Christoph Baumann is an improvising musician, pianist and composer. He is professor for jazz piano and improvisation at the Lucerne School of Music. His artistic work oscillates between the two poles of improvisation and composition, attempting thereby to integrate various musical styles in large dramaturgic coherences, a constant.
His musical activities take him, either as lead or sideman, on tours and to festivals around the world.
Baumann composes for various formations, film, dance, theatre and radio plays. CDs widely document his musical activities.
Important groups and works:
Directs/has directed
- the Latin experimental group Mentalities
- together with Hämi Hämmerli the Baumann-Hämmerli-Sextett
- together with Urs Blöchlinger the large formation Cadavre exquis and the 'Rezessionsorchester'
He worked together with Jacques Siron in the groups Afro Garage, Nuit Balte and with the septet Rouge, Frisé & Acide and on the silent film projects 'Pane per tutti' and 'Berlin Sinfonie der Grosssstadt'
- together with Mathias Baumann he realised the project Symphonic Salsa
Christoph Baumann has written three speaking operas (libretto FX Nager): 'Attinghausen', 'Ds Gräis' and 'Hinter den sieben Bergen'. He has collaborated on diverse scenic projects together with musicians and theatre workers including Barbara Liebster, Ruedi Häusermann, Christoph Marthaler, Nelly Büttikofer,Tom Ryser, Ursus&Nadeschkin, Betty Legler, Yves Raeber and others.
He works/has worked with musicians and in formations with the most varied of musical styles including Joe Malinga, Benny Wallace, Tom Scott, Dave Taylor, Tom Varner, Petras Vyshniauskas, Letieres Leite, Urs Blöchlinger, Martin Schlumpf, Marco Käppeli, Dieter Ulrich, Runo Eriksson, Didier Levallet, Ramon Lopez, Laurent Dehors, Gian Luigi Trovesi, Conrad Bauer, Lucilla Galeazzi,Matthias Ziegler, Hans Kennel, Les Passeurs d' Instants, Omnibus, Nuevo Sabor, Picason, Swiss-Fusion, Bermuda Viereck, Orchestre National de Jazz de La France, La Marmite Infernale, Schweizer Schlagzeugensemble, No Secrets in the Family, Swiss Improvisers Orchestra, Hausquartett and Ton 03.
Work list
Autour des premières cinq notes du violon (1999)
Instrumentation: for 4vn, va, sx, db and perc
Duration: 37' 00" Manuscript
Son Knödel (1999)
Instrumentation: for tpt, cl, bn, vn, va, db, hp, gtr and perc
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Line2 Latin-Vamp/1 (2000)
Structures and Spaces
Instrumentation: for voice, ssx, tbn, pf, db and perc
Duration: 5' 00" Manuscript
Line2 Schräggg-time (2000)
Structures and Spaces
Instrumentation: for voice, ssx, tbn, pf, db and perc
Duration: 7' 00" Manuscript
Line3 Fast Swing (2000)
Structures and Spaces
Instrumentation: for voice, ssx, tbn, pf, db and perc
Duration: 5' 00" Manuscript
Latin: Vamp/Changes (2000)
Instrumentation: for ssx, tpt, tbn, pf, db and perc
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Danzonette (2000)
Instrumentation: for choir and symphony orchestra (1.1.1.bcl.1.4sx/1.4.4.0/perc/pf/str)
Duration: 18' 00" Manuscript
Exercices de style (2000)
Rondo for moving musicians - conceptual
Instrumentation: for large ensemble with improvising musicians
Duration: 60' 00" Manuscript
Line1 Ballad/Valse (2000)
Structures and Spaces
Instrumentation: for voice, ssx, tbn, pf, db and perc
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Wanderungsbewegung Material (2001)
Instrumentation: for jazz ensemble
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
BF - CheChaCha (2001)
Instrumentation: for ensemble (sx, tpt, tbn, pf, perc, db)
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Wanderungsbewegung Ballad (2001)
Instrumentation: for song and jazz ensemble
Without text.
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Wandervamp (2001)
Instrumentation: for song and jazz ensemble
Without text.
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Déviation et autres situations impossibles (Part I/II) (2001)
Instrumentation: for 2 flutes and jazz trio
Duration: 34' 00" Manuscript
Sekunden, Quarten und weitere Sehenswürdigkeiten (2001)
Instrumentation: for 4 guitars
Duration: 7' 00" Manuscript
Ausfahrt Aargau (2002)
Folksongs
Instrumentation: for various ensembles (choir, brass instruments, alphorn, Swiss folk music ensemble, big band, brass band, steelband)
Duration: 2h 45' 00" Manuscript
Gnep-knom (2002)
Instrumentation: for song and jazz ensemble
Without text.
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Steps (2002)
Instrumentation: for jazz ensemble
Duration: 3' 00" Manuscript
Der Gesang der Schildkröten (2003)
Radio play after Javier Tomeo
Duration: 74' 00" Manuscript
Sirambas Valse (2003)
Kleiner Ländlertraum aus dem Nebelraum
Instrumentation: for steelband
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
Crossvolution II (2003)
Instrumentation: for ensemble (cl.bcl.tpt.tbn/vn.vc.db/mar/pf/perc)
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Anneli-Lied-Suite (2004)
Instrumentation: for song, saxophone, trombone, piano, double bass and percussion
Duration: 45' 00" Manuscript
Hörtaglied (2004)
Instrumentation: for 2 voices, saxophone, violin, violoncello and double bass
Texts: Regina Heer
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
Algo De Todo (2004)
Signet and improvisation structure
Instrumentation: for ensemble (fl, sx, tpt, tbn, gtr, pf, mar, timp, perc, vc, db)
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Ich küsse dich so ganz - aber so von weit weg und fern und kalt (2004)