Christoph "Pepe" Auer

Christoph Pepe Auer is born 1981 in Tirol/Austria. From the age of 5 he studied music. 2001 he started the university for music in Graz to study saxophon-jazz. 2005 he has got the bachelor of arts. Christoph is now a Vienna-based saxophone player. He also got lessons from Dick Oatts, George Garzone, Donny McCaslin and Branford Marsalis just to name a few. He performed with the musicians Adam Holzman (keyboard, Miles Davis Band ), Joseph Bowie, David Murray as well as the Concert Jazz Orchestra Vienna. He was sent in 2005 as a representative of the University of Graz to the I.A.S.J. meeting directed by David Liebman. This influenced him to work more intensely on composition. In 2005 he received The Hans Koller Prize. Self description: Saxofone, Klarinetten From my 5th birthday until 19 I had the chance to make musical experiences in a broad range: playing the accordion for 10 years (Traditional Music), clarinet (Classical), piano (Pop), drums (Heavy Metal). Then I went to study Jazz Saxophone at the University of Music Graz, Austria. There I got a propper musical foundation in the language in Jazz. My role models at this time where mainly Johnny Hodges, Cannonball Adderly, Lee Konitz, Paul Desmond and John Coltrane. But also from the newer generation like Kenny Garrett, Branford Marsalis etc. Based on my musical output I got different scholarships from the University and won Austrians main jazz award "Hans Koller Prize" 3 times. This gave me the opportunity to go abroad to study composition in Stockholm and study with a lot of the masters of the New York Jazz Scene. Already the first trip led into a CD Recording 'The New York Sessions' which ended up in NYC becoming my second home for 5 years. To study with masters like Branford Marsalis are highlights.