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Heinrich von Kalnein

Born in Baden-Baden, Germany, Heinrich von Kalnein has lived in Austria for for more than 25 years , where he figures among the most high-profile musical personalities. As saxophonist and flutist open to many stylistic facets he developed his musical profile out of the contemporary jazz tradition. Coming from a melody-orientated concept and never neglecting the importance of a groove he tries to expand his musical range up to worldbeat and electronic music. As far as his music is concerned the word 'jazz' primary means an attitude, - not a style. Since his graduation from the University of Music Graz in 1987 and master classes with David Liebman and Oliver Lake he worked as a free-lance musician, high-profile soloist as well as composer / arranger, producer and professor for Saxophone in Linz at the Anton Brucker Conservatory (A) and Graz. In addition to touring with his own ensembles since 2003 he is co-leading the Jazz Bigband Graz with trumpeter / composer Horst - Michael Schaffer. Heinrich von Kalnein performs regularly in Austria and abroad and has given guest performances in the USA and the Far East. He has been a curator for the well-known Vienna jazz club Porgy & Bess and works as producer and director for recordings. Since 2004 he is working as a professor for jazz saxophone and jazz flute (IGP) at the renowned Jazz institute of the University of Music & Dramatic Arts in Graz (KUG). Other credits include CD productions, TV- and filmproductions with his own ensembles as well as with The Quartet, Free Winds, Songlines, jbbg - Jazz Bigband Graz, the Vienna Art Orchestra, the Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass, the Nouvelle Cuisine Bigband, DZihan & Kamien, Madita, George Gruntz, Adelhard Roidinger and German harpist Rüdiger Oppermann. He also worked a.o. with Iain Ballamy, Django Bates, Bob Brookmeyer, Jay Clayton, Wayne Darling, Kurt Elling, Gil Evans, Heiner Goebbels, Peter Herbert, John Hollenbeck, Jerry Granelli, Doug Hammond, John Hendricks, Peter Herborn, Marc Johnson, Sheila Jordan, Nguyên Lê, Charlie Mariano, Bob Mintzer, Glen Moore, Christian und Wolfgang Muthspiel, the New York Voices, Simon Nabatov, Ed Neumeister, Fritz Pauer, Marc Ribot, Paquito d‘Rivera, Arkady Shilkloper, Diane Schur and the Grammy award-winning vocalensemble Take 6.

Awards

1987 Diploma with Honors, University of Music Graz. Art Directors Club First International Exhibition Merit Award 1987

Gear

Cannonball BigBell Stone Series Altosaxophone, Paraschos wooden neck, Brancher J25 Metalmouthpc. Selmer MK VI Altosaxophone Selmer MK VI Sopranosaxophone Silver, Francois Louis Silver Mouthpc. Selmer MK VI Tenorsaxophone, Vandoren T75 Metal Mouthpc. YAMAHA 611 Closed-Hole Flute with Sankyo RS1 Headjoint Jupiter Medici Altoflute with straight Headjoint


Tags

150
Album Review

Heinrich von Kalnein: Songlines

Read "Songlines" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


The last time saxophonist Heinrich von Kalnein crossed this writer's path was directing the band on Joys & Desires. In quite a departure from that outing German expatriate cum Austrian von Kalnein enters the more confined climate of the quintet, expanding the format with wide open arrangements of spatially conceived original compositions.Heinrich von Kalnein's quintet includes Marek Balata as a wordless vocalist who employs scat, vocalese, and assorted vocal sound effects that impart an atmospheric character to the ...

80
Album Review

Heinrich von Kalnein: Blackbird

Read "Blackbird" reviewed by Paul West


Basie did it, and now German based saxophonist/flutist Heinrich von Kalnein is the latest jazz musician to hearken back to music by The Beatles. Blackbird is his easygoing, sometimes rousing tribute: a compilation of ten popular tunes by the Fab Four, filtered through a distinctively European style of jazz riffing. With his competent backing of trombone, piano, bass, even synthesizer, von Kalnein has an approach that demands little from the jazz listener. It’s that quality that boasts some of the ...

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... with this international group he is able to cross borders, without loosing his impeccable sense for creating melodies. (JAZZTHING/D)

"One of the most polished saxophonists of the Austrian scene, Heinrich von Kalnein knows how to produce both high impact jazz and masterful lines with a lyrical feel. Warmly recommended!..." (Ljubisa Tosic - DER STANDARD/Austria)

... präsentiert er aufregenden, zeitgenössischen Mainstreamjazz europäischer Prägung. Mit technischer Brillianz, der richtigen Balance zwischen Sophistication und Groove und als exzellenter Komponist vermag Heinrich Von Kalnein zu überzeugen. (Tiroler Tageszeitung/A)

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Primary Instrument

Saxophone

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Since 1989 - 1992 he worked as professor for saxophone at the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz / Austria. Since 1995 is is a member of the faculty of the renowned Jazz institute of the University of Music & Dramatic Arts in Graz (KUG). Since 2004 he is working as a professor for jazz saxophone and jazz flute (IGP) and conducting his own class. He gave workshops for saxophone and ensembleplaying in Italy, Germany, Austria and Israel (IASJ). He is available for workshops in all jazz-related fields.

Clinic/Workshop Information

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Songlines

TCB Music
2007

buy

Blackbird

Peregrina Music
2002

buy

Free Winds

Jazzwerkstatt
1996

buy

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