Stefan Bauer

Born in 1956 in Recklinghausen, Germany, Stefan Bauer started playing piano at age six and at fourteen, the trombone; studied trombone at masters level from 1975 to 1978 at the Hochschule für Musik Dortmund. In 1976 he turned to the vibraphone, and studied with Wolfgang Schlüter, David Friedman, Tom van der Geld and David Samuels. Since 1978 Bauer has toured extensively, performing at international festivals around the world from Abidjan to Zürich. Although he has established multiple contacts and activities in Canada since moving here in 1990, he has preserved his roots and connections with the multi-faceted European music scene.

Bauer is internationally regarded as an excellent instrumentalist, and as a dynamic and flexible improvisor who competently moves within a wide spectrum between mainstream and avantgarde. His credentials as a composer include more than 40 pieces documented on CD’s. He has led his own groups on annual German tours since 1981.

Bauer has either performed live or recorded with the following musicians: Christof Lauer, the Vienna Art Orchestra (LP CONCERTO PICCOLO), Reinhard Glöder, Janusz Stefanski, Helge Schneider, Uli Beckerhoff (LP DEDICATION), Palais Schaumburg (LP LUPA), Doug Hammond Trio, Vinnie Golia, Jochen Sturms Ballstars (LP TANGO SUBVERSIVO), Drümmele Maa (LP VILLA RHODODENDRON), Kölner Saxophon Mafia (LP BABOMA), Charlie Mariano, Don Thompson, Bernie Senensky, Jim Vivian, Barry Romberg, Kenny Wheeler, Christoph Haberer (CD PULSATION), Attila Zoller, Tim Hagans, Larry Coryell, Larry Roy/Marilyn Lerner feat. Peter Erskine (CD A QUARTER TO THREE), Walle Larsson (CD), Knut Haugsoen (CD's ONE DAY'S GROWTH, STEP AND A HALF) Norma Winstone, Klaus König, Mick Goodrick, Alex Dean, Jerry Fuller, Adam Nussbaum, Manfred Bründl, Daniel Koulack (CD LIFE ON A STRING) and many others.

Bauer has participated in numerous radio and TV broadcasts in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Korea and Canada.

The CBC featured him with an artist's portrait on the 'Global village' series. In 1990 he received a jazz-composition prize from Monaco, and the cultural award of the city of Dortmund, Germany. Numerous Canada Council and Manitoba Arts Council grants enabled him to pursue a variety of writing, study and touring projects.

Besides his work as an active performer he has been teaching piano, composition and vibraphone since 1981 at various institutions including Conservatory Osnabrück, Musikschule Münster, Folkwang Musikhochschule Essen (Germany), University of Manitoba, Brandon University, the Professional Musicians' College and the Manitoba Conservatory (Canada). Bauer is frequently being asked to teach clinics in Germany and Canada.

Performances of note

1986 - radio-production with Vinnie Golia for the WDR (Germany's biggest radio/TV station)

1987 - the Stefan Bauer Quartet toured Germany (Mathias Nadolny on saxophone, Tim Wells on bass,Thomas Alkier on drums featuring the great Swedish trombone player, Eje Thelin).
1987 - a seven-week tour of ten African countries (Sengal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Zaire, Kenia, Tansania, Ethopia, Sudan) with the percussion trio "Drümmele Maa" (Christoph Haberer, drums and electronics) and Michael Peters (percussion).

1988 - invited to do a week long solo performance at the Olympic Games at Seoul, South Korea.

1990 - tour of Yugoslavia, Hungary and Bulgaria with "Drümmele Maa" (Haberer, Bauer, Ramesh Shotham on South Indian percussion).

1991 - "Drümmele Maa tour" of Spain, Portugal and France.
1991 - tour of western Canada with Larry Roy - gt, Gilles Fournier - b, Thomas Alkier - dr

1993 - tour of India with "Drümmele Maa" for the India International Music Festival (New Delhi, Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, Poona, Hyderabad and Bangalore).
1993 - European tour with "Drümmele Maa" and Dutch experimental singer Greetje Bijma.
1993 - invited to play for a week at Edmonton, Canada Jazz City Festival.

1994
Feb - tour of Germany and England with the Stefan Bauer Band.
May - member of the Klaus König Ensemble at Trienale, Köln (recorded live) and Moers New Jazz Festival.
June - Toronto and Montreal International Jazz Festivals with the Stefan Bauer Band.
July - Top 'O The Senator in Toronto with Canadian Quartet (Bernie Senensky - p, Jim Vivian - b, Barry Romberg - dr).
Sept - tour of Northern Germany.
Sept - original compositions and arrangements featured with Nord Rhein Westfalen Pool (ten-piece band) for broadcast on WDR radio.
Oct - NRW Music Festival in Germany with the Stefan Bauer Band feat. Norma Winstone.
Oct - tour of Eastern European festivals with Klaus König Orchestra (Warsaw, Prague, Bratislava, Bucharest, Sofia, Zagreb).
Nov - Berlin Jazz Festival with Christoph Haberer's "Pulsation".
Nov - four-day engagement at L'Air du Temps, Montreal, with Stean Bauer ‘Best of two worlds’ feat. Adam Nussbaum, Mick Goodrick, Tim Hagans and Jim Vivian.
Nov - recording session in Montreal with Nussbaum, Goodrick, Hagans and Vivian.
Dec - broadcast recording for WDR radio in Germany with new music composer, Stefan Heucke.

1995
Jan - composed music for Canadian short film "Seeduction" (by Marc Francois Tremblay)
June - Winnipeg Jazz Festival
Aug - week long engagement at Montreal Bistro in Toronto with his Canadian Quartet.
Aug - played on Greg Lowe's recording "Thrilled Against My Will"
Sept - Duo tour of Germany with Canadian guitarist, Larry Roy
Oct - concerts and CD recording with Manfred Bründl's "Art Ensemble Wiesbaden"

1996
Jan - tour of Western Canada with Canadian Quartet plus concert and CD-recording with Kenny Wheeler at the CBC, Winnipeg
Apr - tour of the Maritimes with Canadian Quartet
May - recording with the NDR Radio Big Band, Hamburg, Martin Luther Project
Aug - concerts with the NDR Big Band in East Germany
Nov - Jazzfest Berlin appearance with "Best of Two Worlds" (Adam Nussbaum, Mick Goodrick, Uli Beckerhoff & Jim Vivian) & short concert tour of Germany

1997
Feb - concerts with NDR Big Band. Duo performances with Ramesh Shotham in East Germany
June - Winnipeg Jazz Festival duo appearance with guitarist Larry Roy, And Knut Haugsoen's Vikrama, feat. trumpeter Eddie Henderson.
July - CD release concerts with Stefan Bauer Band (Senensky, Vivian & Romberg) for "Coast to coast" at the Montreal Bistro, Toronto
July - tour of Eastern Canada with Daniel Koulack
Aug - five Toronto Club dates with Stefan Bauer Band
Sept - concert with NDR Big Band in Mühlhausen, Germany
Nov - concert with NDR Big Band in Germany
Nov - trio concerts with Claudio Puntin - bass clarinet and Ramesh Shotham - perc.

1998
Feb - NDR Big Band concert Hamburg
March - recording for University of Manitoba Big Band CD "Messin' around"
April - CBC live concert with Marilyn Lerner in Winnipeg
May - recording for Knut Haugsoen's CD "One day's growth"
May/June - Ontario & Quebec tour with Kevin Turcotte-tp, Jim Vivian-b, Barry Romberg-dr
June - Winnipeg Jazz Festival appearances with Vikrama feat.Jamey Haddad-dr and Tony Marino-b
July - Tour of Alberta/British Columbia with Daniel Koulack & Knappen St. All Stars
Oct/Nov - concerts in Germany with Drümmele Maa and new ensemble Lingo
Nov - one-week workshop and concert at Musikhochschule Weimar with Norma Winstone

1999
Feb/April - recording for a CD with his duo-partner, guitarist Laurent Roy, and guests Paul McCandless, Howard Levy, Rick Lazar, Todd Isler
April - Bauer produces Knut Haugsoen's CD "Step and a half", feat.Mike Murley, Ingrid Jensen, Geoff Young, J.Vivian, Ted Warren, Rick Lazar
June - Bauer/Roy duo opener for Herbie Hancock/Wayne Shorter, Winnipeg Jazz Festival
Aug - one week at the Top o' the senator, Toronto with pianist Nancy Walker
Oct - CD- recording with Nancy Walker in Toronto
Nov - concerts in Manitoba and CBC production with pianist Bryn Roberts’ ensemble

2000
March/April - concerts, CD-production in Germany with stefan bauer Lingo 3 (Bauer- marimba, Claudio Puntin- bass clarinet, Marcio Doctor-percussion)
June - concerts at jazzfestivals Vancouver, San Francisco and Toronto with Lingo (sponsored by the Goethe - Institute)
August - concerts and CD - recording in Montreal with with pianist Bryn Roberts’ ensemble
Sept - concert at the Winnipeg Art Gallery with The Meisterswingers
Oct - concert at University of Winnipeg with rhyme or rhythm feat. New Music singer Therese Costes Heupel and percussionist Kelly Marques
Oct/Nov - concerts in Germany with Lingo (feat. flutist Michael Heupel and percussionist Kelly Marques)

2001
January - concert with singer Denzal Sinclair during the Winnipeg New Music Festival (recorded live for CBC Radio)
February - solo concert in Germany
concerts in Regina and Saskatoon with saxophonist Drasko Kecman
March - concerts in Germany with Dutch trumpeter Eric Vloeimans
April - concerts in Toronto and Montreal with pianist Bryn Roberts (Seamus Blake, Fraser Hollins, Karl Jannuska)
May - invitation to the Europhonics Festival in Dortmund/Germany
Performance at a New Music concert in Winnipeg with singer Therese Costes
June - concerts and a Demo CD recording in Winnipeg with Swing-Hop band "the Meisterswingers"
October/November - two months stay in Germany for rehearsals and various concerts with Lingo. Duo and solo concerts in Essen, Bochum, Münster, Unna, Dortmund, Soest, Bad Homburg

2002
February/March - three-week-tour of Abidjan(Ivory Coast), Accra (Ghana), Lagos (Nigeria) and Nairobi (Kenya) with LINGO, sponsored by the Goethe-Institute
March - Jazzfestival Brandon
April - appearance with singer Therese Costes and percussionist Kelly Marques at New Music Festival Grand Forks/North Dakota
Premiere of original composition 'Street scenes' at Winnipeg's New Music Association Groundswell concert
Guest soloist with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
May - four concerts in Toronto with "The Meisterswingers"
October - featured guest Soloist with a student big band in Halle/Germany
Two solo concerts in Dortmund and Soest/Germany