Franz Koglmann (Austria - exploring Sweden)


Franz Koglmann Franz Koglmann was born in Mödling near Vienna in 1947. From 1961-67 he studied classical music with a major in trumpet, added a jazz diploma which he took at the Konservatorium der Stadt Wien from 1969-72, and completed his training by study visits to New York and Philadelphia in 1972/73.

In 1973 he founded the Pipe Records label, under which he published three records, i. a. with Steve Lacy and Bill Dixon.
Franz Koglmann has collaborated with many renowned international jazz musicians.
The ensembles he founded or in which he participated include trios with Walter Malli and Derek Bailey as well as with Paul Bley and Gary Peacock, a duo with Oskar Aichinger, the Monoblue Quartet with Tony Coe, and the Pipetet, which he founded in 1983 and which released its first LP «Schlaf Schlemmer, Schlaf Magritte» one year later. The Pipe Trio with Rudolf Ruschel and Raoul Herget was formed in 1986. In 1995 Koglmann collaborated with Lee Konitz.
Since the mid-80s, his main focus has been on composition. His commissioned compositions in the border area between jazz and New Music were premiered in 1990 at the Donaueschinger Musiktage («The Use of Memory»), at the Vienna Konzerthaus («Küß’ die Hand, Jazz» in co-operation with Wiener Musik Galerie, 1992), at the Musikverein («Mélange de la promenade», 1993), at the Cologne Triennale (1994), at Wien Modern ′94, and at the festivals of Toronto, Vancouver and Quebec and at the New York Knitting Factory (1995).
1997 saw the premieres of a commission by the Vienna Festival, «Ein heller, lichter, schöner Tag», conducted by Dennis Russell Davies, and of the Ezra-Pound cantata «O Moon My Pin Up».
In 1998 followed «Don’t Play, Just Be» as well as «Späte Liebe» (songs based on poems by Franz Schuh) with Klangforum Wien conducted by Sylvain Cambreling and Emilio Pomarico, and in 2003 the ‘Beach Opera’ «Fear Death by Water» based on T. S. Eliot (Netzzeit production with the Monoblue Quartet and exxj … ensemble xx. jahrhundert conducted by Peter Burwik).
Further premiers as «Let’s Make Love» 2004 or the commissioned composition «Nächtliche Spaziergänge» (Nocturnal Walks) as the Austrian contribution to Sibiu/Hermannstadt, European Capital of Culture in 2007 followed.
2009 Koglmann released his much-noticed program «Lo-lee-ta. Music on Nabokov» (with the Monoblue Quartet). 2011: «Identities» dance installations, based on the novel «L’identité» by Milan Kundera, Westfalenballett Dortmund, Choreographer: Xin Peng Wang, Dramaturgical Advisor: Christian Baier.
World premiere: «Süßer Duft Polenta», a commission by the Carinthischer Sommer 2011 festival.
World premiere: «Night Drive – concerto grosso», a commission by the exxj ensemble conducted by Peter Burwik.
December 2011: three concerts at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin.
On 24 November 2012, the 2 compositions were first performed at the ORF Grosser Sendesaal within the context of a Koglmann portrait: «Bix and the Boys» – 4 songs based on poems by Ronald Pohl and «Börsenkonzert» based on a text by Alfred Zellinger.
In 2013 followed the world premiere of the opera «JOIN! »; libretto: Alfred Zellinger, Vienna Festival 2013 in a co-production with Netzzeit.
Director: Michael Scheidl, with Katja Reichert, Wolfgang Gratschmaier, Anthony Heidweiller and others. Orchestra: Die Reihe conducted by Carsten Paap.
Most of Koglmann’s CDs received 5-star ratings. Other awards and distinctions included “record of the year” by the London Times («L'Heure Bleue»), “disque d'or” in Diapasson, France (for «Ich»), among “Steven Koenig's Top Ten 1999” in Jazz Weekly, USA («Make Believe»), “choc” in Jazzman, Paris (for «An Affair with Strauss»), recommendation of the year 2007 by Der Standard («Nocturnal Walks»), 2009 best-of-year list of Falter magazine («Lo-lee-ta. Music on Nabokov»).

Koglmann’s CDs were released under the Swiss hat HUT label, under the German label between the lines and since 2007 under col legno.

Some of Franz Koglmann’s awards:
2008, Ernst-Krenek-Award of the City of Vienna for «Nächtliche Spaziergänge»;
2003, Music Award of Lower Austria;
Hans Koller award 2003 – CD of the year for «Don’t Play, Just Be»;
2001, Music Award of the City of Vienna;
1997, Composer’s award of Erste Österreichische Sparkasse;
1992, Lower Austrian Music Recognition Award
1987, Music Award of the Republic of Austria;
1989 and 1995, the State Grant for Composition

Recent CDs:

Lo-lee-ta. Music on Nabokov
with the Monoblue Quartet and Wolfgang Mitterer
col legno, WWE 1CD 30004 (2009)

Koglmann – Hadyn: Nocturnal Walks
with exxj ... ensemble xx. jahrhundert cond. by Peter Burwik and Haydn Orchestra
Bolzano and Trento cond. by Gustav Kuhn
col legno, WWE 1CD 2027 (2007)

Let’s Make Love
An imaginary play in 12 scenes
with the Franz Koglmann Pipetet;
between the lines coprod. with ORF, BTLCHR 71206 (2005)

The Bridal Suite
in Duo with Oskar Aichinger
handsemmel records 2108 (2004)

Fear Death by Water
with Morenike Fadayomi, Walter Raffeiner a. o., the Monoblue Quartet, exxj ... ensemble
xx. jahrhundert, cond. by Peter Burwik
between the lines btl 034 (2003)

Don't Play, Just Be
with Ursula Fiedler, Tony Coe, James Emery, Uli Fussenegger, Peter Herbert and the Klangforum Wien cond. by Emilio Pomárico
between the lines btl 021 (Mai 2002)

We Thought About Duke
with Lee Konitz, Monoblue Quartet and Pipe Trio (Franz Koglmann, Rudolf Ruschel, Raoul Herget)
hat ART CD 6163 (1994, reissued: May 2002)

O Moon My Pin-Up
Cantata for Solo Voice (Phil Minton), Pipetet (Tony Coe, Barre Phillips a. o.) and the Wiener Vokalisten (Ursula Fiedler e.a.), cond. by Gustav Bauer
Text: Ezra Pound (The Pisan Cantos LXXIV−LXXXIV)
With contributions by Peter Niklas Wilson, Franz Schuh, Peter Rüedi, Robert Bilek, Franz Koglmann a. o.
Photos by ÖhnerKraller
Limited edition Hrsg. Wespennest, coproducted with hat HUT records, 1998
reissued: hatOLOGY 566 (2001)