexible and plays rhythmically complex compositions that contain elements of jazz, funk and acoustic rock. Since 1997 Mobile has included Kaspar Rast (drums), Mats Eser (bass) and Don Li (clarinets, sax). In 2001 Ronin started with Kaspar Rast (drums), Björn Meyer (bass) and Andi Pupato (percussion), releasing their first record Randori in 2001. Sha (Clarinets, Sax) subsequently joined the band in 2006; Meyer departed in 2012 and was replaced by Thomy Jordi.

Bärtsch's earlier projects were released on Ronin Rhythm Records. In 2006 Bärtsch was signed to ECM and has released four albums with the Ronin band: Stoa (2006), Holon (2008), Llyria (2010) and Live (2012).

In 2009 Nik Bärtsch's Ronin contributed to the drama Sounds and Silence with Modul 42 and Sound and Silence, Music for Film soundtrack and DVD released by ECM records.

Awards

1999 and 2002 Career award of the ‘UBS Cultural Foundation’. 2002 'Werkjahr' (career award) from the city of Zurich. 2004 Culture-award from the town of Zollikon (appreciation-award). 2006 Priority jazz support from the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia.

Discography

Don Li

  • 1999 Gen, Tonus-Music-Records

Nik Bärtsch's Ronin:

Nik Bärtsch's Mobile:

  • 2004 Aer
  • 2001 Ritual Groove Music

Nik Bärtsch:

  • 2002 Hishiryo

External links

Authority control
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