Hans-Peter Pfammatter – Piano, Synths, Electronics

Whether on keyboard, synthesizer, or grand piano, Hans-Peter Pfammatter develops his sublime musicality through the keys.
Hans-Peter Pfammatter is one of the most distinguished musicians of his jazz generation. Wherever he is involved—whether in his own bands or as a highly sought-after sideman brings his trademarks with him: a wealth of ideas, sonic adventure, improvisation, technical mastery, and musicality. Pfammatter is an accomplished live musician who has been working for many years at the intersection of jazz and electronics, using his creativity to explore new sonic territories.
For ten years, Hans-Peter Pfammatter toured with Christy Doran’s New Bag, shaping the band’s contemporary, urban sound with his textures and technoid grooves. Electronics also played a defining role in his own band Scope and in the CD trilogy recorded with the quartet Le Pot. Despite his futuristic sonic interests, Pfammatter has always remained an acoustic musician as well. Independent of electronics and effects, he can perform compositions or freely improvise with lyrical intensity on the keys of a (often prepared) piano or grand piano. He does this, for example, with the Peter Schärli Trio, where his melodic, freely swinging keyboard playing is a great enrichment.
As a child, Pfammatter initially played the trumpet before switching to piano at the age of 13. He completed jazz studies at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern and at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Music (HSLU). Since 2000, he has been a lecturer at the Institute of Jazz and Folk Music at HSLU. In addition to his work in various bands, Pfammatter has composed music for theatre, films, and radio plays. His interest in blending electronic and acoustic elements, along with his openness to a wide variety of projects, are defining characteristics of his work.