Wolfgang Dauner

Wolfgang Dauner, a German pianist driven by ambition and a composer of wide curiosity, merged jazz, rock, electronic textures, and traces of opera and theater to shape expansive, genre-spanning works. Though some pieces ventured beyond familiar limits, his strongest efforts illuminate connections among idioms while advancing daring musical and cultural propositions. He pursued studies in trumpet, piano, and composition at Stuttgart’s Musikhochschule before entering Joki Freund’s sextet in the early 1960s. Festival appearances across Germany followed, after which he made his recording debut as leader of a trio in 1964—one of the first European free-jazz dates. In 1969 Dauner directed the Radio Jazz Group Stuttgart and supplied original compositions for the ensemble. Two years later he launched the jazz-rock outfit Et Cetera and, together with Hans Koller, jointly headed the Free Sound & Super Brass Big Band. He played a key role in assembling the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble in 1975, then began integrating theater, opera, and dance segments into his concerts during the 1970s and 1980s. Dauner has also written scores for films, radio, and television, including a children’s opera. His recordings have appeared on Mood, Columbia, MPS, ECM, and other labels, with numerous sessions now available on CD.