Hans Lüdemann

Hans Lüdemann, born 1961 in Hamburg, 1978/79 in Los Angeles/California, since 1982 in Köln, 2009/10 and 2015/16 in Philadelphia/USA. Private studies with Joachim Kühn, Studies of Classical piano at the Hamburg conservatory and Jazz piano at the Musikhochschule Köln and the Banff Centre/Canada. In Köln he obtained the first Jazz masters degree in Germany. Hans Lüdemann`s international career started in 1985 in the group of Eberhard Weber/Jan Garbarek with a tour of Asia. He worked with a number of world class musicians, among them Muhal Richard Abrams, Paul Bley (Duo CD), Hayden Chisholm, Chiwoniso, Toumani Diabate, Tata Dindin, Marc Ducret, Mark Feldman, Sol Gabetta, Dobet Gnahoré, Roger Hanschel, Lee Konitz, Joachim Kühn, Albert Mangelsdorff, Phil Minton, Angelika Niescier, Yves Robert, Heinz Sauer, Gebhard Ullmann, Bobby Zankel and Eda Zari.

Hans Lüdemann is a „wanderer between the worlds“ who has created first rate European ensembles with the trio ROOMS and the octet TransEuropeExpress (T.E.E.) and who makes transcultural connections between Africa, Europe and Jazz together with balaphon player Aly Keita in the Trio Ivoire. As a solo pianist he improvised an „hommage a Köln concert“ in the Köln opera, he expands the acoustic piano sound with his „virtual piano“ into a microtonal instrument and he developed new playing techniques for the historic clavichord. In the concert series „die kunst des trios“, started in 2007, Lüdemann has created a wide range of piano trio conceptions, working together with an international cast of musical partners.
As a solo pianist and with his ensembles, Lüdemann has performed worldwide and is at home on festivals, concert stages and in clubs between Berlin, Bamako, Capetown, Delhi, Havana, Hongkong, New York and Paris. Performances include portrait concerts at the Musiktriennale Köln, appearances at EXPO 2000 Hannover, Jazzfest Berlin, Bachfest Leipzig, Offbeat Festival Basel, HIFA - Festival Harare, Copenhagen Jazzfestival, Elbjazz Hamburg and the opening of the „Budapest Music Centre“. Solo tours have led through Europe, Africa and North America. Lüdemann’s music is documented on over 40 CDs for renowned record labels and radio and tv productions. His biggest project so far, „die kunst des trios“, was released as a 5-CD-box and received the „ECHO Jazz award 2013“.

From the beginning, the creation and realization of original music was the motivation and focus of his work and his projects. In 1988 he introduced his first orchestral work, „Geschichte 2“, in 1994 the song cycle „Verloren ins weite Blau“ (Lost into the wide blue) for voices and chamber ensembles. Hans Lüdemann received composition commissions of the WDR, SWR, hR, the Ensemble Indigo, the NDR bigband, the duo Slaato/Reinecke, from Steinway & Sons and the „Kunststiftung NRW“. In 2014/15 he received the federal composition grant of the „Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung“. His works range from solo music and songs to chamber music and music for bigband, choir and orchestra. A number of his musical scores have been published by Schott, including the „Rhythmic Etudes“ for piano in 2015.

In 2002, Lüdemann was invited on a journey to Africa with German President Johannes Rau. He was appointed member of the Federal German composition jury for the Villa Massimo in Rome from 2003 - 2007. He taught Jazz piano and ensemble at the Musikhochschule Köln from 1993 - 2008, directed the „Creative Jazz Workshop“ at the European Academy Montepulciano/Italy 2001 - 2007, the „JeuneJazzJam Paris-Köln“ of the Musikhochschule Köln and CSNDP Paris in 2008 and taught as „Cornell Visiting Professor“ at Swarthmore College/USA in 2009/2010 and again in 2015/16. Hans Lüdemann lives as a musician and composer in Hoffnungsthal near Köln, Germany.