Jonas Labhart

After studying Saxophone performance and pedagogy at Berklee College of Music and HMT Zurich, Jonas moved to New York to study Jazz Composition with Jim McNeely and Rich DeRosa. During his three year long stay he not only obtained a Masters of Music in Jazz Composition but was also a member of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop and conducted his piece's world premiere for Big Band at Merkin Hall. Back in Zurich he studied classical music theory at ZHdK. Jonas lives in Zurich and performs in Switzerland, Europe and Japan with his project field*s and wellenschall. As a composer his work ranges from jazz arrangements for orchestra to contemporary classical works for quarter-tone trumpet. He teaches saxophone and music theory at the Konservatorium Vorarlberg, the Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK and the Musikschule Zürcher Oberland. As a member of the board and president of WIM (Werkstatt für Improvisierte Musik Zürich www.wimmusic.ch), he helps to organise weekly concerts of improvised music.