Elena Szirmai, NL/CH, Piano
Born: 9 march,1956 in the university city Leiden, Netherlands, 1969-1972 Highschool in USA and und Canada, 1972 - moved to Luzern, Switzerland where she studied classical piano at the Luzern Conservatory graduating with honors in 1977. 1978 - Winner of a 3-year Migros scholarship to continue soloist-study at Musicacademy Basel with Peter Efler and Gerard Wyss, soloistdiploma in 1982. Masterclasses with Malcolm Frager, Karl Engel, Mieczyslaw Horszowski.
During the next 15 years international career playing pianosolo-recitals, focus on spanish and french impressionists and swiss composers of the 20th century, earning a reputation with her subtle velocity and tonecouloring, lightfooted vituosity and spontaneous joyful way of playing.
Her curiosity in discovering new soundscapes led more and more to musical bordercrossing projects with improvising musicians (Fredi Lüscher, Hans Kennel, Otmar Kramis), to studies in jazz (Christoph Baumann, Simon Nabatov), to studying balinese gender wayang - music 1996/97 in Bali, Indonesia with Duo-Partner Otmar Kramis and finally to composing her own music (like the project MA'NA with Lauren Newton, Otmar Kramis und Mark Huber).
Her most recent project is the „Trio Szirmai – Kramis“, founded in 2000 for which she also writes arrangements and compositions
At present Elena Szirmai is professor at the „ Musikhochschule Luzern“, Faculty III (jazz), where she teaches piano, rhythmic and piano – pedagogics and gives workshops on balinese music.
Prizes: Migros-Stipendium, Orpheus Konzertreihe Zürich, Award for "MA'NA" from city and canton Luzern1993.
Otmar Kramis, CH, Saxofone
Born 1 october 1959 the village Hildisrieden, Switzerland
Started playing saxophone at age 18, studying at the Jazzschool luzern.
Professional studies at the „Hochschule für Musik“ in Graz , Austria with Carl Drewo and Karlheinz Miklin, Jazzdiploma with honours 1989.
Plays since than preferably in bands and projects where the musical aim is at broadening stylistic borders like the „Orchesterforum Graz“, „Baumann-Hämmerli Sextett“, „SIX-SAX“, Multimediaproject „MA'NA“with Elena Szirmai, Lauren Newton and Mark Huber, „Duo Szirmai-Kramis“, „Tentett +Lars Band“, Herbert Kramis' „Gudalcacin“.
Herbert Kramis, CH, Kontrabass
Born 29 june, 1956 in Hildisrieden, Switzerland
Musical education at the „Swiss-Jazz-School“ Bern (Diplom 1989) and with Belá Szedlák in Bern , than with Gary Peacock in New York, USA
Visited courses with Barre Phillips, Rufus Reid, Dave Liebman, Dieter Lange.
His spezial interest include brasilian, african, american, european classical as well as free improvised, which led to a broad spectrum of bands and projects like:„Billiger Bauer" „Schweizer Ziegel" „Tresbass" „Triojazz" with Gregor Müller und Pius Baschnagel; „Brother Hood" , „Four In One" with Nathanael Su, Urs Voerkel, Irène Schweizer“, „BandaNova“ Also theatermusic at differnet theaters in Zürich.
www.herbertkramis.com