Compositions:
2021:
“Seven Eleven” for percussion quartet, commissioned by Mannheimer Schlagwerk, 12 minutes. Premiere in 2021.
2020:
“Bach’s Bonsai” for string quartet, commissioned by the Kaleidoscope String Quartet, 5 minutes. Premiered at Fraumünster Church, Zurich, 2020.
“Child Galaxy Spin” for soprano voice and piano, based on a poem by Australian poet Jillian Pattinson, commissioned by IGNM Zurich, 3 minutes. Premiered at the Miniaturen concert series in 2020.
‘Third Coast World’, 12min piece for Third Coast Percussions (USA), premiered in Chicago Video
‘Cosmic Appropriation’ for Cosmic Percussion Ensemble (CH) Video / Interview
2019:
‘Shaker Kami’, 50min piece performed in collaboration with Percussions de Strasbourg (FR), 5 piece percussions and electronics in Zurich, Strasbourg, Nancy Video
‘When The Clouds Clear-A Light and Sound Poem’, installation/ concert, commission work by Barbican Centre, Enjoy Jazz festival. Performances in Mannheim, Barbican Centre London. 2019. Video
‘352’, 12min piece for 4 pianos, Gershwin Quartet (CH), performed at Tonhalle Zurich
2018:
“Camel Brain” for guitar, bass and percussion, commissioned by Temko, Amsterdam
2017:
‘9_3_7’, 10min piece, Britten Sinfonia (UK), world premiere Wigmore Hall London
“For2Pianos,” commissioned by Vicky Chow and Saskia Lankhoorn. Premiered at Bimhuis, Amsterdam
2016:
‘Arranged Moduls – for RONIN and Big Band’ for the Big Band of the Hessische Rundfunk and Jazzfest Berlin (60 minutes, premiere 2016, Berliner Festspiele).
2015/ 2016:
DIALOGOS (URAUFFÜHRUNG), Zurich Opera, Choreography: Filippo Portugal
2015: ‘AIM – for two pianos and chamber choir’ for the RIAS chamber choir Berlin (30 minutes, premiere 2015 Berlin Philharmonic Hall).
2015: ‘MANTA MANTRA – for two pianos and percussion’ for the New4Art Quartett (13 minutes, premiere 2015).
2014: ‘MODUL 56 – for Jazzquartet’, comission of the London Jazzfestival (8 minutes, premiere 2014 at the LJF).
2013: ‘TWO THREE – for string orchestra, piano, bass clarinet and percussion’ for the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (35 minutes, premiere at Kaufleuten Zurich 2013).
2012: ‘ROFU – for two pianos and two percussionits’ for the group Makrokosmos (45 minutes, premiere at Morton Feldman Festival Bern 2012).
2010: ‘MODUL 26 for Sextet’ for the New York group Bang On A Can (20 minutes, premiere at Merkin Hall New York).
2008: ‘ORIT for three percussionists’ (20 minutes, premiere at the Mehrklang Festival Freiburg 08)
2005: ‘Orchestrated Moduls’, New Chamber Funk II, composition for RONIN and the Ensemble für Neue Musik Zurich (60 Minutes).
2004: ‘Modul Ritual’, New Chamber Funk I, composition for 4 saxophones, piano, rhodes, drums & percussion (70 minutes, written in Japan 2003/04 for the ARTE QUARTETT).
2004: ‘Macbeth’ by Shakespeare/Müller, premiere at Sophiensäle Berlin 2004, music theatre, director: Nora Somaini.
Collaborations:
Ricardo Villalobos (Dj/ producer), 4 hours group performance with Ricardo Villalobos (rhythm, modular system), Max Loderbauer (modular system), Nicolas Stocker (percussion) in Zurich, 2019
Sophie Clements (visual artist), ‘When The Clouds Clear-A Light and Sound Poem’, installation/ concert commission work by Barbican Centre, Enjoy Jazz festival. Performances in Mannheim, Barbican Centre London. 2019. Video
Ballet Zurich Dialogos performance @ Zurich Operahouse 2015/2016
Laurie Anderson & Eivind Aarset (Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele 2015 & Brighton Music Festival), Song Conversations
Henrik Schwarz (since 2014), Scripted & Prepared Pianos
Hauschka (2014/15), Piano Duo
Swiss fashion designer Christa De Carouge for several fashion performances (since 2009). Video.
Butoh dancer Imre Thormann (since 2004: Perpetual Rhythm 2005, Voyager 2006, Parallel 2008: Pictures)
Japanese dancer Hideto Heshiki (since 2006: Stereo 2007)
‘Isorhythms & Moduls’ for two prepared Pianos with Zurich pianist and composer Christoph Stiefel (since 2003).
Clarinet player, composer and producer Don Li on his TONUS-MUSIC (1996 – 2002)
CH New Jazzfestival tour with Harald Haerter 1997.
Final at the ‘European Jazzcompetition’ of the Jazzfestival Leverkusen 1995 with the band ‘Domenico Ferrari & the groove cooperative’.
Dramaturgy, Performance Productions:
2019: ‘When The Clouds Clear - A Light and Sound Poem’, installation/ concert with visual artist Sophie Clement, commission work by Barbican Centre, Enjoy Jazz festival. Performances in Mannheim, Barbican Centre London.
2016: 27 hours Ritual performance at NY University Abu Dhabi Arts Center
2015/ 2016: Zurich Operahouse, DIALOGOS (URAUFFÜHRUNG), Choreographie: Filippo Portugal
2015: 12 hours Ritual performance at European Molecular Biology Laboratory
2014: 8 hours Ritual performance at European Molecular Biology Laboratory
Production and composition of the BLUE trilogy, performed over a period of three years with concerts of 36 hours respectively:
2005: ‘Perpetual Rhythm – a musical dance ritual’, with Butho dancer Imre Thormann & his Bodygarage Tokyo, 8 hour performance in the Rondorama on the Stanserhorn (Co-Production with Stanser Musiktage).
2005: ‘SEE – a live musical soundpicture‘, 4 hour performance on the lake stage in Zurich; together with oos (Co-Production with the Theaterspektakel Zurich).
2005. Openair performance together with the Gagaku ensemble of the Osaka Gakuin University Japan at the Hiyoshi Shrine in Otsu Japan.
2003: ‘Water Church Ritual’, Wasserkirche Zürich, with guest Walter Grimmer, cello, 6 hour mirror performance
2002: ‘MU BLUE‘ in Zurich (video. Together with oos)
2001: ‘AQUA BLUE’ in Baden
2000: ‘AREA BLUE’ in Zurich
Solo project
‘Hishiryo’ for prepared piano and percussion (since 2001)
Film music for the documentary film projects PHOTO SUISSE (2003/04) and DESIGN SUISSE (2005/06) of Swiss TV SFDRS and for SWISS VIEW (since 2006).
Music for the CD ‘Design Hören’ of the architecture magazine ‘HOCHPARTERRE’ & the ITH (2004)
Relevant theatre-compositions:
‘Titus Andronicus’ by Shakespeare/Müller at the Theater Kampnagel in Hamburg (Festival Junge Hunde 1999);
‘Gier’ by Sarah Kane and ‘Kühltransport’ by Maxim Biller at TIF Dresden 2001 resp. 2002;
‘Medea’ by Euripides at the Stadttheater Mönchengladbach 2002; director: Nora Somaini.
BIOGRAPHY
Born 1971 in Zurich. Pianist, composer and producer. Lives in Zurich. Instruction in piano and percussion from the age 8. 1997 Graduation from the 'Musikhochschule Zürich'. 1998-2001 studies in philosophy, linguistics and musicology at the University of Zurich. 2003/04 stay in japan for half a year.
Ongoing work on his RITUAL GROOVE MUSIC as pianist and composer. Leader of MOBILE (since 1997; with Kaspar Rast, Mats Eser & Sha) and the zen-funk quartet RONIN (since 2001; with Kaspar Rast, Thomy Jordi (till 2011 Björn Meyer) and Sha. 2002 - 2012 also with Andi Pupato). Instructor for ‘Practical Aesthetics’ at the 'Musikhochschule Zürich/Winterthur' (2000-2003).
Founder of the label Ronin Rhythm Records, a platform for creative groove music (since 2006).
Co-founder of the Music club EXIL in Zurich (2009).
Co-founder and co-artistic director (together with Judd Greenstein and Etienne Abelin) of the Indie-Classcial Festival Zurich Apples and Olives (2014).
Interest in the influence and the combination of music and movement, specially in the following Bodytechniques: Aikido, Feldenkrais, Gyrotonic.
Nik trains at Kokoro Aikido Dojo Zurich (3rd Dan).
Residencies, workshops and lectures at several institutions (f.e. Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance London (UK), Musikhochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig (DE), Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (CH), Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (CH), Conservatorio Die Musica Trieste (IT), Accademia Di Architettura Mendrisio (CH), ETH Zürich (CH)).
INTERVIEW (CH, 2012) AT SWISS NATIONAL TV SRF.
SMALL PORTRAIT (CH, D, 2015) AT SRF.
INTERVIEW (CH, E, 2015) FOR THE SWISS MUSIC PRIZE.
Prices / Awards
2015 Swiss Music Prize
1999 career award of the ‘UBS Cultural Foundation’
2002 career award of the ‘UBS Cultural Foundation’
2002 'Werkjahr' (career award) from the city of Zurich
2004 culture-award from the town of Zollikon (appreciation-award)
2006 priority jazz support from the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia
2007 composition mandate from the Swiss Arts Council
2015 nomination for the Swiss Music Prize by the federal office of Culture of Switzerland
2016 winner category "rising stars keyboards", critics poll Downbeat Magazine (USA)
2019 art award of the city of Zurich
DISCOGRAPHY
Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „AWASE“, ECM 2018
Nik Bärtschs Mobile, „CONTINUUM“, ECM 2016
Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „LIVE“, ECM 2012
Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „LLYRIA“, ECM 2010
Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „HOLON“, ECM 2008
Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „STOA“, ECM 2006
Nik Bärtschs Mobile, „AER“, 2004, Ronin Rhythm Records
Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „REA“, 2004, Ronin Rhythm Records
Nik Bärtschs Ronin, Live, 2003, Ronin Rhythm Records
Nik Bärtsch, „Hishiryo“, Piano Solo, 2002, Ronin Rhythm Records
Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „Randori“, 2002, Ronin Rhythm Records
Nik Bärtschs Mobile, „Ritual Groove Music“, 2001, Ronin Rhythm Records
Tonus-Music Labor Res. Result LIVE Vol. 1 & 2 Tonus Music Records 2002
Don Li's Tonus, GEN , Tonus Music Records 2001
Don Pfäffli's Tonus, SU:N, Brambus, 1999
Menico Ferrari & the groove cooperative, About Roses and Thorns 1994, out of stock.
As producer
Blaer, „Yellow“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2020
Ikarus, „Mosaismic“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2019
Kali, „Riot“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2018
Hely, „Borderland“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2018
Ikarus, „Chronosome“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2016
Ikarus, „Echo“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2015
Ingrid Lukas, „Demimonde“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2015
Dee Day Dub, „Race“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2014
Ingrid Lukas, „We Need To Repeat“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2009