Born in Winterthur, Switzerland, Jonas Tauber grew up and studied music in the USA, finishing with a Bachelor of Music in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY on cello. Then the search began: quit playing music for two years, studied philosophy, science, worked as a cook, cowboy, ski instructor, aikido instructor, climbed, sailed, and finally found his way back to the cello as principal cellist in the Boulder Philharmonic. After that, a half year in Switzerland, then a year studying with William Pleeth in London, where he also performed as cellist in the Hengrave Quartet premiere at St. John's Smith Square. Then as principal cellist in the Cedar Rapids Symphony for two years, teaching at Grinnell College, nine months in the Knoxville Symphony, and directly to New York City. There, he met pianist Albert Lotto, through whom he met and performed with Itzhak Perlman, along with the North/South Consonance Ensemble, Apple Hill Chamber Players, New York Piano Trio, John Hollenbeck's Quartet Lucy, Hans Tammen and Dafna Nafthali, Emmanuelle Somer, Barry Harris, and David Murray. Found by the band Pink Martini, invited to tour with them for the next 18 months or so, he switched to bass for the band and stayed with it for fourteen years. Moved to Portland, from where he worked with the Oregon Symphony, Doug Haning, Rob Blakeslee, Billy Mintz, Vinny Golia, Art Reznick, Michael Vlatkovich, Ken Ollis, and John Gross, through whom he found his way to Origin Records. He is executive producer of the Zurich Series, the idea of John Bishop, which features recordings by John Gross, Billy Mintz, Michael Vlatkovich, and a solo double bass live concert. He moved back to Switzerland in 2003, from where he performed in the bands of Rudy Smith, Michael Vlatkovich, Carle Ducasse, Hans-Peter Pfammatter's Scope, Conciliabolo, and Robert Morgenthaler's Art Attack. His own projects were an acoustic duo with pianist Hans-Peter Pfammatter, the Jonas Tauber Quintett featuring 40's and 50's sound, another group that includes Hans- Peter, drummer Dieter Ulrich, saxophonists Adrian Pflugshaupt and Andrea Oswald, a piano trio with pianist Tim Kleinert and drummer Kaspar Rast. He taught improvisation, classical and jazz bass at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern.
He presently lives in Los Angeles.
Awards
Concerto competition winner, Sacramento Youth Symphony, Cornelia Symphony
Orchestra
Principal cello Hidden Valley Youth Orchestra (best of California)
Soloist on A list concert series as principal cellist of Cedar Rapids Symphony
Fellowship recipient, Aspen Music Festival
Gear
German made cello, ca. 1850
Yamaha Silent Electric cello
Fender Rambler Bass Amp
Realist/David Gage acoustic pickup
“...a jaw-dropping night of improvised beauty...superb!”
—Laura Winter, Cadence
"...an inspired document of brilliant music shining like a brooding star in
space/time."
—Michael Casano, Jazz Review
"...a performance of impressionistic beauty, dramatic excitement, virtuosic
control and unique imagination that's unlike that of any other recording of
acoustic bass."
—Don Williamson, Jazz Review
Primary Instrument
Cello
Location
Los Angeles
Willing to teach
Advanced only
Credentials/Background
I have 6 years of teaching experience at the university level at the university of the
arts, bern, switzerland (HKB).
I have taught violin to lower income family members and done outreach programs
with string quartet in Knoxville, TN.
Clinic/Workshop Information
the art of listening if you can hear, truly hear, what you are doing, saying,
presenting on your own instrument, it seems to magically enhance the real-time
listening quality of the other musicians in the session
Read more
Primary Instrument
Cello
Location
Los Angeles
Willing to teach
Advanced only
Credentials/Background
I have 6 years of teaching experience at the university level at the university of the
arts, bern, switzerland (HKB).
I have taught violin to lower income family members and done outreach programs
with string quartet in Knoxville, TN.
Clinic/Workshop Information
the art of listening if you can hear, truly hear, what you are doing, saying,
presenting on your own instrument, it seems to magically enhance the real-time
listening quality of the other musicians in the session. Something I have explored
throughout my life performing and teaching in all kinds of venues, groups, settings.
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