Biography
Violinist Paul Giger built an uncommon freelance path that spans contemporary concert repertoire, jazz-inflected improvisation, and global traditions, becoming a regular presence in the ECM catalog.
Born in 1952 in Herisau, Switzerland, he began violin lessons at age eight; during his late teens he journeyed through several Asian nations, supporting himself as a street performer. Returning home in 1971, he enrolled at the conservatories of Winterthur and Bern, completing a music-education diploma under Peter Mezger in 1976 and a soloist’s diploma with Ulrich Lehmann in 1980. Shortly afterward he secured a first-violin position with the St. Gallen Symphony Orchestra near his birthplace, remaining until 1983, when he embarked on the independent career he has maintained ever since. His first ECM release, the 1989 album Chartres, presented his own compositions recorded inside Chartres Cathedral on the summer solstice of 1988.
Subsequent ECM projects likewise drew inspiration from particular locations; the 1992 disc Alpstein examined the sonic possibilities of Swiss Alpine vocal traditions, featuring jazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek and percussionist Pierre Favre. Many of Giger’s recordings incorporate improvisation and jazz elements, along with extended techniques such as microtonal intonation. He appears both unaccompanied and in ensemble settings, collaborating with Marie-Louis Dähler, Glen Velez, and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir in addition to the musicians on Alpstein. He has also composed scores for film and for dance. In 2015 he received the Kulturpreis of the Cantons Appenzell. After issuing the 2017 album Trans Limen ad Lumen on the Divox label, he returned to ECM with Ars Moriendi in 2022.
Born in 1952 in Herisau, Switzerland, he began violin lessons at age eight; during his late teens he journeyed through several Asian nations, supporting himself as a street performer. Returning home in 1971, he enrolled at the conservatories of Winterthur and Bern, completing a music-education diploma under Peter Mezger in 1976 and a soloist’s diploma with Ulrich Lehmann in 1980. Shortly afterward he secured a first-violin position with the St. Gallen Symphony Orchestra near his birthplace, remaining until 1983, when he embarked on the independent career he has maintained ever since. His first ECM release, the 1989 album Chartres, presented his own compositions recorded inside Chartres Cathedral on the summer solstice of 1988.
Subsequent ECM projects likewise drew inspiration from particular locations; the 1992 disc Alpstein examined the sonic possibilities of Swiss Alpine vocal traditions, featuring jazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek and percussionist Pierre Favre. Many of Giger’s recordings incorporate improvisation and jazz elements, along with extended techniques such as microtonal intonation. He appears both unaccompanied and in ensemble settings, collaborating with Marie-Louis Dähler, Glen Velez, and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir in addition to the musicians on Alpstein. He has also composed scores for film and for dance. In 2015 he received the Kulturpreis of the Cantons Appenzell. After issuing the 2017 album Trans Limen ad Lumen on the Divox label, he returned to ECM with Ars Moriendi in 2022.
Albums
