"Matthias Bauer is a double bass player, improviser and composer who is mainly working in the field of improvised and new music.

He performed with many internationally renowned musicians of the free improviser scene and took part in various ensembles and festivals.A central concern is his own solo performance incorporating the voice.

His compositions aim to make a bridge between composition and improvisation.new music

He performed a large repertoire of solo compositions and is working with Berlin based new music ensembles unitedberlin, asian art, Junge Musik and mosaik.He is on several CD releases and performed at festivals like Maerzmusic Berlin, musicaviva München, Biennale Venedig, nuovaconsonanza Rom, musique on scene Lyon, Daegu Contemporary Music Festival, Wien Modern, Konfrontationen Nickelsdorf and Total Music Meeting."

"Lawrence Casserley (born UK, 1941) has devoted his professional career, as composer, conductor and performer, to real time electroacoustic music. In 1967 he became one of the first students of Electronic Music at the Royal College of Music, London, UK, on the new course taught by Tristram Cary. Later he became Professor-in-Charge of Studios and Adviser for Electroacoustic Music at the RCM, before taking early retirement in 1995.

He is best known for his work in free improvised music, particularly real-time processing of other musicians' sound, and he has devised a special computer processing instrument for this work (picture above). He has worked with many of the finest improvisers, particularly Evan Parker, with whom he works frequently as a duo partner, in various larger groupings and in the Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble. He also works as a soloist, processing sounds from voice, percussion and home-made instruments. CDs have been released by ECM, Konnex, Leo Records, Psi, Sargasso and Touch.

Much of Casserley's work has involved collaboration with other art forms, including poets, eg Bob Cobbing, and visual artists, including Colourscape artist Peter Jones. He is a Director of the Colourscape Music Festivals, presenting contemporary music in the unique environment of the Colourscape walk-in sculpture. He also collaborates with Peter Jones on sound/light installations.

Casserley's "instrumental" approach to live computer sound processing is the hallmark of his work; the Signal Processing Instrument allows him to use physical gestures to control the processing and to direct the morphology of the sounds. This is the culmination of forty years of experience in the performance of live electronic work; his earliest live electronic pieces were performed in 1969, and he has performed many of the live electronic "classics" of the 20th century; he has also collaborated with other composers to realise their electronic performance ideas. He is noted for the breadth and variety of his collaborations, which cross styles and generations."

"Floros Floridis: musician / film music - painter, was born in Thessaloniki, Greece.

He studied Physics and Mathematics in Aristotelion University of Thessaloniki where he got his diploma. Exploring his evident creativity beyond science, Floridis then studied classical clarinet under the Romanian professor Konstantin Ugureanou and started his career as a professional musician in the end of 70s.

He counts as one of the main figures of jazz in Greece, not least because in 1979 Floridis together with Sakis Papadimitriou recorded the first modern jazz album that was produced in Greece - "Improvising at Barakos" (double LP). That moment marked the roots of the Greek domestic scene of improvisation and free jazz which then grew to the one we know today.

His rich and diverse career as well as his ever-progressive vision has been and keeps on pushing his work down often unexplored avenues and certainly beyond the Greek scene from very early on.

Building a name as a top impro and free jazz performer and creator, he had the opportunity as a leader and co-leader to collaborate and record with international improvised-free jazz music names like Peter Kowald, Guenter "Baby" Sommer, Paul Lytton, Okay Temiz, Nicky Skopelitis, Paul Lovens, Phil Wachsman, Carlos Zingaro, Hans Schneider, Louis Moholo, Vincent Chancey, Jean-Marc Montera, Milos Petrovic, Ivo Papazov,...

as well as with prominent Greek musicians Michalis Siganidis, Savinna Yannatou, Dimitris Polizoidis, Babis Papadopoulos, Yiannis Mourtzopoulos,, Kostas Vomvolos, Antonis Anissegos, Yorgos Dimitriadis, Ilias Papadopoulos, Yiannis Anastasakis,Spyweirdos...

in Berlin with Matthias Bauer, Michael Griener, Jan Roder, Chris Dahlgren, Olaf Rupp, Harri Sjöström, Gerhard Gschlössl, Achim Kaufmann, Elena Kakaliagou, Nikolaus Neuser, Dag Magnus Narvesen...

This has resulted in the release of more than 100 albums throughout the years with his contribution in various productions as included guest of other artists in Greece as well as abroad.

Floridis has played concerts and festivals in Greece, Europe, China, Australia and USA with a great number of European and American musicians - Evan Parker, Peter Brötzmann, Ken Vandermark, Irene Schweitzer, Ivo Papazov, Andrew Cyrille, Barre Phillips, Conny Bauer, Johannes Bauer, Hans Reichel, Sirone, William Parker, Steve McCall, Andre Jaume, Barry Guy,...

Some of the international groups, in which he was a founder and/or member, are The Black Sea Orchestra, The Inter-Balkan Orchestra, Mediterranean Ensemble...

Floridis also participated in the well-known Greek group Chimerinoi Kolimvites ("Winter Swimmers") for more than 20 years, "Florina's Brass Band", in the Euro-American Orchestra of Cecil Taylor in Berlin in 1987...

2015",Nickelsdorfer Konfrontationen 2015" ,2016 "Jazzatelier Ulrisberg":with Nate Wooley,Paul Lytton,Sten Sandell,Floros Floridis,Phil Wachsmann.Later in 2018 CD "Featuring"came out..

Has taught at "Aristotelean"university, Thessaloniki improvisation courses,2002 in the music department, as composing method. Also in 2019, lectured in China's universities of Beijing, Fuzhou, Wuhan, Hanyang about improvisation as a creative method for audio-visual art products..."

"Emilio Gordoa is a Mexican composer and vibraphonist based in Berlin since 2012. He's involved in numerous projects including his work as a soloist and in collaboration with theater and dance. Emilio is specially focus in sound art, experimental music, noise, free jazz, improvisation and contemporary music.

He is redefining the vibraphone as a source, treating it with preparations and extended techniques, and is a busy composer as well, writing graphic scores for a variety of ensembles, large and small, for theater, documentary films and audiovisual.

Emilio studied music composition with Vincent Carver and Mario Lavista, and percussion with Raul Tudon. He has collaborated and performed with artist such as John Russell, Tristan Honsinger, Misha Marks, John Butcher, Axel Dörner, Tony Buck, Tobias Delius, Ignaz Schick, Klaus Kürvers, Alexander Bruck, Richard Scott, and Ute Wassermann."

"Steve Heather (Composer/Performer/Musician) is a freelance musician (drums, percussion, electronics) and composer, performance and installation maker based in Berlin. Born in Melbourne and studied percussion/improvisation at the Victoria College of the Arts and performance art at Das Arts/Amsterdam.

Steve Heather's current music projects/bands vary from avant guard, free jazz to noise, drone rock and prog fitness disco include: STIFF LEATHER, TUB, NEU TRAINERS, THE STILL, BOOKLET, MRS CONCEPTION, RAFT, SHELTER, THE PEELED EYE and ASHES. Steve was the co founder of the Amsterdam based electo acoustic music series, Kraak Geluiden and is also is the co-founder of the new media/ performance group SXS ENTERPRISE with Siegmar Zacharias and Xander De Boer.

As sound designer, composer and performer, Steve Heather works regularly in the fields of dance, theatre, film new media, performance and has worked with The Netherlands Dance Theatre, Sandra Parker Dance, Scapino Ballet, Ivana Müller, United Sorry and Dansgroep Amsterdam.

He performs regularly at European Festivals with performances, among others, at Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin) Haus Der Berliner Festspiele (Berlin), BRUT (Vienna), Grand Theatre (Gronigen), Sophiensaele (Berlin) and Volksbuhne (Berlin). Steve Heather has undertaken numerous artistic residencies in institutes such as Les Bains (Brussels), sophiensaele (Berlin), Steim (Amsterdam), STUK (Leuven), Grand Theatre (Gronigen), Dance House (Melbourne)."

"Wilbert de Joode (1955) is a veritable research scientist of bass pizzicato and bowing techniques. A self-taught musician, he has been playing the double-bass since 1982. He began working in groups that improvised within a jazz framework. Other musicians were soon drawn to his idiosyncratic style, and in the mid 80s he played in groups led by Vera Vingerhoeds, Armando Cairo and Ig Henneman where he further developed his improvisation skills. He came into contact with such musicians as J.C.Tans, Rinus Groeneveld, Michiel Braam, Han Bennink, Han Buhrs (Schismatics) and Ab Baars.

De Joode is currently one of the most active bass players on the European improvised music circuit. His individual style and musicality transforms the double bass into an equal partner in the most varied ensembles. A personal tone colour, exploration of the outer registers, quirky improvisations and the use of gut strings contribute to an instantly recognizable and intriguing sound.

The seventeen improvised pieces on his first solo cd Olo (distributed by ToonDist) show how rich and complex his sound on the double bass is."

"Kalle Kalima (b. 1973 in Helsinki, Finland) began his journey into sound with piano lessons at the age of six. Five years later he switched over to the guitar and has never looked back. He studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and at the Hanns Eisler Conservatory in Berlin under the guidance of Raoul Björkenheim and John Schröder to name a few. After taking up residence in Berlin, Kalima has experienced a revelation in his attitude towards free music.

So far Kalle has worked with trompeter Tomasz Stanko, sax player Juhani Aaltonen, pianist Heikki Sarmanto, bass players Sirone, Teppo Hauta-Aho, Carlos Bica & Ed Schuller, guitarist Marc Ducret, composer Simon Stockhausen, drummer Tony Allen and singer Linda Sharrock. He is also playing with Jimi Tenor, finnish underground pop star. Last years have been busy years for Kalima, touring mostly in Europe but also in Africa, Asia and USA."

"Veli Kujala (b. 1976) has gained a solid reputation of an outstanding interpreter of contemporary music on the accordion. In 2010 he completed his Doctor of Music degree with distinction from the Sibelius-Academy. He is a prizewinner of many international competitions for soloists and for composition in the field of classical music. Kujala's compositional output covers a wide variety of genres ranging from electro-acoustic to orchestral works. His composer portrait CD 'Hyperorganism' (Alba Records) was nominated for the best Finnish classical album of the year 2016. From the beginning of his career Kujala has also been very active in the field of jazz and improvised music, with an open mind upon all genres of popular music, from progressive rock to tango, ethnic music to French chanson. Pipoka, Gourmet sextet and Kalle Kalima K-18 count among the most relevant bands he is involved in.

Kujala has performed as a soloist with ensembles including Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Insomnio, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, the Tapiola Sinfonietta with conductors such as Stefan Asbury, Hannu Koivula, Hannu Lintu, Susanna Mälkki, Ari Rasilainen, Dmitri Slobodeniouk and John Storgårds. He has co-operated with a number of contemporary composers and has premiered accordion concertos by Pekka Pohjola, Markus Fagerudd and Olli Virtaperko. Moreover he has premiered concertos by Sampo Haapamäki, Joachim Schneider and Jukka Tiensuu for the quarter-tone accordion; a new instrument, which he developed together with Haapamäki.

Veli Kujala has performed in whole Europe, in major festivals and venues. He has also toured in the USA. Since 2005 Veli Kujala has been teacher of concert accordion and improvisation at the Sibelius-Academy."

"Libero Mureddu: Pianist, improviser, music technologist and producer based in Helsinki, Finland.

He has studied Composition at the Conservatory "G. Verdi" of Milan and Music Technology at the Centre for Music and Techology, Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He is currently doing his artistic doctorate at the MuTri doctoral school at the Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki.

A versatile musician, during the past twenty years his musical experiences extended from contemporary and experimental music, to jazz and popular music.

Active pianist and keyboard player in the field of jazz and improvised music, with long-standing collaborations in the Italian scene with Giovanni Falzone, the Chant Trio, and more recently in Finland with the dance and music collective Liquid, the Korvat auki ensemble and the Mureddu://:Cartheuser duo, among many others.

As a composer his main interests are in the fields of algorithmic composition and the exploration of the connection between written composition and improvisation.

Since 2006 he has been working regularly with the Yamaha Disklavier player piano as a composer, performer and technical assistant.

Since 2009 Libero Mureddu is the general manager of the NYKY Ensemble, the contemporary music ensemble of the Sibelius Academy. The NYKY Ensemble is nowadays considered as an important actor of the Finnish contemporary music scene."

"I discovered free improvised music at the age of 16. As a drummer who was quite fed up with just filling the "time-keeping-role", the first encounter with musicians as Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman and Peter Brötzmann altered my musical course quite considerably. The intense musical energy and the immense presence of the musicians simply blew my young brain away.

Since then, I have been fortunate enough to be able to expand my musical perception through playing with truly great musicians (to whom I can never be thankful enough), listening to a tiny bit of the music available in this world (some of it introduced to me by friends to whom I also owe thanks) and through composing music on my own, some of which you can find under SOUNDS in the menu to the left."

"Giancarlo Schiaffini: composer, trombonist, tubist, born in Rome in 1942.

He studies in Rome at regular public school, choosing classical address in the high school, and graduates in 1960.

1957: starts studying trumpet, switching two years later to trombone, composition and arrangement as self-taught.

1960: starts studying Physics at the University of Rome, where he graduates in 1965 discussing a work in Biophysics about "Physical and Chemical Analysis on Hybrids between DNA and RNA of Bacillus Megatherium".

In the meanwhile, he plays jazz and appears as soloist in the first free-jazz concerts in Italy, in Gruppo Romano Free Jazz with Mario Schiano, Marcello Melis and Franco Pecori. Subsequently presents his own compositions and arrangements widely in the mid 1960's.

In the same time he introduces himself into the "contemporary music" scene in Italy, in that time very lively and intriguing, soon becoming an outstanding performer, improviser and composer.

1966: plays as stage musician (tuba) in the Musical "Ciao, Rudy!", by Garinei-Giovannini-Trovaioli, starring Marcello Mastroianni. Later in the same year he starts working in a Transistor Factory held by Siemens, to develop first samples of Integrated Circuits.

1967: changes job to CNEN (National Committee for Nuclear Energy) in the Nuclear Studies Center in Casaccia (near Rome), as a Biophysicist, publishing on "The International Journal of Immunology", later working on the effect of radiations on Nucleic Acids in bacteria until 1975.

1968: plays in a Big Band with Lionel Hampton in Rome.

1970: He studies at Darmstadter Ferienkurse with Karlheinz Stockhausen, Gyorgy Ligeti and Vinko Globokar. In the same year he founds, with the composer/contrabass player Bruno Tommaso and the composer/clarinetist Jesùs Villa-Rojo, the chamber ensemble Nuove Forme Sonore, to explore the structural combinations between composition and improvisation in contemporary music.

1972: studies electronic music at Accademia di Santa Cecilia with Franco Evangelisti, and becomes member of the Gruppo di Improvvisazione di Nuova Consonanza (with Franco Evangelisti, Ennio Morricone, Egisto Macchi, Giovanni Piazza, Antonello Neri) until 1983.

1973: records the first LP leading his own group (a sextet) for the series "Jazz a confronto".

From 1973 to 1975 he writes music for short movies.

1974: founds the Gruppo Romano di Ottoni performing Renaissance and Contemporary music. Since the same year, the association Nuove Forme Sonore, born with the chamber ensemble in 1970, is awarded a annual Grant from the Italian Government, to perform contemporary music concerts in Italy and abroad; tours Japan with a band playing sound tracks by M° Rustichelli.

1975: leaves his work on Physics and starts teaching Trumpet and Trombone at the Conservatory "Gioacchino Rossini" in Pesaro. In the same year he premieres "Tre pezzi per trombone solo" by Giacinto Scelsi, and collaborates with John Cage during his Italian Tour.

1976: is among the founders of first Italian Popular Music School in Testaccio (borough of Rome).

1977: Plays with Globe Unity Orchestra in Modena (Festival dell'Unità)

1978: Performs in Reggio Emilia in English-Italian Impro Meeting (with Paul Rutherford, Evan Parker, Barry Guy).

1979: Plays in concert With ICPO led by Misha Mengelberg in Soncino; the concert is issued in LP (later in CD). With Alex Von Schlippenbach, Evan Parker and Paul Lovens plays as guest soloist with Italian Radio Big Band.

1980: composes the first of a long series of multimedia pieces ("I sette corvi", from Grimm's fairy tale, for instruments, tape and live images); changes Conservatory (from Pesaro to the Conservatory "A. Casella" in l'Aquila). Plays in concert at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma with Bill Higgins, Albert Mangelsdorff and Manfred Schoof, with Big Band of Italian Radio, presenting new compositions. Plays with Globe Unity Orchestra in Saalfelden.

Writes a treatise about improving technique and expression for trombone in contemporary music, published by Ricordi (Milan).

Since 1980, for ten years, he cooperates with composer Luigi Nono, as one of the soloists of his last great compositions (Guai ai gelidi mostri, Omaggio a Kurtag, Prometeo, Risonanze erranti, Post-Prae-Ludium per Donau).

1981: invited by the Centre for Contemporary Italian Culture, plays at New York University and gives lessons about compositions of G. Scelsi, L. Berio and improvisation, cooperating with D. Ghezzo and B. Fennelly.

1982: composes his second multimedia piece on fairy tale "L'usignolo dell'Imperatore", for trombone, tape and live images and premieres it at Farnese Castle in Genazzano; returns to NewYork University for concerts at Lincoln Center and lectures; leads for one month the Radio production "Il mestiere del musicista", broadcasted by RAI (Italian National Radio).

1983: gives a lecture about brass instruments at Musik Hochschule in Freiburs im Breisgau (Germany); premieres Luigi Nono's "Omaggio a Kurtag", in Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, in Florence, and starts working with live electronics at Heinrich Stroebel Stiftung of Süd West Funk in Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany); starts teaching at Siena Jazz International Summer School.

1984: premieres "Guai ai gelidi mostri" in Baden-Baden and the opera "Prometeo" by Luigi Nono at Biennale Musica di Venezia. Plays with Roberto Laneri's Group at Yatra Jazz Festival in Bombay. Composes music and plays for the theatre piece "Pentesilea" (from Kleist) by Gianfranco Quartucci at Hebbel Theatre in Berlin.

1985: plays revised version of "Prometeo" by L. Nono at Teatro alla Scala (Milan).

1986: premieres "Risonanze erranti" by L. Nono in Köln (West Deutsche Rundfunk). Records the LP " Infernal Dream" for Tuba and live electronics at H. Strobel Studio in Freiburg i. B. and "Well Actually" for Splasch in duo with singer Tiziana Ghiglioni; is the producer for a Radio Series of New Music compositions. Composes music for ballet "REM", ccoreographer Luisa Gay.

1987: plays "Prometeo" at Alte Oper, Frankfurt a. M. and at Festival d'Automne in Paris, Theatre de Chaillot; premieres in Donaueschingen "Post-Prae-Ludium per Donau", for tuba and live electronics, dedicated to him by Luigi Nono

1988: composes "Tautovox", chamber opera for soprano, alto, trombone, live electronics and images (text by Pasquale Santoli, images by Alfredo Profeta); composes "Musica Edulis", extended piece for trombone and live electronics (commission of Festival di Nuova Musica di Fiastra); plays at Milanopoesia Festival with singer Silvia Schiavoni and live electronics, starting a long cooperation in composition and performances. Plays at Luigi Nono Festival inaugurating the Kleine Philarmonie in Berlin.

1989: seminar in Villeneuve d'Avignon about the music of Luigi Nono.

1990: plays solo concerts in Mexico DC dedicated to Giacinto Scelsi; cooperates with John Cage in Erlangen (Cage Festival); is a co-founder of the Italian Instabile Orchestra, including the best Italian soloists and improvisers, which will become one of the most important band of this kind in the world.

1991: Records a CD in solo for RCA, dedicated to New Music for Trombone. Plays "Prometeo" By L. Nono in Gibellina; flies to Melbourne for concerts and clinics at Melba University and Monash University; composes "Tuba Libre" for Big Band (commission of Italian Instabile Orchestra).

1992: composes "Cambio di rotta", for soprano, instruments, live electronics and images, for the anniversary of the Discovery of America (Text by P. Santoli, images by Ilaria Schiaffini and Marina Bindella); records the CD "About Monk" with his Nonet.

1993: Composes "Snow over Ireland" with Silvia Schiavoni for voice, trombone and live electronics, first piece of the suite "Dubs", based on Joyce's "Dubliners", which will be recorded on CD (YVP) in 1997.

1994: composes "Là les nuites sont toutes belles" (text by Silvia Schiavoni) and "Descend sur la terre" (Text by P. Santoli), multimedia operas with live electronics and multivision images by I. Schiaffini and M. Bindella and premieres them at Acquario Romano; second tour to India for Yatra Jazz Festival, with his Quintet. With this group records the CD "As a Bird", dedicated to Charlie Parker; records as well "Edula", for trombone and live electronics. Is invited by UNEAC for seminar and concerts in Cuba. Invited in Amsterdam as guest trombonist, conductor and composer by Instant Composers Pool Orchestra (led by Misha Mengelberg), with Henry Threadgill for a short tour in Holland and Belgium. Composes soundtrack for "Nosferatu" by Murnau, to be performed live in tour with a vocal/instrumental ensemble.

1995: invited again in Cuba; writes "Energico, rarefatto, vivo" for harpsichord.. Performs all Nono pieces in a Festival held in Lisbon at Gulbenkian Foundation. Performs Nono's music at Hunter College (New York City) in a concert dedicated tu 100 Years of Hertz Waves, led by Luciano Berio. Composes a piece for 5 marching bands to be performed in Pollenza (Macerata)

1996: Composes music for Choir for a ballet in Modena, coreographer Teri Weikel, and for the coreographer Ugo Pitozzi, in Bolzano; co-ordinates and plays a profile of Luigi Nono, for New Music Concerts (Toronto). Starts a cooperation with Luca di Volo and Claudia Bombardella on Klezmer Music.

1997: composes "Litania Sibilante" (commission of the Instabile's Festival in Pisa); records the suite "Dubs", with text by Silvia Schiavoni based on James Joyce's "Dubliners", for voice, instruments and electronics, published by YVP (Germany), "Tuba Libre", for tuba and live electronics, (Random Acoustics, Munich) and "The Missing Chainring" for trombone and electronics for the new label "Imprint Records".

1998: resident composer and performer (Trombone, Tuba, Electronics) at Upic Centre in Paris, with final concert at Cité des Sciences; composes music for the ballet "Pinocchio", choreography by Karole Armitage (commission of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino).

1999: writes the sound-track for the film "Tartarughe dal becco d'ascia"; composes music for concert band (commission by MM&T, Milan); plays Improvised Music in Chicago (Empty Bottle Festival), Jazz in DC (with Peter Fraize Trio), Contemporary Improvised and electronic music at NYU Composers Forum (New York University); with singer Silvia Schiavoni composes "Rhapsody for Billie", dedicated to Billie Holiday, for voice, Baritone Horn, tape.

2000: is composer in residence at International Composers & Improvisers Forum in Munich, premiering "Concerto Grasso", for orchestra; composes for Italian Radio (RAI) "La grande porta delle pulci" (electro-acoustic piece), and tours Italy with Thurston Moore (guitar, Sonic Youth) and Walter Prati (cello, el. bass)-this tour is recorded for Auditorium; tours Canada with Italian Instabile Orchestra, which wins the Down Beat Poll, Big Bands TDWR; plays with Italian Instabile Orchestra in Europe Festival in Ruvo, guest soloist and composer Cecil Taylor; is invited by SKRAEP for concerts of improvised music in Copenhagen; composes a piece for crossing marching bands (commission by Cagli City Council); starts co-operation with Riccardo Santoboni in Myth Ensemble, founded by Dinu Ghezzo, for improvised electro-acoustic music; with Bruno Tommaso and Alfredo Profeta founds the independent CD label Imprint Records, and publishes "The Missing Chain-ring", for trombone and live electronics.

2001: composes and plays a series of live sound tracks for silent movies in Rome and Toronto (Cinemathèque Ontario); composes "Parata", based on Erik Satie's "Parade", for the "On the road Festival", commissioned by City Council of Pelago (Florence), for 11 musicians with ethnic players and dancers; sonorization of the Castle of Genazzano (Rome), commissioned by City Council of Genazzano; tours Japan with Italian Instabile Orchestra.

2002: plays at Banlieue Bleues Festival (Paris) with Italian Instabile and Cecil Taylor; gives two seminars at Third University in Rome about Luigi Nono's Music and his own production using improvisation and electronics; records CD and tours with "Rhapsody for Billie", with images by I. Schiaffini, in Toronto, Los Angeles and San Francisco, with great success; composes "Suoni per la pace" for a 15 instruments group, special guest Charlie Mariano, commissioned by "On the Road Festival" in Pelago (Florence); realizes Wassilij Kandinski music score for "Il suono giallo" (the Yellow Sound), commission of the Amiternum Festival in l'Aquila, in a version for dance, music, video and light designing; composes "Simm' nervusi" for the Instabile's Festival in Pisa, for 12 players and a visual installation of the artist Enzo Cucchi; plays at Improv Festival in Washington DC; seminar at George Washington University on Jazz composition; presents the CD "Post Deconstruction", published by Cadence (New York) and recorded with Peter Fraize Group in 2000 in Washington DC; composes the chamber opera "Common Sense" for voices, trombones and electronics (text by P. Santoli), and premieres it in Rome.

2003: tours with Italian Instabile Orchestra all around Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway; seminar at Conservatorio di Piacenza about improvisation techniques in Jazz and Contemporary Music. Composes for Italian Instabile Orchestra a sound track for Abel Gance's cult silent movie "Napoleon", performed in Giardini Scotto in Pisa (Commission of Provincia di Pisa).Plays at Sant'Anna Arresi (Sardinia) with Cecil Taylor and Italian Instabile Orchestra; performs Hommage to Luigi Nono in Antwerp and Bruxelles (Belgium). Composes a multimedia piece based on novels by Italian Writer Niccolò Ammaniti, text elaborated by Silvia Schiavoni, images by Ilaria Schiaffini, and with this show tours USA and Canada with great success (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver), performs multimedia "Rhapsody for Billie" at Loewe Auditorium in New York University.

2004: Performs an hommage to Italian composers Berio, Scelsi and Nono in Bogotà. Plays in Vancouver with Evan Parker and Walter Prati. Tours Colombia (Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Bogotà) with the multimedia piece on Ammaniti. Tours with Italian Instabile in Spain and Germany. Composes a new multimedia piece about Umberto Boccioni (With Silvia Schiavoni and Ilaria Schiaffini) and performes it in San Francisco (Berkeley), Los Angeles and Rome. Composes new pieces for Great Wind Band to be performed for the Parmafrontiere Festival.

2005: tours Switzerland Austria and Germany with chamber piece "Ianus" by Swiss composer Daniel Studer. Plays an hommage to Giacinto Scelsi with Silvia Schiavoni (voice) and Walter Prati (cello & electronics) in Toronto, San Francisco, Bogotà, Milan and Rome. In Colombia organizes and participates to a great concert/event in the Catedral del Sal in Zipaquirà (an old mine converted to a cathedral) with soloists from Italy and Colombia. This last concert will be recorded and issues as a CD by Auditorium. Tours with Italian Instabile Orchestra in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver) and Italy. With Silvia Schiavoni and Dick Halligan founds "Cat's Pajamas!", dedicated to up-to-date performance of American Songs from the twenties to fifties. Performs with Silvia Schiavoni the multimedia piece (images by Ilaria Schiaffini) about The futurist Umberto Boccioni in Guanajuato-Festival Cervantino (Mexico), Teatro Colon and Universidad Nacional (Bogotà). Composes and conducts "Quanto Domani Luce", text by Schiavoni, images by Ilaria Schiaffini, at Lozano Auditorium with a Colombian chamber ensemble. Performs in Roma (Controindicazioni) with John Tilbury and Eddie Prevost. In November tours England (Leeds, Basingstoke, Manchester, Oxford, London/ Purcell Hall) with Italian Instabile Orchestra. The London Concert has been recorded by BBC and will be issued as a CD. Composes and performs music for ballet for Virgilio Sieni's Company.

2006: Records a CD (imprint IM 009) with Schiavoni and Halligan (Cat's Pajamas!: Zenone's Paradox): SplascH publishes a CD with first concert of Phantabrass, awarded as the best Italian Group in Musica Jazz Poll. Premieres a composition dedicated to Ibsen in Oslo at Nasjonalbiblioteket, text by S. Schiavoni and images by I. Schiaffini Composes "Como una candelilla", (text by S. Schiavoni) commissioned by Mazda Foundation and Italian Cultural Institute, for voices, instruments and images (by I. Schiaffini), and premieres it in Bogotà at Lozano Auditorium.

2007: Casa del Jazz in Rome dedicates him a 3-days-profile (duo with S. Schiavoni, duo with S. Tramontana, Phantabrass Ensemble). Composes and premieres in Milan at Piccolo Teatro a revision of "Three Pennies Opera" (Brecht-Weill) for Big Band, Combo and voice (Tiziana Ghiglioni), commissioned by Musica Oggi. Presents in Lugo a series of new arrangements of G. Gershwin's songs for Silvia Schiavoni and Phantabrass. Premieres his composition for Big band for the 500th Anniversary of Architect Barozzi, commissioned by Festival Jazz in It (Vignola). Premieres a composition dedicated to Edvard Grieg in Oslo at Nasjonalbiblioteket, text by S. Schiavoni and images by I. Schiaffini. Selected in the Category "European Legend of Jazz" for Eurodjango (Eurojazz Awards).

2008: Composes and premieres a new work inspired to Renaissance Composer Luzzasco Luzzaschi (Commission of Ferrara Conservatory). Continues and presents the complete series of arrangements of G. Gershwin's songs for Silvia Schiavoni and Phantabrass, performing all around Italy and recording a CD for Imprint. For the University of Tor Vergata (Rome) composes and performs a "Haec Ego" (text by Silvia Schiavoni, images by Ilaria Schiaffini) and a version of 3 parts of "Tierkreis" K. Stockhausen). In Buenos Aires Plays L. Nono (1st time in Argentina) and premieres at Teatro Coliseum "A cento metri comincia il bosco", multimedia opera, text and voice by Silvia Schiavoni. The same piece, in a version for Voice + Brass Ensemble, is performed at Mittelfest, in Cividale del Friuli. Starts working with Giorgio Baratta and Silvia Schiavoni with new compositions from philosopher Antonio Gramsci's work.

2009: Plays as a soloist in the opera buffa "Uma vaca flatterzunge" by Vitor Rua at Culturgest in Lisbon. Presents "Ho veduto volare" for "La notte dei Musei a Roma" in a new version for images, voice, tape + Phantabrass orchestra. The same piece, in duo version, is performed in Torviscosa (UD), Piedigrotta Festival (Napoli), Rio de Janeiro, San Paolo, Thessaloniki, Bucarest. Starts working with Parco della Musica Contemporary Ensemble (PMCE) on the project about Futurism "Uccidiamo il chiaro di luna", performing in Munich, Bratislava, Amsterdam (Bimhuis), Buenos Aires and Bahìa Blanca. Composes the Musical "Giove a Pompei. La vera storia", inspired to Umberto Giordano, commissioned by Orsara Festival and performed in Orsara and Pietra Montecorvino. Plays music by Luigi Nono and Adriano Guarnieri in Guanajuato (Mexico. Festival Cervantino). Composes "Guardando nella faccia della luna. Canto di Galileo", text by Silvia Schiavoni, performed in Buenos Aires and La Plata.

2010: Plays as soloist with Cosimo Cinieri in "Viandando qui e altrove" (poetry and music) in Rome Auditorium and Tel Aviv.. Performs "Ho veduto volare" in duo and "L'immagine di te sempre nel cuore", songs and poems from Liguria, In Buenos Aires. Plays in a new project by Enzo Favata "Os caminhos de Garibaldi na America". With Schiavoni, Trovalusci, Ruggeri works at a project about Predrag Matvejević "Cantare il pane" and performs it in Zagreb and Opatija.

2011: Tours widely with "Os caminhos de Garibaldi na America" and "Cantare il pane" projects. Performs as conductor at XXIX Rassegna di Nuova Musica in Macerata and in Ferrara. Plays multimedial piece about writer Niccolò Ammaniti in Slovenia. Writes a book about improvisation ("E non chiamatelo jazz" for Auditoium Edizioni-Milan).

2012: Plays at ICTUS Festival in NYC at The Stone. Tour in Switzerland with Daniel Studer et al. Conducts Italian Instabile Orchestra in Bari in a project for Europe Jazz Network 25th. Organizes a triple concert for John Cage with Goethe Institut Rom and Romaeuropa Festival with Tilbury, Schiavoni, Prevost, Brand and others."

"Harri Sjöström (soprano & sopranino saxophone)

Born 29 February 1952 in Turku, Finland. Played piano, guitar and drums in his childhood. Studied music and fine art photography in San Francisco from 1974 - 1978; later film studies at the San Francisco Art Institute. Saxophone and flute with Harry Man, Leo Wright, Friedhelm Schönfeld, Steve Lacy; further piano studies at the San Francisco Conservatory; attended special class for contemporary improvised music at the Lone Mountain College led by trombonist Johannes Mager; composition studies at the electro acoustic music department at Hochschule Für Musik Wien, Austria; composition class led by composers Prof. Haubenstock-Ramati and Prof. Friedrich Cerha.

The joyful, creative and intensive experiences with contemporary music, contemporary improvised music studies, and visual art studies captivated him so much that he has worked intensively ever since with contemporary improvised music, precent tme composition and in mixed media projects including film, photography, visual arts, theater and dance. Has participated in master courses and workshops held by John Cage, George Russell, Steve Lacy, Bill Dixon, Daniel Kientzy, Vinko Globokar, Evan Parker, Cecil Taylor.

In 1980 -1985 he lived in Vienna, Austria, which became his doorway to the European contemporary music scene; formed his first groups and organized numerous artist exchange-projects in Finland and elsewhere. Brought many most notable innovators on the international contemporary improvisation scene to Finland. One of his early projects included a tour with Derek Bailey Company, which was their first in Finland; Bailey's visit in Finland was largely commented by the finish press as "the occurrence" of the year in the contemporary music scene; moved to Berlin in 1985.

Founded the international Quintet Moderne and; co-founded the The Player Is -trio with Teppo Hauta-aho and Philipp Wachsmann, Harri Sjöström as well as founding the groups: Quartetto Finlandia, Wait, Motström, Up and Out, ECIO, (European Composers Improvisors Orchestra), Sestetto Internazionale; Trio Internazionale; co-founded the MOVE - quintet; City Of Pyramids -Casserley, DJ Illvibe, Morgan, Sjöström; since 1989 in collaboration with the British guitarist John Russell in Russells international Mopomoso (MOdernism POstMOdernism) projects.

In 1990, Harri met Cecil Taylor in Berlin and has an extensive working relationship with the legendary pianist and composer on many projects like; Cecil Taylor Quintet Desperados: (Cecil Taylor, Paul Lovens, Teppo Hauta-aho, Tristan Honsinger, Harri Sjöström) Cecil Taylor Quartet- Qua, Cecil Taylor "New Unit" : (Cecil Taylor, Tony Oxley, Okkyung Lee, Jackson Krall, Harri Sjöström); and five recording releases with different C.T. ensembles; since the late 70s Harri performed at numerous international jazz and contemporary music festivals.

Additional collaborations in different projects with a.o. Bernahrd Arndt, James Andean, Yoko Arai, Matthias Bauer, Guy Bettini, Tony Buck, Sergio Castrillón, Angelo Contini, Markus Fagerudd, Emilio Gordoa, Frank Gratkowski, Teppo Hauta-aho, Steve Heather, Tristan Honsinger, Kalle Kalima, Achim Kaufmann, Veli Kujala, Jukka Kääriäinen, Okkyung Lee, Francesco Miccolis, Gianni Mimmo, Dag Magnus Narvesen, Heikki Nikula, Adam Pultz Melbye, Luca Pissavini, Günter Baby Sommer, Jone Takamäki, Janne Tuomi; Occasionally performs solo and is involved in making film music.""Harri Sjöström has been a saxophone teacher since 1980 and is a vital member of the European contemporary improvised music scene; he has composed music for film and is still active today with his photography."

"Sebi Tramontana started playing guitar as a child and then moved to the soprano saxophone in the late 1970s. He switched to trombone in 1982 and during a radio production with Bruno Tommaso met Giancarlo Schiaffini, who convinced him to move to Rome and study with him at A. Casella Conservatorio in L'Aquila. In Rome he calloborated with Martin Joseph, Eugenio Colombio and Mario Schiano and in 1986 was a member of the New Talents Orchestra, performing at the Rocella Jonica Festival. He guested with Gruppo Romano Free Jazz for their 30th anniversary in 1996.

In 1987 he started a trio with Daniel Studer and Roberto Altamura which played at the Contraindicazione Festival in Rome and subsequently performed with Paul Rutherford, Barry Guy, Gerard Siracusa, Eugenio Colombo, Co Streiff and Martin Mayes.

Tramontana was invited by Mario Schiano in 1988 to take part in the recording of Red and blue with Vladimir Tarasov and Vladimir Chekasin. In 1990 he completed his studies at A. Casella Conservatorio and joined the Italian Instabile Orchestra.

His first solo performance was in Rome in 1992 and this has been followed by performances in Zürich, Mulhouse, Clusone, Köln, Ruvo Di Puglia, Roccella, Jonica and Göttingen. In 1994 he was invited by Georg Gräwe to "Two Nights Of Random Acoustics" in Köln, subsequently joining the Georg Graewe Quintet and touring Europe. In 1998, he recorded a duo with Graewe for the Italian Splasc(h) label and in July 2003 became a member of the Georg Graewe new quintet, with Tobias Delius, Kent Kessler and Michael Vatcher.

In 1996 Tramontana performed at the festival di Roccella Jonica with Barre Phillips, Michel Doneda and two dancers and then at the Victoriaville festival with Mario Schiano, Evan Parker, Paul Lovens and Barry Guy. He also appeared at the Empty Bottle in Chiacgo with Hamid Drake, Kent Kessler, Ken Vandermark and Mars Williams. In 1997 he performed the 'Art Of Dialogue' in Munich with Joëlle Léandre.

In 1999 he received a scholarship from the City of Munich for 6 week residence in the US and as a result visited Chicago (playing at the Empty Bottle festival and recording with Jim Baker, Fred Lonberg Holm, Michael Zerang, Lou Mallozi, Jeb Bishop, Ken Vandermark and Kent Kessler), San Francisco and New York. From 1999 to 2002 he was Artistic Director (with Ch.Hofig department of Culture of the City of Munich) of the festival "Come Sunday" and during this period he also founded the group XAXA with Phil Wachsmann, Mats Gustafsson and Paul Lovens.

In 2001 Tramontana undertook concerts and recordings in Chicago with the "Night People" project (a homage to Dickie Wells), a string quartet with Guiellermo Gregorio on clarinet and in duo with Jeb Bishop (Chicago defenders). He also began to play in duo with Paul Lovens (with the Buster Keaton The General project), performing in Munich, Ljubljana, Graz, Cologne, Regensburg, Rome, Maribor, Kassel and Göttingen. In 2002-03 he was a member of the Mats Gustafsson's Nu Ensemble.

In 2003 he appeared at the Banlieues Bleu Festival in Paris and Ghent (Belgium) with Joëlle Léandre's European Quartett featuring Carlos Zingaro Paul Lovens and special guest Irène Schweizer. He played a duo with Léandre at the Ulrichsberg Kaleidophon and also performed in the Trombone Trio - in Ljubljana and Maribor - with Vinko Globokar and Johannes Bauer.

Since 1999 Sebi Tramontana has toured Germany and Austria with TV and movie actor Udo Wachtveitl and, since 2001, been a musician and actor with the Dance Company En Knap of Iztok Kovac from Ljubljana. He appeared in the film of Under my skin, directed by Saso Podgorsek, in 2004. 2004 also saw a collaboration with the electronic 48 nord group in Munich.

In November 2004 he will exhibit his paintings in an exhibition in Chicago entitled Stop, Look & Listen: Artwork by Musicians alongside works by Pee Wee Russel, Hal Rammel, Han Bennink, Peter Brötzmann and others. In April 2005 he will tour with Joëlle Léandre and Paul Lovens and will be in Chicago to perform with a new project of Lou Mallozzi."

"Philipp Wachsmann. Born Uganda, 1944; violin, viola and electronics.

In the CD booklet to Gushwachs, John Corbett notes that Phillip Wachsmann came to free improvisation from a predominantly classical background, particularly via the contemporary experiments of "indeterminacy, graphic and prose-based scores, conceptualism and electroacoustics, listening to Webern, Partch, Ives, Berio and Varèse, reading 'Die Reihe' and interrogating the rhythmic, harmonic and melodic preoccupations of Western art music. Starting in 1969, Wachsmann was a member of Yggdrasil, an ensemble performing works by Cage, Cardew, Feldman, Ashley and others and in this group he used contact mikes on the violin and made his own electronic instruments, ring modulators and routing devices. Ironically, his studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris (1969-1970) pushed him hard in the direction of free music. He recalls: 'Despite her neoclassical orientation, her insistence that composition is about the imagination of performance and its realisation, the live moment, and her stunning ability to make this happen was a powerful influence on me, steering towards 'performance' and therefore 'improvisation'.'"

Wachsmann moved from Yggdrasil to Chamberpot - recorded on Bead 2 - and shortly thereafter appeared on Tony Oxley's influential February papers, forward looking in the virtual 'industrial' orientation of some of the tracks, years before this became an accepted genre; the two musicians have continued to work together, in various groupings but notably in the percussionist's Celebration Orchestra. Philipp Wachsmann has also performed and/or recorded with: Derek Bailey's Company, e.g. on the recording Epiphanies; Georg Graewe; Barry Guy; Iskra 1903; King Übü Orchestrü; London Jazz Composers' Orchestra; Evan Parker, particularly as part of the Evan Parker Electronic Project; Quintet Moderne; Fred Van Hove's ML DD 4; Rüdiger Carl's COWWS (now CPWWS) Quintet; and Lines, with Martin Blume, Jim Denley, Axel Dörner and Marcio Mattos. He also plays as a solo musician.

Phillip Wachsmann also administers Bead Records."