With more than 2,000 concerts guitarist, composer and director Stefan Grasse has built up an excellent national and international reputation in recent years. At
home in the world of classical music and Latin jazz, the virtuosic, award-winning player is considered to be representative of a new type of musician. With his extensive European musical training
he is able to approach a variety of musical styles and cultures open mindedly and without tunnel vision. With a sensitive instinct he explores ethnic music ranging from Latin American to African
and Indian. Guided by his own European roots and creativity he is then able to incorporate these diverse styles into his own compositions and arrangements.
With his own artistic originality and virtuosity he is able to switch between any number of styles: from Tango Nuevo to Brazilian jazz, valse musette to Flamenco, or going from Indian Konokol and
Bach’s lute works to modern music.
The latter led to numerous first and repeat performances, working in close collaboration with contemporary composers and receiving high praise from, for example, Hans Werner Henze and Steve
Reich.
Besides his long-standing collaboration with cellist Tess Remy-Schumacher (USA), Stefan has also formed his own trio with Alexander Fuchs (double bass) and Raphael Kempken (percussion), which is
his main artistic focus. With these like-minded soloists Stefan Grasse offers a stylistic diversity which is given an enthusiastic reception from both audience and critics. Alongside Astor
Piazzolla’s Tango Nuevo and Baden Powell’s Bossa Nova, the concert programme also includes imaginative, thrilling interpretations of Caribbean rhythms, impressionist music by Erik Satie, fiery
Flamenco - as well as his own original compositions.
Rarely are breathtaking virtuosity, harmonic finesse and irresistible rhythms presented with such charm and passionate devotion. Or, as the magazine 'Gitarre Aktuell" described: "It is a musical
feast!"
Biographical notes
- Stefan Grasse was born in Munich, Germany in 1962 and studied jazz and classical guitar with Peter O’Mara (Munich Jazz School), Kurt Hiesl (Nuernberg Conservatory), Phillip Thorne (Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow) and Pepe Romero (International Summer Academy, Salzburg).
- He has been awarded Bavarian Radio scholarships, the Royal Scottish Academy’s „Guitar Challenge Prize 1991“, the „Scottish Society of Composers’ Award 1991“, the City of Nuernberg Cultural Award 1996 and the Cultural Award 2004 of the Kulturforum Franken, Germany.
- Till 2016 Stefan Grasse has given over 2,000 concerts in Europe, Australia, Argentina, Turkey, China and the U.S.A. (including the „Concierto de Aranjuez“).
- Amongst many others, mostly commissioned by himself, Stefan Grasse has given first performances of works by Janet Beat, Volker Blumenthaler, Dieter Buwen, Greg Caffrey, John Maxwell Geddes, Heinrich J. Hartl (including a guitar concerto), Nicky Hind, Stefan Hippe, Adriana Hölszky, Samuel Magrill, Edward McGuire, Vivienne Olive, Steve Reich and Thomas B. Wilson.
- Since 1993 he has released 15 CDs, ranging from the music of German composers, Steve Reich, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Baden Powell, Isaac Albeniz to Astor Piazzolla and his own compositions.
- Stefan Grasse lives as a freelance concert guitarist and producer in Nuremberg, Germany, where he is also artistic director of the "Nuremberg Guitar Nights".
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