ARTISTIC PROFILE:
If you simply want to experience the moment “piano playing” live - with all unrestrained energy of two improvising unleashed hands, which whirl almost effortless independently over 88 keys – you are served in the best way by Mathias’ stylistic variety, which spans the entire jazz genre.
The traditional conceptions of playing the piano - the pianist as one man orchestra - are model of the pianist, who acts thereby in best tradition of the american jazz piano. Errol Garner, Oscar Peterson, Dave McKenna, Gene Harris, Hank Jones, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Michel Petrucciani - the greatest players of jazz piano were always solo pianistical present and concert hall compatible.
CONCERTANTE PROJECTS:
With concertante solo piano recitals he brings the jazz piano according to the american role model with high artistic standard into the concert hall - high-quality concert grand pianos, artistic contemporary jazz with classical sound qualities – today’s jazz with the today’s sound. Thereby the pianist interprets apart from his own originals works of Bill Evans to Keith Jarrett and Michel Petrucciani.
Besides he presents himself straight swinging in the american jazz tradition and moderates an entertaining evening of the style history of solo jazz piano in a humorous and winking way. A long to remember event with all references to the large names and stylistic lines of development, an equally informative, enjoyable and making you finger snap piano happening.
In addition, apart from virtuosic concerts the entertaining bar jazz piano belongs to his beloved passions. Here he accompanies events of all kinds with well-known swing evergreens in old pianistic tradition to deliver the flair of classy entertainment.
Not least the pianist also works in duo settings with renowned international jazz singers as well as jazz instrumentalists, and represents his art also in interactive form - music living from dialogue and mutual inspiration of communicating stage partners and creating exciting improvised musical elements of surprise out of the moment.
VITA:
Jazz Pianist Mathias Claus, born 1956 in Waiblingen nearby Stuttgart, Germany. Education as jazz pianist at Musikhochschule Hamburg, studies with Prof. Dr. Dieter Glawischnig, diploma with excellence in 1989. Further studies with Ray Santisi at the famous Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA plus classical studies with Shigeko Takeya and others.
Mathias Claus started collaboration recordings with musicians of the young cyber jazzscene worldwide. He contributed as guest player on numerous artists’ CDs worldwide, working with many artists such as Peggy Morris, Nigel Hitchcock, Laurence Cottle, Sue Maskaleris, Daniel Martina, Fillipo Bertacche and others. Later on he started playing live concerts with his global musicians organising common tours and concerts in Germany with american artists Peggy Morris, Eyran Katsenelenbogen or Misha Steinhauer from Moscow.
In 2003 he gained international attention being interviewed by allaboutjazz.com and awarded by Bundesfonds Soziokultur e.V. for his international collaboration activities.
After gaining a teaching faculty 2004 in Braunschweig he started a career as jazz solo pianist. Recently he performed with some of the leading german jazz solo pianists at the 1. Hamburg Jazz Solo Piano Summit on 16th June 2007 for the NDR broadcast Hamburg and shared stage with players like John Taylor and Eliane Elias and was piano sideman for american vocalists like Gayle Tufts, Peggy Morris and Rachel Gould.
In 2008 Piano Manufacturers Grotrian-Steinweg und Schimmel assigned him compositions in the new music area.
